Hops Eaten.

Something is eating my hops or i dont know what is going on? My centennial had its three shoots bitten off or torn off right at the tips? Whatever is doing it only eats the tips! Will they grow new tips?

I also have 5 more hop plants and this is the only one that this has happened to?

Sounds like rabbit to me. Can you put a chicken wire cage around them, until they get bigger?

And yes, the roots will probably put out new shoots.

You know, a month or so ago I had raccoons digging up my plantings, and I asked for advice here. It was suggested that human urine would repel small critters. Since that time, I haven't had a single raccoon attack.

Well that the thing i have a backyard that is surrounded by rock wall and a dog? i doubt its a rabbit? i would of seen it, or my dog would of gotten it. I will put chicken wire over it but i am suspecting it is a bird or something.

hahahahah you urinate around them. that is not a bad idea.

Birds have been known to snip one or 2, but that's about it. And rabbits are wiley little creatures that will sneak in undetected at night or dawn/dusk, so if it is a young rabbit establishing a new territory, it may be a rabbit. But hops are generally not very delectable to animals, so I dunno what would do it over and over and over again other than deer (which sound far less likely than rabbit/squirrel tastings based on your description of the area)

frazier said:

It was suggested that human urine would repel small critters. Since that time, I haven't had a single raccoon attack.

Click to expand...

Remind me never to sample your brew

Kidding...cheers to urinated hops!!!

Franzi said:

Remind me never to sample your brew

Kidding...cheers to urinated hops!!!

Click to expand...

Since the hops are going into my beer - I think of it as "pre-cycling"!

This seems like the perfect time to add a trivial story:

I just got back from vacation in Florida with my wife and as we drove home she said, "So.... I never saw you use a bathroom while we were in Florida."

Didn't miss a beat, I said, "Like our dog, I only go in the backyard."

She smiled, but wouldn't go so far as to tell me it was funny.

haha, the concept of "pre-cycling" blew my mind. That was some deep sh*t...my head hurts now.

Women will never understand the satisfaction of pissing in a backyard as opposed to a sanitary/civilized/domesticated bathroom. (although I had an ex-gf who spelled out her name in urine once on the side of the road...a real keeper)

To the OP, good luck finding out what's eating your hops (drunk neighborhood kids?). Keep us posted!

Humulus Lepus, no doubt. AKA hiphophead



The bines might get a new tip started from a sidearm, but the roots should put out new shoots. Do not cut off the damaged bines until the replacements have grown. The plant needs the energy.

HAHAHAHAH that is so funny. Damn HipHopHead Rabbits! And yes I can already see a side arm sprouting a new shoot, once it is big enough should i cut off the damaged bines? They are first year hops?

A bunch of squirrels just destroyed my uncles Hop garden(my organic hop source). Thinks he has it under control now, just hope its still early enough in the season for them to grow new shoots.

i have to keep all my young plants surrounded by chicken wire at night, otherwise the rabbits (maybe squirrels?) get them. once they are a foot or so tall, i don't have to worry about it anymore...at least i haven't had to yet.

and getting all the shoots bit off happened to my brother's first year plants last year. while they did put out leaves, the did not grow up (vertically) much. however, they came back very strong this year, so i would say it didn't hurt them any in the long run.

I believe I've had rabbits eating my hops, but based on the number of shoots they didn't eat enough of them. Some of the bines that got nipped look like they tried to establish new tips but for the most part, they didn't.

First year hops need all the greenery they can get, so I would leave the nibbled bines alone. After that, think of the rabbits as being natural selection in action. The bines they bite, you remove. And if the bunnies can eat the tips once the bines are 10' tall, just think of how wicked awesome those rabbits must be!

Do what I always do. blame the dog