Homegrown Hops

I was hoping to get all the hop growers to give us an update on their crop. Mine broke through the ground on 4-02 and on Good Friday I trained the strongest 5 vines onto the twine and cut back all the others. At that time the vines were all about 6" long, as of this morning they were all about 20" long. How's everyone else doing?
Jeff

still waiting for sprouts myself, but the weather has cooled down a bit here so hopefully they'll come up . . . eventually

I have 7 varities planted, 6 have sprouted. The one I thought would be kicking ass is not doing anything, Chinook. I'm considering replanting it in a pot, because I'm wondering if the location is subpar. I'm giving it another week.

The Nuggets you gave me are up, but I've got them in a pot. One of my many projects this weekend is to erect a structure on my raised vegetable garden and get them snug in the ground.

Both Cascades have about 3 to 5 bines each, same for the Perle. One Nugget has one bine and the other is a no show. Both Cascades and one Perle have at least one bine that is close to or over 6 inches. I'm planning on building the trellis/privacy screen for them to climb this weekend. I dug the holes last weekend, but didn't get any farther.

Does anyone have any pics to post? Boston, your's says I don't have privileges to view, any other way to post?

ian said:

Does anyone have any pics to post? Boston, your's says I don't have privileges to view, any other way to post?

Click to expand...

Ian, I will post some pics to my gallery for your viewing pleasure.
Jeff

BOSTONBREWIN' said:

Ian, I will post some pics to my gallery for your viewing pleasure.
Jeff

Click to expand...

thanks dewd!

in PA mine just broke ground although our weather has been cr@p as usual. crystal and cascades are up 2 inches, liberty and sazz no word yet but neither produce much so I'm not worried if they don't - cascade is all I care about!!!!!

I've got four up and the 14 ft trellises are in place and twined. We haven't had much sun yet, but the weather guessers are saying sun five of the next ten days. That's all it takes.

Just got mine today, will be in the ground by the end of the week.

I have 3 plants that were about 4-6 inches when I left home on Sun.

I planted 4 more last Friday.

I dont get home for another 3 weeks so I really don't know how they're doing.

I asked my wife about them, but she said she'll check them tomorrow.

I noticed this morning that my second nugget rhizome has popped up!

Success on all six!

Living in Des Moines Iowa...

For the first time I planted two cascades & two nuggets. Iowa has been cool & rainy lately. Prior to Easter it was warm and the first sprouts were noticed on Good Friday.

Now, one cascade has two 5" sprouts, One nugget has two 2" sprouts. The others are just peaking out of the mulch now!

I used the following; 12' 4x4 with 30" mail box stake on the end. (pretty rigid)

I tethered four lines from the top of the post, 6' out in each direction to stakes

My dirt is 95% clay... so I dug four 1ft deep holes, dropped 40lbs of manure/humus in each hole, covered it w/ 40 lbs of top soil. Dropped the hop rhizome horizontally on the pile, and put 1" of soil on top. Then put mini pine bark mulch on top.

I plan to use lots of miracle grow...:cross:

Schlenkerla said:

Dropped the hop rhizome horizontally on the pile,

Click to expand...

the directions that came with my hop rhizomes said to plant it vertically with the buds pointing up, but from the sound of it yours will be fine anyway

I went to HD last night and bought some PVC. I'm planting in my vegetable garden and didn't want to use treated lumber, and while not too aesthetically pleasing, it does go together quickly and doesn't cost too much.

I bought two 10' sections, a tee, a connector, and two caps. Spliced one 10' section with a 3' section, stuck the tee on this, and then made two 2' cross pieces. So basically a 13' tall mast with about 4'6" of crossmember. Screwed eyelets in for connecting string. I've got it 3' in, so hopefully a 10' trellis will be adequate.

fruit_cake said:

the directions that came with my hop rhizomes said to plant it vertically with the buds pointing up, but from the sound of it yours will be fine anyway

Click to expand...

I bought mine from freshops. They said plant vertical with the buds up. Looking at it I could not tell the difference from either end. Both end had buds. The instructions also stated that they could be planted horizontally too. So that what I did.

By the way the wife didn't like the post in the ground when she saw it... We had a 45 minute arguement about the unsightly 12' post. It does start to blend in with the timber in back of it so its not that bad.

Schlenkerla said:

By the way the wife didn't like the post in the ground when she saw it... We had a 45 minute arguement about the unsightly 12' post. It does start to blend in with the timber in back of it so its not that bad.

Click to expand...

I guess after I painted the wheelbarrow like the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard my wife barely even notices 10' of PVC tree in the veg. patch.

My wife is not a beer drinker, therefore she doesn't have much appreciation for the fact that we have hops growing in the backyard.

Just gave them a dose of miracle grow this morning and some encouragement to grow.

Baron von BeeGee said:

I guess after I painted the wheelbarrow like the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard my wife barely even notices 10' of PVC tree in the veg. patch.

Click to expand...

BeeGee,
Just paint the PVC "camo". She'll never see it!

Checked my hops this morning, they're up the twine about 48" high, leaves are about 4" diameter.

The other night I was on the back deck having a smoke when I watched a robin repeatedly hop up and nip at one of my plants. I figured he was trying to catch a bug or something. The SOB robin had (apparently) mistook the growing tip for a caterpillar and bit the damn thing clean off!
Jeff

You may want to paint the pvc from what I remember UV rays from the sun will break down the pvc and it will become brittle and break, thats why they had to stop making lawn furniture from it.

BOSTONBREWIN' said:

BeeGee,
Just paint the PVC "camo". She'll never see it!

Checked my hops this morning, they're up the twine about 48" high, leaves are about 4" diameter.

The other night I was on the back deck having a smoke when I watched a robin repeatedly hop up and nip at one of my plants. I figured he was trying to catch a bug or something. The SOB robin had (apparently) mistook the growing tip for a caterpillar and bit the damn thing clean off!
Jeff

Click to expand...

That explains it! I noticed several of the tips were missing on mine too. Not too worried, they sprouted bypass tips and keep on going. Although, mine are no where near 48".

That's hilarious...as I was contemplating my rather prominent PVC trellis (and SWMBO was asking if it would be visible in the winter...) I decided to paint it camo to protect from UV and pesky neighbors! When I slip out tonight I'll pass by HD and grab some green, brown & black spraypaint and it'll be invisible by tomorrow evening.

I have 5 types and all 5 have sproted and are growing at an alarming rate. I have them on a drip system and they are watered 2 times a day @30 min a water. There has been very little rain in Florida this spring and nothing but sun. They are growning at what seems to be 2.5 to 3 inches a day....HOLY LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS BATMAN!

I picked up 3 more rhizomes from AB, all Fuggles. I think I've got my trellis maxed out now (and I still need to paint it). Hopefully they'll do a little something this year as I got them in the ground fairly late. BOSTON's Nugget is scrambling away.

My Nugget hops are up about 8' high now. The aphids found them so i had to apply insecticide today. Freakin' aphids LOVE hop leaves. Baron, you gonna split one of those Fuggle rhizomes with an old friend?
Jeff

Just planted them Saturday. Been lousy out. This weekend they should be cookin'!

BOSTONBREWIN' said:

My Nugget hops are up about 8' high now. The aphids found them so i had to apply insecticide today. Freakin' aphids LOVE hop leaves. Baron, you gonna split one of those Fuggle rhizomes with an old friend?
Jeff

Click to expand...

Buddy, I'll dig one up and give it to you if you want...I really don't need 3 Fuggles (but that was all they had). I'd rather have 4 different types. Let me know if you want it now, or if you want me to split off a piece after the growing season.

Baron von BeeGee said:

Buddy, I'll dig one up and give it to you if you want...I really don't need 3 Fuggles (but that was all they had). I'd rather have 4 different types. Let me know if you want it now, or if you want me to split off a piece after the growing season.

Click to expand...

If you could hook me up with a rhizome next spring that would be nice
Jeff

BOSTONBREWIN' said:

If you could hook me up with a rhizome next spring that would be nice
Jeff

Click to expand...

Me, too! I'll be wanting rhizomes of whatever I can get my hands on. I've got about .4 acres at the new house, and I'm claiming Imminent Domain and planting hops everywhere.

-walker

Walker-san said:

Me, too! I'll be wanting rhizomes of whatever I can get my hands on. I've got about .4 acres at the new house, and I'm claiming Imminent Domain and planting hops everywhere.

-walker

Click to expand...

After this season I'll grow some rhizomes for you guys.

I have 7 varieties now.

Update on my rhizomes first planted this year; Cascades are already 4' tall but my nuggets are being a bit more stubborn. One is about 1' and the second is still only 2" off the ground. Don't think the nugget are getting enough direct sun and thinking about moving them.

My are slower than yours. I don't have the heat you have. I have plenty of moisture though.

Nugget #1 - Two bines 1' each
Nugget #2 - Two-three bines, 3" each
Cascade #1 - Two bine 1' each, third bine 6"
Cascade #2 - 5 bines 3-4" each.

They need some hot wheather!!!! I have a garden hose!!!! :fro:

Mine still aren't doing much. I scored a Mt. Hood at the Brewcrew meeting Thursday and as a first year sprout, it's as big as my plants from last year! I've got a great view, but I think the elevation is slowing things down. I had frost last Tuesday and tomorrow the forcast is 93F.

Looks like another dry summer, so I plan on watering more often. Once the roots get about two feet down, they should be fine year round.

So, now I have Willamette, Fuggles, Cascades, Northern Brewer and Mt. Hood. Three empty spots. Maybe some EKG?

Hey There, We're a new hops farm in Paris, Maine. We'll be posting pictures on our website(s) as the hops and farm progress. We'll also be offering organic whole hops and rhizomes for sale after harvest. www.parisviewfarm.com or www.hopsfarm.com

Cheers!
Rick,
Paris View Farm

HopsFarm.com said:

Hey There, We're a new hops farm in Paris, Maine. We'll be posting pictures on our website(s) as the hops and farm progress. We'll also be offering organic whole hops and rhizomes for sale after harvest. www.parisviewfarm.com or www.hopsfarm.com

Cheers!
Rick,
Paris View Farm

Click to expand...

sort of.

Shouldn't this be in the vendor section?

My Centennial grew 11/2" in 2 days now about 12" and only in the ground since 4/22, Cascade is about 2-3" behind.

Brewiz said:

My Centennial grew 11/2" in 2 days now about 12" and only in the ground since 4/22, Cascade is about 2-3" behind.

Click to expand...

Yea, they start growing fast once they get the idea. My two cascades are 10' tall already. I'm not sure when I planted them but think it was around Apr 1st. My Nugget aren't getting enough sun, or they grow slower, about 4' tall. All 1st year rhizomes.

Side note for those more experienced; how do they do when they have to start growing sideways? I planted them near a horse cover and now they're cruising sideways. Seem ok...

My Hops are finally starting to get some warm weather. Just a few days of heat and they are really starting to take off.

My support is a teepee, a 12' post w/ 18' of climbing length.

#1 Cascade: 6-8 bines all about 8-12"
#2 Cascade: 4-6 bines 3-4', several revs around the rope.
#1 Nugget: 5-7 bines 4-5', many revs aroung the rope.
#2 Nugget: 2 older bines 4" several new bines about 2-3"

From what I understand sometime soon the extra bines need to be clipped off.

Any of you experts do the same? I have heard two schools of thought, clip'em in June or let'em all grow.

Schlenkerla said:

My Hops are finally starting to get some warm weather. Just a few days of heat and they are really starting to take off.

My support is a teepee, a 12' post w/ 18' of climbing length.

#1 Cascade: 6-8 bines all about 8-12"
#2 Cascade: 4-6 bines 3-4', several revs around the rope.
#1 Nugget: 5-7 bines 4-5', many revs aroung the rope.
#2 Nugget: 2 older bines 4" several new bines about 2-3"

From what I understand sometime soon the extra bines need to be clipped off.

Any of you experts do the same? I have heard two schools of thought, clip'em in June or let'em all grow.

Click to expand...

If these are first year hops, clip all the bines but 2. Next year let 3 grow, the year after 4, and so on.

You won't get any type of yield this year--so the best thing to do is cut the extra bines and let the energy go into the root system.

One other note of interest--if you want to grow rhizomes for friends or to increase your hops harvest, at the end of the year cut all but the bottom 3 feet of the bine and bury that in the ground. By the next spring you can use that bine as more rhizomes.

Schlenkerla said:

From what I understand sometime soon the extra bines need to be clipped off.

Click to expand...

I am no expert, and Dude may certainly be right about growth for the first few years. But I did hear the guy from Hop Union on the Brewingnetwork a few weeks back. Hop Union is a huge hop supplier for many of the largest homebrew stores including More beer. He said the reason big growers like them trim down to 1 or 2 bines is because they have to pick with machines and need to have the bines fead into a slot to pick. He suggests that home growers just let any bines that grow continue growing and there will be no problem. Take that for what its worth... I got no idea.