bosox

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After having beer brewing materials for just over 5 months now I've already fallen in love with it and have decided I want to grow my own hops...

I live in Boston, MA where the forecast is calling for freezing rain/snow this weekend, and obviously can't plant hops until after the last frost. So are there any experienced hops growers in the Boston/NE area that can tell me the best date to plant?

I'd be ordering from freshops.com and they would be Rhizomes or however it's spelled....lol

Also I heard that the first year or growing hops will not yield much, if any flowers...So is the first year completely useless other then to just establish the plant? Or will it yield SOMETHING i can brew with this fall?

Is it ok to use large pots for the first year or do they always need to be grown in the ground, and are they a very invasive species?

Sorry for all the questions/ I've scanned around different sites and my book but the answers and responses I get from people on this site so far have been a GREAT help to me

bosox

Recipes 

Ok, I've done some searching and actually found a lot of the answers I was looking for on here.

But after the first year, is it unreasonable to assume I could get enough cones to make one 5 gallon brew? I'm not growing commercially, and I really only ever use around 3 ounces of hops at a time.

pawtucketpatriot

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I live in RI and am growing cascade and hallentauer. Last year was my first year; didn't get enough out of the hallentauers but definitely got enough out of the cascades to brew a batch (5 rizomes).

bosox

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Well would 1 rhizome be enough though to get enough stuff to brew? Like how much would a healthy plant yield every season?

I've looked into cascades, or another one that is slipping my mind now...

GreggZ

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I had two plants in pots last year and I got less then a half once dried from my cascade plant. My nugget plant didnt get any cones at all. You might have better luck then I did for your first year.

bosox

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Damn that's not much at all. Well I guess if I get anything I can just use it anyways, and if not, well, I'll just let it do it's thing.

GreggZ

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Now that they are in the second year they are already 3 feet tall and in bigger planters. I am pretty sure Ill be able to get a batch or two out of them this year.

I-Hop

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I am in Revere MA and planting my 1st hops this season too. Not too sure of what to do myself, but figure with enough reading & playing it by ear, I should do OK. I'm planting Chinook, Kent Golding, Sterling & Nugget.

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brewmonk

Recipes 

I'm s.w. of boston, and you may get a few hops off of a genetic beast of a bine, but save them for flavoring or dry hopping, at least the first year.

and my second year ones aren't exactly crashing down the town gates yet. two weeks outside (after trying all winter to force them to start early). and one bine is 10" long - out of 4 rhizomes. all the other brachs (10 or 12) are 1" give or take.

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