Hops in Juneau

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ggoodman

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Mar 26, 2009
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Location
Juneau Alaska
I would like to grow a vine or two but Im curious we have warmer weather from about May-mid Oct. we do have LONG days but unlike anchorage or fairbanks it does get almost dark...more like a twilight for about a month or two then we get full on darkness at night my bigest concerns is all the rain. we have far more days where it drizles than not. and things preety much dont dry out untill winter.

do hops have any problems with rot? Also what would be a good heardy breed to start with as this will be my first run. Ive had many gardens with a myriad of fruits and veggies so im not new to growing things.

Thanks for the input.
 
You could prepare the ground with sand or rocks for drainage.

or you could mail me Alaskan Smoked porter and I will mail you hops.
 
I don't know how well it would work honestly, but it probably wouldn't hurt to try. I know people up by Anchorage have had some success.

I recommend cascade as it seems to be on of the hardiest hops out there.
 
Well I got my cascade and chinook in the mail and scored a deal with the city gardener. My hops got a beautiful large pot, top quality potting mix, and a free stay in the city's green house. all he wants is to try the beer that I brew with them. Since this is a first year plant im assuming I wont get any hops from them but there's a;ways next year......

I'll post pics as I go along.
 
Just curious, since summer is over, or close to it anyway, how did the hops going go. I am planning to get some next sprint and plant them in several locations in the garden to see where they grow.
 
If the hops for Alaskan Smoked Porter offer still stands, I'm game as well! A few bucks a bomber for 22 ounces of hops.... I'll send ya a case! :D
 
I'm curious to know how your hops are doing as well.

I grow hops in Prince Rupert, BC which is a little further south than Juneau I think the climates are comparable. Long summer days but it's always temperate. Not exactly dry hot days that hops go for.

I am only on my first year hops too. I planted 3 cascades and a magnum. The cascades all grew really well but I still haven't seen any cones yet. How about you?

Also I have had a hell of a fight with slugs. I use tray's of beer to fight them but next year I think I will go will seaweed. It's around and I have learned from other local gardners that is more successful.
 
TacoGuthrie - I went to the local arboretum a few weeks ago and saw that they had hops growing. However, there were no cones. I dont know when they planted them, but they were about 8 - 10 feet tall.

Slugs - LOL - If I liked to eat slugs I would never have to go shopping for meat! One thing to try is wood ash, about 1/4 - 1/2 inch. I use it and it seems to keep the slugs away and is a great source of potassium. On the plants that do not like wood ash (acid loving plants), I use a ring of copper pennies. Slugs do not like copper.
 
I've got really good growth on my Cascades. Probably 15' on 2/3 and about 8' on the other one. I planted the rhyzomes in mid May in a raised garden bed in an area that gets lots of sun (for around here).

The big news is that just this week I have started to see some flowering. Only on 2 of the plants and only around the top 1/3 of the vine too.

I'm not expecting much this year but it would be nice to get a few cones before it snows!

Good tip on the slugs. I'm not going to fight much more this year but next year those bastards can expect a war of seaweed, ashes, pennies and whatever else I can get my hands on.
 
So, I took a trip out to the Jensen-Olson Arboretum to check on the hops they have growing. A few pictures from the trip.

12Sep10_Hops_IMG_0476.jpg


12Sep10_Hops_IMG_0477.jpg


12Sep10_Hops_IMG_0480.jpg


I really do not think that cones will develop in the time we have left this Fall. Sort of disappointing, but I plan to start growing my own next fall.
 
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