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Jagdad · 08-30-2011, 10:37 PM

Are you Dutch? German? Polish? English? Irish? What ever your hertitage is will give you a good idea of what the plant is. A lot of Fuggle was grown on homesteads in PA. Realize that Fuggle is a parent of many hops (including Cascade). Also Fuggle is cabable of surviving for years with no care; while varieties like Saazer and Hallertauer tend to die out.

shanecb · 08-30-2011, 10:57 PM

Still need pics!

j_treegirl · 09-01-2011, 02:05 AM

Ok folks, I'm the infamous cousin with the mystery hops plant that we need help with...sorry for the wait. I'm going to try to explain and post pictures, but please bear with me as I'm a nube.
The hop in question was planted in 1926, but we have no idea what kind it is. We are of German ancestry, I know that someone had asked. This poor plant has had no care for at least 25 years, probably alot more. There used to be a tree growing up through the middle (you'll understand when you see the pics) but dad took it out the other year. He thought when he pulled out the tree that he might have killed the hops by accident, but it came back. I read on the internet that you're actually supposed to cut it off at the ground level at the end of the season and it will grow anew the next spring...didn't know that!
Anyway, it has never been trellised or anything, but gets full sun and seems to be very happy where it is. It has a three lobed leaf, and the other day bkelley and I went to look at and crushed one of the hop cones...it kinda smelled like marigolds, if that makes any sense. Strong, pungent, slightly stinky...
If anyone can help identify it, and/or give us any kind of suggestions on where to go from here, we'd really really appreciate it. Dad and I are slowly trying to get the farm back in order and we'd like to see this plant get the attention it needs to be something great. Pappy was proud of it many years ago, and it always takes first place at the Fair.
Gonna try to post some pics...

j_treegirl · 09-01-2011, 02:08 AM

Ok, that seemed to go well...so here are some more pics!

There should be one closeup of the hop cone and one that isn't as clear, but bkelley's hand in the frame gives a better indication of the size...The individual cones seem to range between 1 and 2 inches long, average being about 1.5 inches or so.

j_treegirl · 09-01-2011, 02:12 AM

This last one is just to show the size of the plant...That's my full-size SUV (Trailblazer) beside it, and yes...it's bigger than the truck. There is a bunch of Tearthumb (or whatever it goes by in your area) growing into now, so harvesting it will be fun! The hop seems to be sending runners out farther into the yard even now!

Again, any help or input is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

HappyHax0r · 09-01-2011, 02:14 AM

:O im speechless, and that /never/ happens

.

j_treegirl · 09-01-2011, 02:23 AM

Speechless...in a good way?

**bottlebomber** · 09-01-2011, 02:24 AM

Sweet Fancy Moses......

HappyHax0r · 09-01-2011, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j_treegirl

Speechless...in a good way?

How the heck could you not be. That thing is a hop growers dream

j_treegirl · 09-01-2011, 02:39 AM

Thanks! We'd like to try to find out what kind it is, and how to take care of it. I know nothing about it, so if anyone knows of a good book or website or has suggestions, we'd love to hear about it. It does well left on its own apparently, so I'm always hesitant to try to do anything to it. We've only ever picked enough to submit to the fair...this year we told bkelley0804 that he could try brewing with it (once we find out how to dry the hops and stuff) if he split the product with us! That would be the first brew made with it in at least 40 years...