Growing Hops In SC?

I'm about to pre-order some hop rhizomes.

Any advice on varieties that grow well in the South (SC).
I've been told cascade does well. Also Chinook and Mt Hood.

Any thoughts on Goldings or Centennial? Web site I'm ordering from says good in all climates. I brew mostly ales... so I would get most use out of Cascade, Goldings, and Centennial. Possibly Chinook last... Mt. Hood not at all.

Probably order 3-4 Rhizomes... 1 cascade for sure, and 2 others ...

Planning on doing a simple twine trellis for each... tent stake in ground to eye hook in roof over hang back down to a second tent stake to make a big inverted V. Planting on south side of house (house faces east). That side of house gets sun all day...

How far apart should they be planted apart for 3 different varieties? I've read somewhere 5' apart for different varieties and 3' apart for same.

Any advice would be appreciated for a noob hop grower!

Goldings would be a bad idea. The Advice everyone has given me is to stick to the "C" hops, cascade, columbus, etc. But, I am putting in 200 rhizomes this year in Blythewood SC: 50 each of Cascade, Centennial, Willamette, and Nugget.

As to spacing, just make sure to separate the varieties enough that the runners wont get all intermingled. The 3 feet between two rhizomes of the same variety thing is a good number, but I would probably separate the different varieties more than 5 feet, like 8-10, just to avoid possible headaches.

Best of luck.

Wow! I just started to think about growing hops this morning, and I looked here for info.

I live in Blythewood, SC as well. You just made selection very easy for me!

Rise thread, Rise!
So how are the hops growing for y'all? I live in Conway SC and want to plant some hops this year. I figure I'll have to dig out a huge area of clay and lay in some actual soil. I have a southern facing home and wanted to plant them right on the front porch columns. HOA be darned.

My Virginia Cascades boomed this summer. I think planting C-hops around this area is sound advice.

I think you will find that any of the hybrids (diploids & triploids) do well. Most people think that they are having trouble with the old standards like Golding, Saaz, & Fuggle; when actually they are trying to compare them to a hybrid like Chinook or Perle. It is like comparing a pony to a racehorse - no contest. (But the ponies have some of their own tricks!) I grow them all - check out my gallery at left, or go to greatlakeshops.com for info - look under "docs".

Jagdad said:

It is like comparing a pony to a racehorse - no contest. (But the ponies have some of their own tricks!) I grow them all - check out my gallery at left, or go to greatlakeshops.com for info - look under "docs".

Click to expand...

I hear the ponies are easier to grow if you use peat moss rather than just regular compost when you amend the soil? Any truth to that? Mine have done pretty well with just compost but it seems their hooves need to be trimmed on a much more frequent basis and figured if the peat moss theory was true, I might have better results and not have to trim so much. The blacksmith says it's an 'old-wives-tale'. Any thoughts would really be appreciated!

2012 will be my first year for growing and I intend on putting in Cascade, Chinook, and Magnum after studying some literature on them online. I hope we can all share notes from this climate zone!

Don't live in SC but here are some experiences I've witnessed over 2 years of growth.. Zeus, Columbus, Chinook, and Cascade did good for a 1st year harvest. 2nd year no luck due to drought and high heat over the summer. Latitude where I live is about 31 degrees N. I believe most hops are grown in the 45+ degrees North. Try an experiment. But I would most certainly stay with strains known to produce well in your area from other homebrewers. Buying other strains is a waste of money.

Looking to buy rhizomes myself......any updates on your hops??

Cascade was the only one that made it, I guess I don't have a green thumb. Simple twine trellis worked well.

I'm just south of Charlotte NC (not too far from you guys) and I planted Cascades, Magnum, Willamette, Santiam and Centennial last year (the Centennial got planted pretty late so it didn't do much).

I managed over a lb wet of Cascades, it was quite an aggressive plant. The Magnum put out a few cones, as did the Santiam. The Willamette grew OK, but did not produce anything, and the Centennial didn't get planted until the heat of June and struggled for a bit, but then picked up later in the summer and threw out a couple cones.

I'm hoping for better results this year, since the plants have had a year to develop. If the soil by you is like the soil here, you are dealing with hard red clay which you must amend with compost or other soil amendments. You plants will only perform well if they have quality soil to live in and room to spread out their roots.

In the North, it's best for hops to get all day sun, but in the heat of the South I think they may do better with afternoon shade. At the minimum, I would keep the root area fairly heavily mulched and watered so that the roots stay cool. Compost works great as a mulch and will break down and feed the plants all year.

Hey y'all I've planted Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus. Everything sprouted and grew, but the cascade by far have taken off. They are now probably 20 ft high and starting to bud. Gonna try and attached a picture

I'm in Duncan, with 7 varieties, that are third year, four of which are producing comes. Chinook and cascade have produced each year while my centennial and williamette are putting out cones for the first time. I had great success last year with the chinook and cascade. Nothing on the Perle and goldings other than beautiful bines. I'm interested to hear how your bines are doing.

Any updated advice for someone that wants to pre-order rhizomes? I'm in the Myrtle Beach area.

Luce316 said:

Any updated advice for someone that wants to pre-order rhizomes? I'm in the Myrtle Beach area.

Click to expand...

This thread hasn't been posted to in three years. Maybe someone will chime in. I have a friend who grows Northern Brewer hops in Wilmington, NC so perhaps that is a good omen for you.

I live outside Clemson and have several nice bines of 3 yr old Cascades that finally gave me a nice crop this year. My 3yr old bine of Centennial finally gave me a small harvest this year but it just does not seem to like the heat. Going to add some other varieties this spring. Really have to watch the bines due to the heat and pests but it is time well spent.

wadehouse said:

I live outside Clemson and have several nice bines of 3 yr old Cascades that finally gave me a nice crop this year. My 3yr old bine of Centennial finally gave me a small harvest this year but it just does not seem to like the heat. Going to add some other varieties this spring. Really have to watch the bines due to the heat and pests but it is time well spent.

Click to expand...

Wadehouse, where around Clemson are you? I live in the area as well and actually work at the University. Lots of brewers in the area if you are interested in groups.