Repotting guide

When & how to repot Goldings Hops (Humulus lupulus 'East Kent Goldings')

Also called East Kent Goldings hops, Goldings hops.

More about goldings hops

About Goldings Hops

Humulus lupulus 'East Kent Goldings' · also called East Kent Goldings hops, Goldings hops · edible

East Kent Goldings is a premium English aroma hop, refined and sweetly floral with honey, earthy and gentle spicy notes, prized for classic English bitters and ales. A hardy twining perennial bine, it dies back each winter and re-climbs 4-5 m up support strings in spring. Plant in full sun in deep, fertile, free-draining soil with tall support.

Mature size: Bines reach 4-5 m per season from a crown that spreads to about 1-1.5 m wide.

Watch for — Downy and powdery mildew: Damp, crowded growth produces yellowing leaves, distorted shoots and spotted cones. Increase airflow, remove the lowest foliage, water at the base and cut out infected material as soon as it appears.

How to tell goldings hops needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For goldings hops, watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot goldings hops on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot goldings hops

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Goldings Hopsis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Herbaceous twining perennial with a persistent rootstock producing annual rough bines that wind clockwise up strings to full height before dying back to the crown each winter..

What size pot to step goldings hops up to

Pot goldings hops on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot goldings hops

Pot goldings hops on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting goldings hops

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check goldings hops regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh deep, fertile, free-draining loam at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water goldings hops in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for goldings hops

Goldings Hops wants deep, fertile, free-draining loam. Thrives in rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter, pH 6.0-7.5. Improve heavy ground with grit and compost and raise the planting position slightly where drainage is marginal. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting goldings hops — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot goldings hops?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for goldings hops. Goldings Hops is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into deep, fertile, free-draining loam so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does goldings hops need?

When is the best time of year to repot goldings hops?

Can you put goldings hops straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing goldings hops should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise goldings hops after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting goldings hops. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.