Do you think hops work well in containers? I would think they would topple over after a certain point. The container will also restrict growth as the plant matures and your only option will be to place it into a much larger container at that time, or transfer it to the ground.
On organics and manure... Container gardening is not particularly suited for this type of fertilization...
Inorganic fertilizers are the way to go for containers. The delivery of the nutrients in organic fertilizers can be very erratic and unreliable. The reason is that nutrient delivery depends on the organic molecules being broken down in the gut of micro-organisms, and micro-organism populations are boom/bust, varying widely in container culture. There is also very little soil tilth/turnover in a container.
Some of the things affecting the populations are container soil pH, moisture levels, nutrient levels, soil composition, compaction/aeration levels ..... Of particular importance is soil temperatures. When container temperatures rise too high, microbial populations diminish. Temps much under 55F will slow soil biotic activity substantially, reducing or halting delivery of nutrients.
It is wise to include various formulations of fish emulsion for the nutrient program at certain times of the year, but don't rely on them for container plants; choose chemical fertilizers instead. Chemical fertilizers are always immediately available for plant uptake and the results of your applications are much easier to quantify.
Reference:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1389454/fertilizering-containerized-plants-iv
Container soil mixtures are also key. You don't want something too heavy and wet like manure or pure top soil. The best container soil allows for maximum drainage.
Gritty Mix is ideal for woody plants and long-term plantings (going 2 - 3 years between re-pottings).
4 parts turface
3 parts fir bark
2 parts granigrit
The
5-1-1 mix is ideal for annuals (container floral plantings), vegetable crops, and vigorous plants that will be re-potted after a season's growth - sizing up conifers or maples, for example.
5 parts pine bark fines
1 part sphagnum peat
1-2 parts perlite
garden lime
controlled release fertilizer (Dyna-Gro Foliage Pro 9-3-6 or similar NPK ratio fertilizer)
a micro-nutrient source (seaweed emulsion, Earthjuice, Micro-max, STEM)
Reference:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2842847/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention-xxii
Reference:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2086932/gritty-mix-questions
Reference:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1378483/taplas-5-1-1-container-mix-in-more-detail