No cones...

This is my first year growing hops. I planted one sizable cascade rhizome, and several Tettenanger. All of the rhizomes sprouted and grew like weeds. I have no cones though. They're nice and green. I've fertilized them, watered them, they look happy. No cones. I don't see any major spots of while powdery mold or anything. What gives? Any ideas?

Getting sizable hop yields from 1st year plants can be hit or miss. If you got good growth in your first year, that's the important thing. You grew the root system for next year and gave it plenty of energy to get a head start. Any 1st year hops are a bonus.

That said I got a couple of dry ounces from my 3 plants last season (1st yr). They didn't form until mid to late August, but these hop plants are in northern Minnesota. I would expect you'd have hops by now in Maryland if you were going to get any. But you might need another few weeks, who knows?

Anything you get in the first year is a bonus. The first year, like previously stated, is for growing the root system. If you don't have burrs by now, you won't. Just keep watering those baby's so they can keep strong right up until winter. They'll produce next year.

I knew I wouldn't get a full harvest the first year but I was hoping for one or two cones...just so I could pluck them off and smell them.

I have three rhizomes growing this year (mt. hood, sterling and nugget) and only one has grown more than three feet (and the long bine that did grow was killed off by hungry locusts). The nugget seems to be a terribly slow grower but I don't expect any hops this year. Who knows though. We stay sunny and in the 90s all the way to the beginning of October, sometimes longer.

Next year I hope to see stronger growth and gets some hops.

I'm in Texas, planted two cascase rhizomes. One grew, one didn't. They didn't get into the ground until May and didn't take off fast. The one that grew stalled for a long time, then I fertilized again and it took off. Its up to about 4-5 feet now, no burrs yet, but I'm still hopeful. I am hoping another month it will get to the top of the line, and then start sending off side shoots. It will be nice and warm with long days until October here, so I'm holding out hope for 1 oz of hops.

I'm in Portland, OR. Planted four rhizomes -- one didn't sprout, another got eaten by raccoons. One of the others is about 7' high now, the other only about 3' -- just hoping they'll get some good root systems in place this year, and produce a bit next year.

San Diego here, I planted a nugget rhizome in early May, one bine is probably about 15' now, with the others varying between 5'-10'. I just noticed what I think are flowers forming on the top 10-15' of that one bine.

ong said:

I'm in Portland, OR. Planted four rhizomes -- one didn't sprout, another got eaten by raccoons. One of the others is about 7' high now, the other only about 3' -- just hoping they'll get some good root systems in place this year, and produce a bit next year.

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Did you plant late? I have three first year plants and they are all over 15 feet and starting to get a fair number of burrs. I don't expect to get a huge crop this year, but it looks like I will get at least some of each variety planted.

DirtyOldDuck said:

Did you plant late? I have three first year plants and they are all over 15 feet and starting to get a fair number of burrs. I don't expect to get a huge crop this year, but it looks like I will get at least some of each variety planted.

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I planted two in late March, two in early April, I believe. They had some promising activity early on, but then just sat there unchanged, a couple inches high, for a long time.

ong said:

I planted two in late March, two in early April, I believe. They had some promising activity early on, but then just sat there unchanged, a couple inches high, for a long time.

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Where do you live?
That has a lot to do with the timing of the burrs......
I have been growing hops for 11 years now and usually get rid of a few plants each year and add a couple. My new Centenial is 14 feet high and shooting out side arms with many burrs.....I hope to harvest 4 or 5 ounces this season.
My other plants are from seed and they vary from a foot to 10 feet high now.
I am just hoping a couple of them are female, so I can keep them......

Around southern Idaho, we can expect to get 20 to 40 percent yield in year number 1. I usually get 15 to 25 ounces off a single mature Hop plant.....
Depends on the variety. Cascades are prolific as are Tettnang and Fuggles.
EKG...not so much.