Fall is here, what now?

[elproducto]

My first year hops weren't that great but I wasn't expecting much. What sort of care is required now that fall is here. I live in Northern Ontario and we have a fairly long/cold/snowy winter.

 

[solbes]

Interested as well. I'm in the same boat. I was planning on mixing in some fresh compost and garden soil into the top 3" of soil (just above rhizo). Then I was going to move one of my chicken wire tree cages (about 2 feet diameter) and add 8" of leaves for extra insulation. Probably unnecessary, but something about this fall has me suspicious about our weather 2-6 months from now.

 

[Retrofit]

I dry all my bones, burn them, and add the ash to my compost. I then add the compost to my beds as a mulch. I disassemble my trellis and consider modifications for next year.

So of my plants may need to be cut back so I take a spade shovel and try to cut them back so different hops don't overlap next year. Finally I shut down my rain barrels and look for flaws that will need to be repaired.

Basically I set up the spring stuff ascmuch as I can right now.

 

[sloanme]

I would be interested as well. I live in Calgary and have grown my first year hops in tubs. I was thinking of moving them to a sheltered area so they don't do repeated freeze/thaw cycles with the chinooks. Should I insulate the pots as well?

 

[Jagdad]

Here in Michigan, we clean up all weeds and add a fresh layer of leaf compost. We sidedress the rows with a shot of potassium (which acts like antifreeze in the root system). Avoid applications of nitrogen fert. now to avoid blowing out the crown buds that are setting for next spring. All our containers /pots are grouped, mulched over and covered with a frost cloth. We put mouse bait under the cover to keep the vole population down. All drip emitter lines are throughly blown out, so they don't pop apart when it freezes. Our big containers are heeled in (buried) about halfway and mulched over, also.
We used to split crowns in the Spring, but we have started doing this this in late fall because the weather is more predictable and the crowns seem to prefer it. (As do our seasonal help!)

 

[ThreeDogsNE]

We sidedress the rows with a shot of potassium

Could you explain this to a gardener of (ahem) rather limited experience?

 

[B-Hoppy]

Sprinkle a little bit of fertilizer (high in potassium) around the hills. Most fertilizer has three numbers: 10:10:10, 32:3:10, 46:0:0, etc.. You want one with a higher last number as the three numbers indicate how much Nitrogen: Phosphorous: Potassium are in the fertilizer. Check with your local nursery or cooperative extension agent for details on where to get a good potassium source near you and have at it!