To many hops?

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clemson55

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Ok so heres whats going on, I have 3 hop plants each in a big pot. Last yr they did ok got a little stressed when I moved and didn't get as much light as desired. This yr my apt place decided to be dicks and make me move them which is cool cause now they are on top of this 3' retaining wall where I park and get way more sun so they are doing awesome. So my cascade which produced about 15 cones last yr went nuts and has probably 200+ little burrs on it right now and they have been there for a couple weeks, since that time the lower leaves has started yellowing and dropping off. I figured it was from so much water and nutrients going to hops production so I have been making sure to water and fertilize it extra. Meanwhile my fuggles put out burrs about the same time but only maybe half as many. Since then they have turned into about 3/8 to 1/2 inch cones and haven't had any problem with the leaves yellowing or anything. So am I right in my thinking that the extra hops are really sucking the life out of the plant? Should I maybe thin out the cascade a little and remove some of the hops?
 
You're on the right thought train. Hops love sunlight as you've noticed. You'll probably also notice that the tops on your fuggles will start to do better. The top 60-70% of your plant is where everything grows.

This is why every year when my vines start producing flowers, I cut off the bottom three feet of leaves and branches. Just make sure you don't cut the main vine. Anything else branching away from it should be cut. You can even do this in mid june, but I like to wait until I see hops to be safe.

This will also bring the plant back bigger and healthier the following year. When the bottom leaves and stems start growing back (and they will), don't cut them again. Just the one time per year.

Hope this helps.
 
The leaves have yellow shriveled up and fallen off the bottom several feet of plant they are gone and I don't have a choice. What I want to know is should I thin out the amount of little hop burrs that turn into hops? I think because the plant is potted even with watering and fertilizing it can't support the amount of hops that have started to form on the plant so by thinning them out it would allow the ones left to grow better and bigger. Problem is I don't want to cut off hops. I'll try to get a pic later so people can see what I mean.
 
No, I wouldn't touch your hops. Yellow leaves sounds like either they're not getting enough sun, or they aren't getting enough nutrients. I would still keep fertilizing and water a little more. If they are first year hops, you need to water at least once a day to keep them healthy and promote root growth.

Growing hops in planters is a lot more tricky than people make it out to be. They take a lot more care and maintenance. Also, depending on what you're growing them in, they may be cramped for space.

Another problem you may have is a potassium deficiency. This can be fixed with pot ash picked up at a local greenhouse.
 
They are second yr. I was thinking nutrient deficiency as well but I fertilized them to the point that can't be the problem any more. I started getting little mushrooms popping up in my pots and I was under the impression you can't have mushroom unless theres excess nutrients. It can't be lack of sun they get full sun all but about 2 hrs in the middle of the day when the top of a tree drops a shadow on them.
 
It is very possible that you may be over-fertilizing. I have seen many people do this with houseplants. Since you are growing in pots, you run a higher risk of over fertilizing than someone would with hops growing in the ground. How bushy is your upper growth? Most plants shed their leaves on their lower end if the top growth is bushy. if your plant is already covered with burrs, I would lay off of the fertilizer (I am assuming that you use synthetic fertilizers like miracle grow) If you do any fertilizing, use an organic fertilizer high in nitrogen. Chicken poop and blood meal are fantastic. Their slow release prevents the plant from becoming over fertilized which can ironically stunt the growth of your plants.
 
The top on my cascade thats dropping the leaves is what I would describe as normally bushy. The Fuggles which has half the hops twice the size it substantially bushier. I haven't hit it with fertilizer in a couple weeks now, we have been getting rain practically every day so I am just letting them stay wet and see what happens now.
 
If the top growth is bushy to the point that it is shading the lower growth the plant will recycle the nutrients in the leaf and use it further up. It may also do this to draw nutrients to produce burrs. Could also possibly be disease. Remove the yellowed leaves and put them in the trash and away from your plant just to be safe.
 
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