My neighbors kid ruined my hops!

So, I've been growing hops for 4 years now. I've always had a good crop and I like to think I take good care of my plants.

Every year, I go on vacation for a week or two over the summer and I pay my neighbors son $40 to come over and water my hops once a day. Every year he's done a great job...until now.

He's started to get older now and he just started driving, so I'm assuming he took my $40 and put off watering until the last few days thinking he'd be fine.

Long story short...my hops are almost completely dead. There's leaves on the top 2-3' of the bine, but almost everything lower than that is dead. They were just starting to get hops too, which makes it worse.

I'm going to try and bring them back by watering a lot, but I highly doubt I'll get a crop t his year worth harvesting. Looks like I'll have to find better help for next year...

I'd shake that little $hit down for my money back.

time to setup a drip system, sorry to hear about that.

Shewt 'im

$40 will buy a gold-plated drip system. I installed one three years ago and at least that took care of the watering problem and kept water off of the foliage. I just run a hose out to the system during the season and let the timer do the watering at night when there is enough pressure to get up the hill.

Just a FYI, Dave Wills (Freshops) irrigates once a week, 4L per hour per plant for 24 hours.

Bernie Brewer said:

Shewt 'im

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+1

Bernie Brewer said:

Shewt 'im

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Twice. In the legs.

Or put his car out of commission.

You really should know better than to trust a teenager with anything.

I've got drip systems setup for every other plant in my yard that needs water regularly, just haven't gotten to the hops yet. Looks like I'll be getting on that now.

strat_thru_marshall said:

Twice. In the legs.

Or put his car out of commission.

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+1 hit him back where it hurts, take the drain plug out of his car.

His car needs oil like your plants need hops. Promise you'll put it back a few days after though!

Hey it's not my fault I forgot to water the plants! With my new license and dad's BMW, I've been attracting more females than ever before. I already used that $40 to refill the tank so please don't shoot me!!!

Hmm I don't water my hops, maybe if it hasn't rained in 2-3 weeks, but generally I just let them develop good deep roots.

I assume you got your money back, right?

Be careful not to overwater your hops in an attempt to bring them back. I know it's tempting to try and make up for lost time, but the last thing you want to do is kill the ones that are still alive by giving them too much water.

Hind sight being 20/20, you probably shouldn't have paid him in advanced.
Your hops probably aren't dead. They are very hardy, but you most likely wont get a crop this year.
As others have said, set up a drip system with a battery operated timer.

conpewter said:

Hmm I don't water my hops, maybe if it hasn't rained in 2-3 weeks, but generally I just let them develop good deep roots.

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We haven't had much rain here in the last month. Earlier this season, we got a ton, so my hops grew like crazy. Now it's hot and humid with not rain. When it does rain, it rains for 5 minutes and quits.

weirdboy said:

I assume you got your money back, right?

Be careful not to overwater your hops in an attempt to bring them back. I know it's tempting to try and make up for lost time, but the last thing you want to do is kill the ones that are still alive by giving them too much water.

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Yup. His parents chewed his ass out right in front of me too. Somewhat amusing.

I'm just watering them as usual. I'm not overly concerned about the crop, I'm just venting.

What do they say? "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"? Hopefully that's true for hops too.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, hop for a hop (brake his legs so he can't hop).

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

my friend's 5 year old daughter spontaneously decided to dig mine up. DIG THEM UP. while we were having a cookout. that'll teach me to leave yard tools accessible.

PintOfBitter said:

my friend's 5 year old daughter spontaneously decided to dig mine up. DIG THEM UP. while we were having a cookout. that'll teach me to leave yard tools accessible.

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Ouch......lesson learned I take it?

lesson learned. no more cookouts with said friends kidding.

What's really sad is that at 5 years old she probably thought it was funny when you started to cry.