I need a sanity check: Do I really want to grow the kind of plant that can reach up to 50 feet long?
Someone gave me a hops plant, perhaps because she knew I had a home brewer at home. Or perhaps it's because she thought better of it? I'm finding conflicting opinions online (imagine that). Some people claim hops are only invasive vertically, not horizontally, while others claim it's an invasive spreader that they wish they'd never planted.
I've succumbed to more than my share of plants with attractive foliage, only to find I've unwittingly unleashed a monster in my midst. So while the plant's pretty leaves appeal to me and this variety is supposed to be a shorter ornamental variety, have "a refined habit" and "less aggressive growth," I'm a bit gun shy.
So, hops growers, current and former, what's your experience been? Is there a former when it comes to being a hops grower, or should I find another happy home for it? I did find someone online who tried growing them in pots (with a really cool trellis), but it sounds like his results were mixed.
