Hop Cones Already, Or am i dreaming

So here is a picture of my Fuggle plant that i took on top of a ladder at the very top. I was inspecting for aphids since i got a bag of ladybugs yesterday.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/BBartelmes/SG1cS5dGSGI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/Dn8OnfGZK8c/Hop%20Cones2.JPG?imgmax=512

So the top 3 sections of the vine have these tiny ball shoots coming out, they dont look like horizontial growth which i have plenty of on this bine.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/BBartelmes/SG1dkixb21I/AAAAAAAAAvY/MsuZk0M2y3M/DSCN1956.JPG?imgmax=512

No, those aren't cones yet, they're just side arms. It's not cone time in the PNW yet.

Here in Kansas City all of my hops are first year and only my Cascade have cones so far...

I have 5-6 plants with cones over 1" long. :rockin:

I pulled one today and munched on it...a little bitterness was present, but I just thought it was "sweet"...

Hop harvesting time is late Aug early Sep in most parts...

Those "tiny balls shoots" will develop into cones in a month or two, but most of the cones will be on your sidearms.

the first sign you're likely to notice of cones forming is not pointy looking things like in the pictures but small green puff balls.

yeah i was right

http://lh3.ggpht.com/BBartelmes/SHVSmGaBkSI/AAAAAAAAAwo/8xI-zYzeM0s/fuggle%20cones.JPG?imgmax=512
Hop cones baby!! :fro:

Here in Nebraska my first year Cascade has about 20-25 cones on it and the plant is about 12 feet up the twine.

NWBasementBrewer said:

So here is a picture of my Fuggle plant that i took on top of a ladder at the very top. I was inspecting for aphids since i got a bag of ladybugs yesterday.

Click to expand...

You can get bags of ladybugs? That's neat! I haven't seen a real ladybug in like 5 years! Where would one find such a thing?

GearBeer said:

You can get bags of ladybugs? That's neat! I haven't seen a real ladybug in like 5 years! Where would one find such a thing?

Click to expand...

heh, my mom's house gets infested with them every year, she has to go around to her windows with a vacuum...

i asked a neighbor that is a big gardener, she told me to go to a big nursery around town and ask for refrigerated lady bugs.. reason being cold ladybugs kinda hybernate or go dormant. They do work pretty damn good i get a bag of 1500 for 10$ and they usally last for 3-4 applications. they just crawl up the vine and find the aphids and go to town:rockin:
i would just google nurserys for your area and ask around.