removing hops/humulus
 

Hi,
I am removing a hop - unfortunately the roots are quite deep.
Does anyone know if the plant will grow from the parts of roots leftover, or
must I dig deep to remove all traces.

Thanks,
Simon

On Mon, 4 Oct 2004 16:19:05 +0000 (UTC), "Simon Morley"
wrote:

Hi,
I am removing a hop - unfortunately the roots are quite deep.
Does anyone know if the plant will grow from the parts of roots leftover, or
must I dig deep to remove all traces.

Yep - it'll grow again from even a tiny root fragment...so either you
dig up the lot, or....
Wait until next spring, let it shoot, then cut the shoots and eat them
a la asparagus....let it grow on a bit more, then dose it with
weedkiller.

You might end up doing a combination of both methods!

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

Stephen Howard wrote:
On Mon, 4 Oct 2004 16:19:05 +0000 (UTC), "Simon Morley"
wrote:

Hi,
I am removing a hop - unfortunately the roots are quite deep.
Does anyone know if the plant will grow from the parts of roots
leftover, or must I dig deep to remove all traces.

Yep - it'll grow again from even a tiny root fragment...so either
you
dig up the lot, or....
Wait until next spring, let it shoot, then cut the shoots and eat
them
a la asparagus....let it grow on a bit more, then dose it with
weedkiller.

You might end up doing a combination of both methods!

There's a piece about hop-shoot ("lupoli"?) risotto in at least one
of Elizabeth David's books: a great and rare delicacy, it seems, so
you may find it worthwhile keeping your plants, and maybe even
encouraging them!

If not, Stephen's right on the next point too: it's a case for either
glyphosate in the spring -- since root cuttings are the usual way of
propagating hops -- or repeated cutting until there's no strength
left in the roots. I don't think I'd really bother trying to dig them
up, unless to offer to a home-brewing friend with more space than
perhaps you have (you need one male plant for, I don't know, maybe
every six or ten females to produce fertilized "cones"). Even then,
your hop variety may not be a good one for brewing; I don't know if
the usual ornamental kind is good or not.

Mike.