Sprouts Survive Being Snow Covered Twice

Alright, this is getting friggen old.  This is the winter from hell that won’t go away.  It is a right wing conspiracy to discredit global warming – (joke).  I had hop sprouts, 4 days later they are covered in 4 inches of snow.  Snow recedes and a couple days later, we get 6 more inches of snow.  Well the snow has receded a second time and the sprouts survived no problem!

Friggen Another 6 Inches of Snow

I knew the snow was coming (both times) and was torn whether to cover them (again) or see what happens.  I chose to see how they would

Cascade Post Snow

handle being snow covered.  this is the 5th year so they are well established and I figured they might as well be tough Minnesota hops and quit there sniveling.  As I guessed, they handled it just fine.

Worst case is the sprouts would have been killed off and they would be replaced with another round.  The first year after planting you have to protect them from snow and freezing temps.  After that, they will either survive or send up more sprouts when the ground warms up again.  I am at about the 45th parallel lattitude and hops will grow up to the 55th parallel (into Canada).  I have not lost an established hop plant yet.  I have lost a container hop plant Fuggle after it’s first year due to extreme cold (30 below zero fahrenheight) and I lost a Mt. Hood to 50+ MPH winds (first year hop plant).

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Magnum Sprouts

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Nugget Sprouts

The sprouts have not progressed since the first time I wrote about them emerging.  They have been in a suspended state of animation during the snow covering(s).  They do not appear to be damaged from the snow cover at all.  I am glad I let them go uncovered because now I know I don’t have to cover them during cold or snow or both.  I am getting really anxious to get going with this growing season (hops and my vegetable garden).  It is one of the few hobbies I have and I really dig being connected with the earth (grounding/earthing – a major health benefit) and getting my hands dirty.

I hope everyone is having a great growing season.  Let us know how your hops are doing.  Cheers!