Just got my hops starters yesterday!

Just received yesterday:

• Galena (2)
• Zeus (2)
• Ultra (2)
• Cascade (2)
• Redvine (2)
• Hallertauer (2)

Looking forward to watching them grow. Hopefully San Diego has the kind of weather they're looking for.

Hops do well in San Diego, at least for the homebrewer. You can put them in the ground immediately, but don't expect a lot of growth until the Spring. They may or may not die back, depends on the temperatures. Make certain you have correct and durable labels for the plants, so you don't join the 'can anyone identify these hops' group next Fall.

dirtytree said:

Just received yesterday:

• Galena (2)
• Zeus (2)
• Ultra (2)
• Cascade (2)
• Redvine (2)
• Hallertauer (2)

Looking forward to watching them grow. Hopefully San Diego has the kind of weather they're looking for.

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Who did you order them from?

Bulls Beers said:

Who did you order them from?

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Yeah, I'd like to know too. I thought sales were done until the spring.

I bought 10 rhizomes and only 4 actually grew (Of the 6 duds, 2 sprouted and 4 never did at all).

I'd love to get something in the ground now just to try and get some roots established before the 2012 season.

Rhizomes will have to wait until next Spring but you can get the plants here: http://www.facebook.com/GreatLakesHops?sk=info . He posts on here from time to time (Jagdad).

SO where did you get these hops...interested!!

There are 3 places I know of that sell Plants (NOT Rhizomes). Great Lakes Hops(Michigan), Summit Labs(Colorado), And High Hops (Colorado?
I can't speak for the other guys, but GLH produces certified stock year around. GLH is in the Vendor List of Homebrewtalk.

Do you plant them outside now or plant them indoors until next spring?

Bulls Beers said:

Do you plant them outside now or plant them indoors until next spring?

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I guess that depends if you live in Alaska or Alabama. Here in Michigan, we plant Hops outside right through Mid-late October. They set roots underground even though they don't look like they are doing much above the ground. I don't recommend trying to grow hops all winter indoors in pots; especially when they are perfectly happy outside under a blanket of snow. If you think it is too late in your area; wait til spring. Do all your soil prep now

I got them from High Hops. I just put them into bigger containers (labeled) in my backyard just until I clear out some brush and figure out where exactly I'm going to put them in the ground at. Probably going to have to get some trees removed first :/

So whats the difference between rhizomes and plants?

A rhizome is a little piece of root that will grow into a plant, a plant already has some root system and leaves.

so in essence, a plant is a rhizome that has begun to grow into a hop vine?

Technically, a rhizome is an underground vegetative stem (different than a true root in that true roots cannot initiate new top growth). Most of the plants come from stem cuttings. As a shoot/bine begins to grow out of the ground, a part of the upper portion of that shoot is cut and placed into a rooting medium. One of the benefits of this type of reproduction is that any viruses that the plant may have in it's system can be left behind because they travel through the plant slower than the new growth. So, if you make a cutting toward the top of the new stem, you can create virus-free plants. Cool stuff!

So, Since i live in the northeast, I can plant now. I'm sure the plant itself with die off during the winter months and regrow in the spring? If this is true, What soil prep would I need to do?

Bulls Beers said:

So, Since i live in the northeast, I can plant now. I'm sure the plant itself with die off during the winter months and regrow in the spring? If this is true, What soil prep would I need to do?

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Bully,
The top bine will freeze off but the crown will sit dormant thru winter.

Great hop harvests are all about soil prep. Work the soil deep (these things have big root systems) and incorporate a lot of organic matter like leaf compost and manures. If you prep this fall and wait to plant til Spring; you can use green (fresh stinky) manures that normally would burn the plants roots. They mellow out by Spring and really boost the soils micro-organism levels and improve tilth (the crumbly texture of good soil). Think of it as "super-charging" the soil. It never hurts to add some really slow release nutrients from sources like garden lime and/or bone/bloodmeal.
There are a ton of garden sites online that give great info on how to prep specific soil types (sand vs. clay, acid vs alkaline).

Just received mine today as well (similar assortment of plants)! Good thing I got out and rototilled my planting area the day after I ordered! Now I need to duck out of work early, till in some compost and get to planting. We should be in the 60's for at least the next few weeks so I hope they take to their new home. I will get some rhizomes from a friend in Spring, but I couldn't wait.

I'm thinking about ordering a 6-pack from GLH, what do you guys think about starting the plants in the dirt here in Long Beach? http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Long+Beach+CA+90815

Those look like ideal Fall growing conditions! Just get your soil real nice with compost and tilling and they should do great. Make sure the roots stay moist until they get going. Most of mine are doing really well in alot worse weather conditions. I'm hoping the others will come back in Spring. The plants were the best I have ever seen by mail.

Jagdad...
Whats your take on fresh manure VS commercial manure? I have a friend I can get horse manure from and have lots of leaves in my yard as we speak. Of course the problem with fresh manure is that I do not have a truck.
So a 1/3 mixture of manure, leaves and dirt would be the best in your opinion?
Do you think sand would be useful?
Scott

In case Jagdad doesn't check back today, my general gardening experience would say no, don't use fresh manure or leaves for the new plants. Those components need to be composted first where they are broken down into components the plants can actually use. Put them in a pile that you turn periodically and use in Spring. If your soil is not good, I would get some bags of regular potting soil to mix in or use for your plants. Fresh manure will probably burn these young plants and uncomposted leaves don't add anything to the soil until they break down. Sand is just a filler to give some texture to the soil, but I would guess you have plenty of sand in the soil in your area. I grew up in Newport and the soil was very sandy with no nutrients. We planted everything in potting soil.

Hethen57 said:

In case Jagdad doesn't check back today, my general gardening experience would say no, don't use fresh manure or leaves for the new plants. Those components need to be composted first where they are broken down into components the plants can actually use. Put them in a pile that you turn periodically and use in Spring. If your soil is not good, I would get some bags of regular potting soil to mix in or use for your plants. Fresh manure will probably burn these young plants and uncomposted leaves don't add anything to the soil until they break down. Sand is just a filler to give some texture to the soil, but I would guess you have plenty of sand in the soil in your area. I grew up in Newport and the soil was very sandy with no nutrients. We planted everything in potting soil.

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Could not say it any better, Hethen!

Did you guys use rooting hormone?
How deep did you burying the cutting?
And how quickly did a root structure grow?

Please post with an update on your plants. I tried last fall to start some cuttings and failed miserably, so I'm curious about your success.

You'll have more luck with rooting Early Spring stems. In the Fall, the stems are all Floral initiated - It is like trying to root a vase of roses - ain't gonna happen . . .
If you mother plants are conditioned properly, you don't really need rooting hormone. They should start rooting within 10 days if you have everything right.
At GLH, I start with just a bud in tissue culture and build my stock blocks from there. I have quite a few propagation pics posted at our site. Regards . . .

Can't remember how deep I planted exactly. I've been in North Dakota for the last couple of months (not for my own pleasure, I assure you). Obviously it's wintertime now so all of the little stems have died back. I am hoping they make it through the cold. Time will tell I guess. San Diego temps are obviously very mild, I think it's been in the 50s-60s. A far cry from the -5 it was on the way to work today here up north...

I didn't even realize that you were in San Diego. If they make it I would be very interested in checking out exactly how you did it. And I'll bring beer for knowledge. We have grown several from rhizome, but I was unsuccessful from cuttings last year.