Females changed to males

So, just a little background...

I've been growing hops on my property for almost 5 years. I have EKG, Hallertauer, Cascade, Nugget, and just planted Chinook and Centential this year...all from rhizome. The Cascade and Nugget are the oldest and have been my heartiest producers. All of a sudden, this year I am getting ALL male "flowers" from both of them! Not one cone. The surrounding plants, though, (save the new ones) are all producing female cones. I can't believe there has been much stress, either. They are all on the same timed drip irrigation line.

So...do people think the Nugget and Cascades will come back next year, or is something pollinating them from miles away? Blah!

erikrocks said:

[...]So...do people think the Nugget and Cascades will come back next year, or is something pollinating them from miles away? Blah!

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What?

Even if there was the apocryphal "Males Only Hop Ranch" just out of sight across your property line, how could they have "turned" your females?

All I've ever read on the matter said "stress" causes hermie break-outs.
Something's bugging your plants...

Cheers!

OK, thanks. Well, I guess I'm gonna have to wait 'till next year...

If you happen to get seeds...please let me know.


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That's absolutely nuts! Any pictures? Did they completely turn male or are there some cones? I've had a few years when my Zeus was about 3/4 male but as long as it's HOT and dry I get very little male bloom. As mild as it's been this year I'm expecting very few cones.

HEre's one example I picked off the plant today. I'll get a better photo of the entire trellis tomorrow. Not ONE cone on either the Nugget nor Cascade plants. So weird....

erikrocks said:

HEre's one example I picked off the plant today. I'll get a better photo of the entire trellis tomorrow. Not ONE cone on either the Nugget nor Cascade plants. So weird....

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Those are female flowers....this is a early-flowering stage referred to as "burrs".

No male flowers there.

PapaBearJay said:

Those are female flowers....this is a early-flowering stage referred to as "burrs".

No male flowers there.

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Seriously? Isn't it late in the season for this?

erikrocks said:

Seriously? Isn't it late in the season for this?

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Not really, all of my plants just within the last week or two started flowering, minus some experimental plants.


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LOL! Those are girl parts, son

This is usually when my plants flower, and by golly, they're covered in flowers that look just like yours...

Cheers!

The male flowers look like little clusters of grapenuts and then they open up and drop pollen:

erikrocks said:

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That's hot. Those vines will be covered in hop cones soon.

Those are female burrs on that plant. PapaBears right. Give those a few weeks and those will be cones. My Chinook and Zeus are throwing out some male parts. They look very different. A quick Google search will provide you those picks.

they look like little green berries and they'll flower out after a few weeks. If you zoom on the next pic, it's a male part with female burrs. My plants are stressed over something, but it's probably over watering. We've had a ton of rain in May and June, coupled with mild Temps.

zoom in on the center of the pic, and you'll see the male flowers.

Let those burrs cone out and enjoy your harvest! You have what appears to be a good looking female sidearm. Best of luck.

erikrocks said:

HEre's one example I picked off the plant today. I'll get a better photo of the entire trellis tomorrow. Not ONE cone on either the Nugget nor Cascade plants. So weird....

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Gee !! Where were you the past 5 years during the 1 month that burrs take to turn into cones ?!?

I've really enjoyed the humor of this thread... as a second year hop grower when I saw erik's picture of the burrs I was like "wait a second, I have a ton of those... and they keep forming cones. is there something wrong?!?!" Still getting used to the majesty that is hops.
I have noticed that my hops are taking much longer to go from burrs to hops this year than last. Anyone else?

drewsk said:

I've really enjoyed the humor of this thread... as a second year hop grower when I saw erik's picture of the burrs I was like "wait a second, I have a ton of those... and they keep forming cones. is there something wrong?!?!" Still getting used to the majesty that is hops.
I have noticed that my hops are taking much longer to go from burrs to hops this year than last. Anyone else?

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I got my first burrs at the end of July, and are just now coning. However, my plants exploded with burrs and seem to be moving into cone phase quickly now. I'll probably have a half harvest in one, and everything else will mature roughly the same time this year, which will be nice. I already got a few oz. Off of a sunbeam plant at my mom's house, which has coned out early like it did last year.

Ah, very cool. I don't know, gents, I guess I just kinda freaked a bit because the younger plants that never produce much of anything are full of full sized cones, yet the two mature plants are lagging behind! I'm glad I was so wrong, though!