1st year Hop growing advice

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gockenbr

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Feb 15, 2011
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Sauk Rapids
So this is my first year with growing hops and I can say so far it has been very enjoyable. All my plants seem to be doing pretty good. My Nuggets and Cascades have really taken off while my Chinnooks have been a little slower. Not to worried about that though as its year 1.

My questions is some of my nugget plants have growing pretty strong and are beggining to shoot out from half way up the vine (look at the attached pic). What should I be doing with these shoots? Should I cut them? Should I train them onto the vine? Or should I just let them be?

Please advise.

Thanks,
B-rad

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Those side shoots will reach out and eventually climb if they find a rope or another vine, otherwise, I'd let them be. My first year I just let them grow without any trimming and this year I had hops shoots coming up everywhere.
 
Them's called sidearms or laterals (depending on which side of the Mississippi you're on) and are where the hops actually form. Just let them go to do their job.
 
I got about 6oz off of my 3 first year plants. Made a pale ale that was totally bittered,and dry hopped with them. No reason not to pick them.
 
A first year hop plant (or any other perenial plant) wants to flower and set seed. This is what plants do. If you remove the cones/flowers before they set seed it diverts its energy into producing a stronger rhizome/root for next year. Yes, you will get a harvest from a first year plant, but if you remove the cones, before they set seed, you will get a much bigger crop in the following years.
Its the same for all perenial plants.
 
Would this be true even if there are no males around to pollinate the girls? No males - no seeds. Just wondering.
 
. . . and no additional energy was expended because no seeds were produced?
 
ur guess is as good as mine hoppy. just throwing my theory in there. id say the ssame energy was expended wether it has seeds or not. i think he is saying that harvesting then allows the plant to build up more stores cause it is no longer putting energy into the fruit/cones. cutting the cycle short so to speak.
 
I am doing nugget, cascade and chinooks for my first year too. I am experiencing they same pattern. My nugget and cascades are going nuts. My chinooks are only about 4 foot while the others have pretty much maxed out their ropes. My dad trimmed the extra bines on my plants but they should be ok. I am learning that these ladies are robust and love heat and humidity. Happy growing and brewing.
 
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