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BeerPressure · 06-07-2012, 02:56 PM

I've got cascade, chinook, pride of ringwood, and willamette. The willamette is the only one that is growing well. The rest of them have basically stopped growing anything in the past month and the bine is really thin. I have a couple pics of the problematic hops. The willamette that is growing well is a mere 5 feet from the poorly growing one. Same soil, same light, same water.

Here is the link to pics:
http://i.imgur.com/SwFDa.jpg?1
http://imgur.com/N92FI
http://imgur.com/zkz2Z
http://imgur.com/PsCYF

These are all 2 year hops.

cram · 06-07-2012, 05:09 PM

That happens. I think it happens most frequently when the hops get off to a too early start. A lot of folks had an early spring, so the hops were way ahead of schedule--they got going early and then stalled out. This is why some growers cut back first growth and try to get the first bines on lines toward the start of May...then again, some plants do this even when trained at an appropriate time--there's always something to learn, and questions that remain unanswered, when farming...

If it were me, right now, I'd let them be. If you ran into this a month ago, I'd say hack them back and start over. I suspect what will happen is some lateral growth will emerge from the lower half of the plant in the next few weeks. If they're first-year plants, I might let it all come up. If they're older than that, then choose three-five of the beefiest laterals and train them up, maybe one new lines so they have an easier time climbing. Two laterals will sprout at each leaf node, but one tends to be dominant. I'd train the one that gets to 12" quickest and then snip off the other one. Good luck!

BeerPressure · 06-07-2012, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cram

That happens. I think it happens most frequently when the hops get off to a too early start. A lot of folks had an early spring, so the hops were way ahead of schedule--they got going early and then stalled out. This is why some growers cut back first growth and try to get the first bines on lines toward the start of May...then again, some plants do this even when trained at an appropriate time--there's always something to learn, and questions that remain unanswered, when farming...

If it were me, right now, I'd let them be. If you ran into this a month ago, I'd say hack them back and start over. I suspect what will happen is some lateral growth will emerge from the lower half of the plant in the next few weeks. If they're first-year plants, I might let it all come up. If they're older than that, then choose three-five of the beefiest laterals and train them up, maybe one new lines so they have an easier time climbing. Two laterals will sprout at each leaf node, but one tends to be dominant. I'd train the one that gets to 12" quickest and then snip off the other one. Good luck!

I'll let them be. I am not getting any other bines coming out of the ground from the small plants. The big willamette has many though.

damdaman · 06-07-2012, 06:40 PM

Hard to tell from the pics but it looks like you may have grass strangling out your plants' root zone.

flipfloptan · 06-08-2012, 12:32 AM

I agree. A good weeding and cleaning up the hop bed will help alot. All that stuff at the bottom is in competition with the hops for water and nutrients.

Cultivate the soil add some nutrients. I use tomatotone because it is on hand. Throw some pine straw down and see what happens.

Your hop bines look healthy they should have some more growth in them.

**carlisle_bob** · 06-08-2012, 01:05 AM

Hi

A good batch of what ever you use for mulch would make life a *lot* easier. The hops are up and running, let the mulch stomp out everything else. Low effort / high reward / more time to drink beer. (I hate weeding ...)

Bob

badbrew · 06-08-2012, 12:45 PM

I think you need to fertilize. The grass is probably taking the bulk of whatever nutrients are there.

damdaman · 06-08-2012, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badbrew

I think you need to fertilize. The grass is probably taking the bulk of whatever nutrients are there.

Yeah I agree, clean up the bed as carefully as possible so as not to damage the hop roots when you're yanking out the grass, and fertilize.

BeerPressure · 06-08-2012, 05:39 PM

Thank you for your advice. I've weeded the area and fertilized. I will get some mulch this weekend.

bhughes · 06-08-2012, 06:59 PM

I have a similar problem with my 2 centinniel plants. Just been staying at about 1 foot high since April. But the thing is, my 2 cascads right beside them are on schedule, about 10ft high with lots of hop burrs on them. I put a layor of compost and then topped with mulch on top of all 4 at the beginning of the season.