Spring 2014. Decided to try growing some hops. I figured I would find a collaborator or two to use ’em to brew some beer. I’d read that as aggressive rhizomes, they can take over if not contained, spreading underground. Can’t let that happen to the garden. Sourced some planters for the job.
Dug a spot for each of two 24″ cube-shaped planters. Lined it with a few concrete pavers to give the bottom legs something to stand on and keep the soil contact to a minimum.
Nestled the rather large planters into place. Maybe wrestled is a better word.
After drilling a few extra drainage holes, added some gravel and sand for drainage.
A mix of “Pro Mix” and locally sourced compost to fill the top 18″ of depth. Not a fan of the perlite in the Pro Mix, but it’s what was available. I’d rather have found a mix with vermiculite or some other soil lightener. Perlite just kinda looks bad. Someone should invent a soil-colored kind.
The topped-off planter in place. Once filled, I dug holes in the center of each one for the rhizomes.
Here we have one of two hops rhizomes. Both are Cascade Hops. Recommended to the good folks at Brooklyn Homebrew, sadly now defunct. Commonly used and supposedly easy to grow. I was ready to buy four per planter. They recommended only one. They were right.
Plunked these little guys down about six or nine inches down, one in each planter. Little shoot buds facing up.
After covering up, there seemed to be plenty of room left over and the planters are closest to the kitchen, so the four corners of each planter became the kitchen herb garden as well. Now, we wait.