I want to grow hops!

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Stauffbier

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Can you good folks recommend a couple reliable sources for ordering rhizomes. I'm in the desert southwest, if it matters...
 
Stauffbier said:
Can you good folks recommend a couple reliable sources for ordering rhizomes. I'm in the desert southwest, if it matters...

Id go with great lakes hops... Such a good deal on hops. Where bouts in southern California do you live??
 
Id go with great lakes hops... Such a good deal on hops. Where bouts in southern California do you live??

I'm actually in El Paso, TX (darn near in Mexico) not California.. Thanks for the resource! I'll check them out. I'm an avid gardener, so I figure growing hops should come easy to me..
 
I'm actually in El Paso, TX (darn near in Mexico) not California.. Thanks for the resource! I'll check them out. I'm an avid gardener, so I figure growing hops should come easy to me..

Hops don't like hot weather or dry conditions. I think you're going to find them very challenging!

Of course, up north, they grow wild all over the place. They are invasive, even, and we see them all over old barns and sometimes in the strangest places. My brewing buddy found them all over in his back lot, growing like crazy!
 
Stauffbier said:
I'm actually in El Paso, TX (darn near in Mexico) not California.. Thanks for the resource! I'll check them out. I'm an avid gardener, so I figure growing hops should come easy to me..

Sorry dude but you're probably too far south, unless you can use lights to trick your hops into thinking they're experiencing shorter days or you're doing indoor hops.

Check out EdWort's Texas Hop Garden thread and good luck, I don't want to discourage anyone from experimenting but it may be difficult. I'm hoping to grow hops but I'm up in Chicago so I can't say I'm much of an expert of your area and I'm a noob as well when it comes to growing.
 
Don't be discouraged, I have a buddy who grows several different types of hops in his backyard, and I live in the dfw metroplex. You should be able to rig something up with enough determination!
 
I actually grow many things that other people have trouble with in my climate. I've been told that I have a big, fat, green thumb.. What I've learned in my habitat is things that normally grow in full sun up north do fine in partial shade here in the dry heat.. I have things that I keep alive by watering morning and night that otherwise wouldn't survive. I have even simulated humidity with a mister. I'm not opposed to growing indoors if it will yield a decent crop, but I've heard hops can grow quite large. It couldn't hurt to experiment. I have a great little cool spot on the north side of my house that I think might just work..
 
You're on the right track- the trick is to keep the feeder roots cool. Most of the deep south guys have luck with a part day of full sun exposure. ( I used to work near Weslaco - loved the barbacue and dancin' - hated the heat!) Good Luck!
 
So I got a new client today that just happens to be a botanist/horticulturist.. AND.. He just happens to be interested in growing hops. He brought it up when I told him that I'm a homebrewer. He says my plan sounds like it will work, and he also says he can help me balance my soil ph to get it right. He was already planning on ordering his own rhizomes soon, and he says he's going to order me some as well! :ban: I can't wait to give it a try!
 
I have 5 different varieties growing in my backyard. Well I should say four, Willamette hates it in El Paso, the sun tortures it. The ones that are doing well in our dry weather are Chinook and Cascade. Then it is followed by Centennial and Columbus. The Chinook and Cascade both are animals and love the sun, though if I could re plant them I would ignore a lot of the advice I got online. In our climate it is better to not plant them in a mount, the soil is hard to keep wet even if you’re trying. Also do not plant them in the full sun, then you will be like me having to water them twice a day. Hope all goes well, if you need some rhizomes shoot me a pm I will be more than happy to dig some up for you.
 
I have 5 different varieties growing in my backyard. Well I should say four, Willamette hates it in El Paso, the sun tortures it. The ones that are doing well in our dry weather are Chinook and Cascade. Then it is followed by Centennial and Columbus. The Chinook and Cascade both are animals and love the sun, though if I could re plant them I would ignore a lot of the advice I got online. In our climate it is better to not plant them in a mount, the soil is hard to keep wet even if you’re trying. Also do not plant them in the full sun, then you will be like me having to water them twice a day. Hope all goes well, if you need some rhizomes shoot me a pm I will be more than happy to dig some up for you.

This is inspiring news!
 
I have 5 different varieties growing in my backyard. Well I should say four, Willamette hates it in El Paso, the sun tortures it. The ones that are doing well in our dry weather are Chinook and Cascade. Then it is followed by Centennial and Columbus. The Chinook and Cascade both are animals and love the sun, though if I could re plant them I would ignore a lot of the advice I got online. In our climate it is better to not plant them in a mount, the soil is hard to keep wet even if you’re trying. Also do not plant them in the full sun, then you will be like me having to water them twice a day. Hope all goes well, if you need some rhizomes shoot me a pm I will be more than happy to dig some up for you.

Would you have a problem digging up some rhizomes and shipping them up here to Lubbock? The county I live in is very successful growing wine grapes and ive been wanting to experiment with hops. Im a farmer but transitioning from cotton and peanuts to grapes and hops isnt going to be easy.
 
I might suggest still doing mounds but watering in the evening or covering the mounds (except the vine of course) to prevent too much evaporation. Should give you better draining and insulation. I think the main problem is that you'll get lots of vine growth but not as much hop production because of the length of day, I remember reading something about it in another thread about New Zealand growers.

Disclaimer: not an expert, just enthusiast. The other Texas growers definitely know more than me here.
 
Would you have a problem digging up some rhizomes and shipping them up here to Lubbock? The county I live in is very successful growing wine grapes and ive been wanting to experiment with hops. Im a farmer but transitioning from cotton and peanuts to grapes and hops isnt going to be easy.

send me one of your homebrews and you got yourself a deal. pm me your address.
 
I might suggest still doing mounds but watering in the evening or covering the mounds (except the vine of course) to prevent too much evaporation. Should give you better draining and insulation. I think the main problem is that you'll get lots of vine growth but not as much hop production because of the length of day, I remember reading something about it in another thread about New Zealand growers.

Disclaimer: not an expert, just enthusiast. The other Texas growers definitely know more than me here.

*bine, not vine.

And yes, southern growers (SoCal, Fla, Texas) can grow them if they insulate the soil and keep it watered enough that it isn't totally dried out. However, hops are photoperiod sensitive and sense the change in day length as days get shorter and this triggers the flowering response. This is why they grow so well in moderate northern climes. Long hot (but not scorching) days and cool nights with plenty of water (naturally or from irrigation)... then, an abrupt and rapid shortening of day length triggers a massive flowering response in one shot. So, they can be grown, but yield is usually smaller and flowering can happen over a length of time as opposed to a single shot. They also need a distinct dormant period where the bines die back and the energy is concentrated in the crown as it prepares for another growing season. They shouldn't be grown year-round without said dormancy period.
 
Yeah what Randar said.

Also have you heard about growers using lights at night to trick the hops? I swear I heard that somewhere, seems like it would be a bit of a hassle and annoy the neighbors, but these are hops we're talking about...
 
Yeah what Randar said.

Also have you heard about growers using lights at night to trick the hops? I swear I heard that somewhere, seems like it would be a bit of a hassle and annoy the neighbors, but these are hops we're talking about...

Yes, but I can't imagine the cost one would undertake, even on a small scale, to try to do this.
 
Hop lighting is a pretty common practice with hop growers in latitudes near the equator. They don't use high intensity - regular light bulbs are spaced out down the rows - it kinda resembles a christmas tree lot at night. They only are trying to trigger the photosynthesis response and create a "fake" short day. It doesn't cost that much because they only use them a couple of hours per night; and only during certain crop stages.
Unless you're growing in the southern tip of Florida, Texas, or Puerto Rico; it does't make any sense to do it. You can find more info on this if you Google search through places like India, New Zealand, Africa, Etc.
Lighting is mentioned in this forum occasionally because normal household lights, security lighting, or street lights can trigger the same vegetative response. These threads typically start with "my hops are growing but they are not getting any cones and it is already August":).
 
I live in Carlsbad, just up the road from you and I grow hops. Some years they do OK, some years they suck, it all depends on how hot it gets. I tried growing mine on the east side of my barn so the afternoon heat would be easier on them but the really didn't thrive. Now they're in full sun all day and do better. Cascades do best up here, and for a while I had good luck with Nuggets, but a couple of years ago we were on vacation for a month during a heat wave and my daughter didn't water my hops enough so the Nuggets never recovered like the Cascades did.
If you get up to Carlsbad this spring I can dig you up some rhizomes.
 
Well, there is no real way to find out other than to try, so I have ordered 4 types of rhizomes. A friend is giving me another variety of rhizome that he grows here locally. A client of mine whom is a botonist is ordering me another type of hops that is a late bloomer, so I'll have late season harvests as well (assuming they grow).. So, I'll be planting about 6 different types. I've already started preping spots around my property. I have chosen spots with full sun, partial sun, and low sun. Let the El Paso desert hops experiment begin!
 
I live in Laredo, Tx (The Devils Anus) and will be trying to grow Cascade, Centennial and Chinook this year.
 
Well, I only ended up planting 4 types of rhizome so far. I planted Cascades, nugget, Mt. Hood, and Sterling.. They've all sprouted and look good. Hopefully they'll do well...
 
How are your hops doing since we've enter pre-hell summer (soon to enter 9th level Armageddon hell)?
 
They're struggling a little, but they're growing. I have to keep the soil wet 24/7.. I don't expect to get much of anything out of them this year, but maybe next year they will be doing a little better. The experiment continues!
 
Struggling in the 100+ degree heat, but it's growing. It's at about 5 foot tall, but it seems very skinny and lanky. Hopefully it will beef up after time.
 
You know, people like to repeat conventional wisdom even though they have no new evidence of information to share!

Why do we think hops only grow well up north? Not because of any controlled experiment, but because that's what farmers think.

Why do farmers think that? Probably because hops have always been grown at high latitudes.

Why have hops always been grown at high latitudes? Who can say for sure without doing an experiment? It may just be that beer was popular at high latitudes, and nobody ever really tried to grow them in Southern Europe.

Plant anyway, Southern Brewers!
 
I'd love to hear an update if you have a min. Since its been a few years either you've got hops coming out of your ears or it was a bust. I'm in Houston (just as hot, but more humid), and planning for hops this spring.

Also if you have any other hop growing advice I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!
 
you can grow them i know this for a fact my family down south does it.. do your research and find a strain that is tolerant to drought.. and make sure you order them on time, there is a season in which there harvested (the rhizome) and sold.. i recommend not planting in direct sun for instance on a south facing wall using the wall as slight sun protection (due to your climate). if you have trouble getting them to flower because of light ratio get some organic fertilizer high in phosphorus low in nitrogen and mist them once a day for a week and they will flower for sure! good luck! this is all coming from a farmer so the grain of salt is optional but not needed…:mug:
 
The ones I planted when I started this thread all died. I had problems with location and also problems with grubs. Last Spring I tried again, and I had a lot more success. Granted I didn't get much yield, but the plants that thrived were very healthy. Cascade did the best out of 8 varieties that I planted. I'm hoping since this is the second year they will do even better.

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You know, people like to repeat conventional wisdom even though they have no new evidence of information to share!

Why do we think hops only grow well up north? Not because of any controlled experiment, but because that's what farmers think.

Why do farmers think that? Probably because hops have always been grown at high latitudes.

Why have hops always been grown at high latitudes? Who can say for sure without doing an experiment? It may just be that beer was popular at high latitudes, and nobody ever really tried to grow them in Southern Europe.

Plant anyway, Southern Brewers!
I can say that over the past 10-12 years I have planted many varieties of hops in my southern New Mexico backyard and the only ones that have survived more than one season are Cascades. This year I'm planting some native (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/has-anyone-grew-neomexicana-hops-453441/) varieties, and hope to secure some wild rhizomes from nearby in the next month or 2.
 
I've done quite a bit of searching to determine the best hop variety to plant. I've found plenty of descriptions that say "All climates" (what does that mean all climates in the hop growth zone 35 deg lat to 55 deg, or all climates on earth?) I haven't found anything that says this plant will do well in hot and humid conditions.

I have found two posts that say Willamette and Cascade do ok in hot weather, with pictures of decent first year growth. However, the second and third years the plant start to die off. The problem with that is, you never know if they just lost interest or if hops just won't grow in this climate.

I have yet to find someone that has been harvesting hops over 3 or more years in hot weather. If you know of any I would love to hear about it.

My house is east facing, so I'm hoping that they will only get direct sun in the mornings, and not get baked by the sun in the afternoon.

I've narrowed my options to these:
Galena
Cascade
Nugget
Newport
Mount Hood
Centennial

based on climate/yield from:
http://www.northwesthops.com/Is_it_an_aroma_hop_or_a_bittering_hop_s/24.htm
 
I've done quite a bit of searching to determine the best hop variety to plant. I've found plenty of descriptions that say "All climates" (what does that mean all climates in the hop growth zone 35 deg lat to 55 deg, or all climates on earth?) I haven't found anything that says this plant will do well in hot and humid conditions.

I have found two posts that say Willamette and Cascade do ok in hot weather, with pictures of decent first year growth. However, the second and third years the plant start to die off. The problem with that is, you never know if they just lost interest or if hops just won't grow in this climate.

I have yet to find someone that has been harvesting hops over 3 or more years in hot weather. If you know of any I would love to hear about it.

My house is east facing, so I'm hoping that they will only get direct sun in the mornings, and not get baked by the sun in the afternoon.

I've narrowed my options to these:
Galena
Cascade
Nugget
Newport
Mount Hood
Centennial

based on climate/yield from:
http://www.northwesthops.com/Is_it_an_aroma_hop_or_a_bittering_hop_s/24.htm

Galena, Cascade, and mt hood are some awesome hops lemme tell ya!:rockin:
 
I have yet to find someone that has been harvesting hops over 3 or more years in hot weather. If you know of any I would love to hear about it.

Again, I've been actively growing hops for years, Cascades do great(relatively speaking) Nuggets almost did alright but the 3rd year they just didn't come back up, nothing else has worked here.
The first year I tried Wilamette, Cascade, Nugget and Liberty. By the end of the second season I was down to Cascade and Nugget, the next year just Cascade. I'm a stubborn guy and not unwilling to keep pouring money down a hole so in the following few years I've tried: Nugget again, Mt. Hood, Saaz, Northern Brewer, Challenger, Fuggles, US Goldings, and probably some others that failed so fast I don't remember planting them.
Even with the drought we've had and the failure of my drip system 2 years running I got enough off of 8 Cascades to make 2 batches of beer, this year I have very high hopes for them.
 
I didn't see Chinook on the last few posts, so add that one to the list. Chinook is one of my most consistent producers in the hot/dry, full-sun, southerly exposure of southern California. Cascade, Nugget, and Centennial are the next best.

As I change up my hop yard from season to season, Centennial and Nugget are becoming my favorites due to their higher alpha acid and pleasant aroma qualities. Equal harvests of Centennial and Cascade translate into almost twice as much alpha acid "bang for your buck" with the Centennial, although it tends to be that Cascade are heavier producers. Chinook gives me the highest yields per plant, but I tend not to use it up as fast as the other varieties due to its higher cohumulone bite.

Willamette will not grow for me where I live. Tettnanger, despite noble attempts, hasn't produced many cones for me yet (yet!).
 
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