Hop Strains - Southern California

So my house (which I'm renting out) now has a couple pitbulls living in the backyard, including a male that recently jumped into my (already somewhat hostile) neighbors backyard. Quite impressive, really.

In order to stop him from doing it int he future, his owner offered to setup a bunch of vine lattices/supports - an idea I embraced... under the premise that they be filled with hops.

I've never grown them before and am anxious to try. I do have some gardening experience... but growing vines (intentionally) will be new.

As I live in the San Fernando Valley, they'd ideally be somewhat heat and drought resistant (its pretty dry - though these will get plenty of water - and they'll get a decent share of sun, with summers in the mid 90s consistently). Something that thrives in East Oregon probably isn't gonna love my backyard. I do realize that its not the 'ideal' hop growing climate, but I'm sure some will grow. Anything?

:beer:

I've read that hops are extremely poisonous to dogs! I would hate to see somethin happen accidently, especially to some pittys. Sorry

oh boy. here we go - the hops'n'dogs debate. there is some disagreement about how prevalent the toxicity is. please read this before proceeding any further: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dangers-hops-your-pets-108935/ (and then read page 2 of the thread linked in the last post). my reading on the situation is that dogs need a genetic predisposition to the toxicity. sorta like peanut allergies - very very few people have it, but those that do it's deadly. if you want to talk canine hop poisoning (or the lack thereof) please go to this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/danger-hops-dogs-108663/index4.html. let's not start the same debate here, please.

getting back to the OP's question about hops that do well in hot dry climates: Cascade, Columbus, US Golding. Liberty and Nugget should also do well. for more info, see the link in my signature and check out the "Climate & Growing Conditions" column.

sweetcell said:

oh boy. here we go - the hops'n'dogs debate. there is some disagreement about how prevalent the toxicity is. please read this before proceeding any further: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dangers-hops-your-pets-108935/ (and then read page 2 of the thread linked in the last post). my reading on the situation is that dogs need a genetic predisposition to the toxicity. sorta like peanut allergies - very very few people have it, but those that do it's deadly. if you want to talk canine hop poisoning (or the lack thereof) please go to this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/danger-hops-dogs-108663/index4.html. let's not start the same debate here, please.

getting back to the OP's question about hops that do well in hot dry climates: Cascade, Columbus, US Golding. Liberty and Nugget should also do well. for more info, see the link in my signature and check out the "Climate & Growing Conditions" column.

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Ha naturally. Thats the last thing id have expected to hear but thanks. Ive informed the owner of the dogs and we'll be talking to their vet to see if theyre predisposed or anything. If not, we may feed them a small sample under supervision to see how that goes.

Under the assumption is okay, ive heard its best to use a trellis. Do you use netting, rabbit wire, fish wire, wood, or other? How much water do they need? Do they like direct or inidrect su light? Any perscribed nutrient lineups?

Im sure theres a sticky about all that but sadly im at work and this site is blocked, so ig otta post on my phone which is a pain lol. Thanks!

Anybody? If theres a link to a good do it yourself guide you could point me to that alternatively

Next to the varieties that sweetcell offered, I would add Chinook and Centennial to the list. Both seem to love hot and dry conditions. I'm not sure how much hops will deter an ambitious dog, though, but growing hops is a fun excuse to try.

Also, I wouldn't get too caught up in the hops and dogs hype. Many of us grow hops and have dogs without horror stories. In fact, my dogs seem to like the fresh shoots and leaves. The hop cones themselves are not very tasty (ever tried to eat one?) so our four-legged friends tend leave them alone...

Plant some Cascades, keep them watered properly, and stand back!

BeerBeaver said:

Plant some Cascades, keep them watered properly, and stand back!

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How much is 'properly'? They'd mostly be fed by my lawn sprinklers...w hich go 3x a week for 10minutes. Do they need more? Less? Any nutrients/fertilizers?

Where do you buy them? Do they just come as seeds, clones or what?

Think I'll try Cascade, tough to go wrong with them. I have plenty of room to try a few though, both in direct and indirect sunlight.

Deep water on slow drips would be better than sprinklers, so if you can dedicate a valve to a drip system that would be the way to go. In spring, Cost-Co carries these battery-operated, fully programable timer/valves that connect to a hose bib for about $30. They are a nice and simple automated option if there is a hose bib nearby. The valve is always under pressure, though, so of the dogs are destructive, then i might not go that route--I can only imagine a flooded backyard would not be fun to discover...

The plants will do better with some food--I'd stick to organic fertilizers or compost, though. And mulch will help conserve water, so a deep layer is nice.

You can't go wrong with Cascade. If I were to grow only one variety that would be my choice for social without question.

Do you guys think Glacier will grow well in Southern California? Hopefully my LHBS will stock some Glacier. I am interested in growing that variety. I don't have very much room to grow hops, so I am thinking of buying 1 or 2 rhizomes max. I was thinking maybe Glacier and Centennial or maybe Chinook.

I might buy one Rhizome and try to take cuttings from the extra bines that grow. I hope to trade the cuttings for cuttings of other varieties or Rhizomes from other varieties.

If you really plan to harvest them I wouldn't do it on a lattice, it will be a pain. Most people use thick twine that you can cut down at harvest time. The vines die off every year and you'll be left with a bunch of twisted up vines in the lattice that will be tedious to remove every year.

Im on my 3rd year hop garden this year and live in North County San Diego. I planted (ryzomes in the ground) 4 Hop verieties in my brothers garden: Gallena, Nugget, Magnum and Fuggles. Based on what I read (and im not an arborist or anything) I planted them in full sunlight, tied a soart of "hemp style" twine up to a 15-20' telephone pole and asked my bro to drench them once a day. I fertelized using a Bio-solid organic fertelizer that I make at work, then just let them be. I wish I had taken notes on what else I did, but thats all I can remember. The first year harvest was awesome! All of the bines broke 6' and i got collectevly about 2 ziplock sandwitch-bag-fulls. Awesome considering I wasnt expecting anything the first year, plus my boss/friend planted 3 or so verieties in buckets and didnt get more than a 1/4 bag-full.
That year though I battled BIRDS!!! Every week I would visit my "babies" and the twine would be torn down! I thought it was the dogs, cats, or squirrels untill a birds nest of twine blew onto the driveway one day. After that I switched to heavy duty, neon colored, nylon, construction line and the bines dont even notice the change.
The next year was fairly uneventfull. But the hops that did best were the Galena and Nugget. The magnum looked sad and the Fuggles looked like the first year. I was out of town and picked late in the season but I got close to 1/2 a 5 gallon bucket.
This third year I bought some property in Fallbrook (North County San Diego) so I wanted to transplant the root balls. I cut the bines back to about a foot the last year. Last week I went to dig them up and the Galena was the only root ball that looked healthy. The Nugget might survive, but the Magnum and the Fuggles were completly rotted with white hairs and small worms coming out of the roots. This might be because of all the rain and cold weather we have been having this year.
I planted the "remains" in 12" tall piles after tilling and adding more fertelizer as per more internet reading to help with draining and avoid more rot. We will see how this next year will go. I also tried using nitrogen fertelizer, same stuff I used for grass, and the hops seemed to like it. I overdid it on one and it lost most of its leavs last year. LOL.
Sorry this may be hard to read, Im kinda flying through it. Hope some of the info helps!

brewerelated said:

Do you guys think Glacier will grow well in Southern California? Hopefully my LHBS will stock some Glacier. I am interested in growing that variety. I don't have very much room to grow hops, so I am thinking of buying 1 or 2 rhizomes max. I was thinking maybe Glacier and Centennial or maybe Chinook.

I might buy one Rhizome and try to take cuttings from the extra bines that grow. I hope to trade the cuttings for cuttings of other varieties or Rhizomes from other varieties.

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I have grown Glacier for two harvests so far in the San Fernando Valley. It is hearty and gives good yields. It seems to need more sun than other varieties so plant it in open sun with a minimum of shade being cast onto it.

Devils_Chariot said:

I have grown Glacier for two harvests so far in the San Fernando Valley. It is hearty and gives good yields. It seems to need more sun than other varieties so plant it in open sun with a minimum of shade being cast onto it.

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Thanks for the information about Glacier. I am debating right now between growing Glacier or growing Centennial. I have Centennial on order right now, but I might consider getting Glacier if I can find more space. I may only be able to get 2 maybe 3 spots to grow hops in.

Last year (first year) in Santa Clarita, my cascades dominated, second was nugget. Chinook started strong and pretty much stopped when the temps got over 90 every day and never started again. Those three plants seemed to thrive up until the end of July. Centennial was the worst not counting the fuggles that I killed. So at least grow one cascade if you want some success.