Growing Hops

Hello! I am looking to grow hops this summer. Was wondering if anyone sold or knew a good place to buy hop rhizomes... I live in Southeastern Virginia... we have very hot summers here. Need heat resistant hops

Know that American brewmaster in Raleigh NC is taking preorders for rhizomes now and are expecting in store for pickup or quick out the door shipping by early march. Might be worth checking out their selection online or give them a call. Dont have any experience with hop rhizomes but AB is my LHBS and I've always been pleased with products/services.

I live in central Georgia and I have had luck with Cascades and Goldings in the past. I am going to plant a willamette and a chinook. I have found that climate really doesn't matter if you condition the soil and regulate your watering schedule. It is hot down here in the summer, really hot, so I have my plants in the sun for at most 7-8hrs a day and it keeps them from drying out in the heat. Hope this helps a bit.

I'm thinking about doing the same thing too this summer.. what do I need to know?

Here is a list of online hop rhizome vendors (and tips on how to grow hops).
Where to buy hop rhizomes

PurpleJeepXJ said:

I live in central Georgia and I have had luck with Cascades and Goldings in the past. I am going to plant a willamette and a chinook. I have found that climate really doesn't matter if you condition the soil and regulate your watering schedule. It is hot down here in the summer, really hot, so I have my plants in the sun for at most 7-8hrs a day and it keeps them from drying out in the heat. Hope this helps a bit.

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How do you keep them in the sun for only a limited amount of time? Did you build a shade structure of some sort?

I was on a different forum last week and stumbled upon someone who said you can get free rhizomes from the USDA. I checked it out and ordered four sets of rhizomes. I think think these are meant for research but why not try huh? I put for my reasoning that I was going to test the strains in the midwest climate (Iowa). We will see if they actually ship them out this spring.
Here is the conversation from another site:


It is a government website, and so is not exactly user friendly. You go the ARS Search Engine and click on "NPGS USA" "Full Text" and type in the search window marked "Identifier" and type "Humulus lupulus". After typing, click with your mouse the "OK" button. If you hit "ENTER" you will get an error message. It should pop up a new window with the search results. When you click on the accession code for a particular cultivar/variety, there should be a clickable text that says "request this germplasm". If you click this text it should bring you to the request form page. If you have any other problems let me know.

bing09 said:

It is a government website, and so is not exactly user friendly. You go the ARS Search Engine and click on "NPGS USA" "Full Text" and type in the search window marked "Identifier" and type "Humulus lupulus". After typing, click with your mouse the "OK" button. If you hit "ENTER" you will get an error message. It should pop up a new window with the search results. When you click on the accession code for a particular cultivar/variety, there should be a clickable text that says "request this germplasm". If you click this text it should bring you to the request form page. If you have any other problems let me know.

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It looks to me like you can simply paste the URL and others can click it, rather than navigate that site's search engine. I hope that helps.

bing, that site is pretty amazing. I wonder what the Kazahkistani hops are like... maybe good for a Kazahkistani Imperial Stout? Thanks for pointing us to that great resource!

Just ordered a "germplasm" of Santiam hops... let's see what happens!

dinertime said:

How do you keep them in the sun for only a limited amount of time? Did you build a shade structure of some sort?

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They are planted in line with a shade tree so they still get sunlight but are not in the direct heat of the GA sun for the whole day.

alexdagrate said:

Just ordered a "germplasm" of Santiam hops... let's see what happens!

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yup just got some yugoslavian guys.....

what did you put down as your intended research? haha

Just ordered Santium Hops. Will wait to see if I get a response. I will post here if I hear anything. My intended research was "viability of growth in SW United States (approx Lat 31N)" Good luck all

I put rural research so they new I wasn't a business and trying to make money. I hope we actually get the rhizomes. I am assuming they keep these rhizomes and "donate" them just to keep the genetics going. They have some information about why they have the site.

I just ordered some of those USDA hops too... It says they want a report at the end of the year though...

O I didn't see that they asked for a report. I would say just keep some "research notes" and if they ask just send them that. That is what I plan on doin.

Nice work bing09! one thing to note is that some varieties are male, so just keep an eye out for that. Also the "typical distribution", as noted on each variety, is 2 rhizomes! My reason for request was "Would like to test the viability of various hops grown in pots vs. ground plantings in the high humidity of south St. Louis City. Findings will be documented and submitted on a yearly basis for no less than two seasons. more if required." I figure if I get five varieties of hops and 2 rhizomes of each, I plant one in a pot, the other in the ground, take weekly notes for three years and yield per plant at end of season and send it in for 2 years. keep notes on year three, but don't send it in. If they ask, they get it. If they don't, I don't worry so much about detailed notes the following year. I would have kept a log either way, so if I have to add a bit more detail for free hops and send it to someone, so be it.

Now I just have to see if they give em to me

I also signed up for 3 pairs of hop rhyzomes. Would love to actually do some research with these

I signed up for 2 and I picked the more expensive ones... hell if I pay taxes I should get something out of it!! It would suck though if I got males. Can we still use them if they are male?

PurpleJeepXJ said:

I signed up for 2 and I picked the more expensive ones... hell if I pay taxes I should get something out of it!! It would suck though if I got males. Can we still use them if they are male?

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correct me if I'm wrong but i don't think males produce cones.

Male plants don't produce cones. They make pollen, which will fertilize all the female plants you have (doesn't matter what variety). The females will then produce cones with seeds, which is considered undesirable. Supposedly these fertilized cones are larger, though. I don't know if that means they make more oils or oil glands though.

Great link, thanks for sharing! Signed up for 3 pair.

dinertime said:

Male plants don't produce cones. They make pollen, which will fertilize all the female plants you have (doesn't matter what variety). The females will then produce cones with seeds, which is considered undesirable. Supposedly these fertilized cones are larger, though. I don't know if that means they make more oils or oil glands though.

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As a result of the cross pollination you get a new variety of Hops for next year. Yay!

interesting...

Hey guys, I noticed that highhops.net is selling hops to the south already. I am just a large fan for these guys because of the already started plants.

Signed up for 21 rhizomes... This is going to be a lot of research... I plan on making my findings available for reference in the Library of my alma mater.

3 PI 558598 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
4 PI 558653 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
5 PI 558664 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
6 PI 558665 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
7 PI 558666 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
8 PI 558667 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
9 PI 558670 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
10 PI 558672 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
11 PI 558678 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
12 PI 558681 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
13 PI 558693 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
14 PI 558705 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
15 PI 558712 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
16 PI 558736 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
17 PI 558771 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
18 PI 558869 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
19 PI 559175 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
20 PI 604554 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
21 PI 617282 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
22 PI 617287 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. lupulus
23 PI 559213 - COR - Humulus lupulus var. pubescens

Received: Thu Feb 3 20:27:18 EST 2011

Wow that is alot. You do know you get two rhizomes per germplasm selection right? Well have fun. Where did you go to college?

Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL... I am aware, it will be 42 vines total.

thats like 40 some plants.... good work.

This link might help with a little more info about some of the varieties they have available at the USDA
http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/docs.htm?docid=14772

Nice find that is very helpful!

I ordered mine.

I know it hasn't been very long since the original post, but has anyone heard anything regarding acceptance or denial of their request? I do of course realize that its the "gubment" we're talking about. So we probably wont hear anything until maybe next season if we are lucky... I don't plan on raising my hopes for free hops, just figured it was worth a shot.

Cheers and good luck

EdMerican said:

I know it hasn't been very long since the original post, but has anyone heard anything regarding acceptance or denial of their request? I do of course realize that its the "gubment" we're talking about. So we probably wont hear anything until maybe next season if we are lucky... I don't plan on raising my hopes for free hops, just figured it was worth a shot.

Cheers and good luck

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I got an email, but it was just basically a confirmation that they received my request. I'm guessing that if they do send out the hops they will either send an email or contact you by phone to ask you about your "research" !?!

Same here. I got a copy of my request sent to my email.

Did anyone order any male stock??
I wish I had, would have been nice to have one of the USDA selected males for breeding purposes. My inlaws yard would be the perfect place to keep him

Ordered Pride of Kent Goldings and Cascades.

Didn't know what to put for organization but my research is "I plan to investigate the viability of these two differing species when grown in an urban garden environment in NC, rather than their traditional territories. I also would like to submit harvested cones to tests to determine whether the change in climate altered their traditional characteristics."

I got a order request email from the gov. I also found a site from the University of Vermont on growing hops especially in New England, it's a little dated but still a lot of good information. check it out at. http://www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/hops.html

4x4jeep74 said:

I got a order request email from the gov. I also found a site from the University of Vermont on growing hops especially in New England, it's a little dated but still a lot of good information. check it out at. http://www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/hops.html

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Very nice!

A few of us have ordered from the Gov... Hopefully they send us some quality stuff

Has anybody here actually gotten hops from the USDA Germplasm bank? I've ordered the last two years and recieved nada. It may increase your chances if you provide a Fedex/UPS billing number so they can charge shipping to your account. I don't know if it's just me, or if I picked obscure varieties that they didn't have surplus of, or if they only distribute to research institutions. I'm going to try ordering again this year with a shipping account number.

Cheers

Weizenstein said:

Has anybody here actually gotten hops from the USDA Germplasm bank? I've ordered the last two years and recieved nada. It may increase your chances if you provide a Fedex/UPS billing number so they can charge shipping to your account. I don't know if it's just me, or if I picked obscure varieties that they didn't have surplus of, or if they only distribute to research institutions. I'm going to try ordering again this year with a shipping account number.

Cheers

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Well that's a downer...I'm not gonna get my hopes up then.