Starting a yard in sacramento

Just got my plants from Great Lakes Hops out of Michigan. Hopefully get them in the ground today and tomorrow if not they will be potted until I can work some more of the soil on our property.
Starting out with chinook, nugget, and cascade. 20 plants of each. Also starting with cultivated rhizomes. Getting them in during the fall should provide a much better root establishment next year.

I really want to find some California varieties . I know Sacramento used to grow a ton of hops before prohibition. There are a few farms just starting out now. 1-3 acres in the surrounding areas but not like back in the day. If anyone in this area knows of any wild hops in the surrounding foothills I would be extremely interested.

If you are interested in historic hops in California there used to be an old hops farm out in the Sloughhouse area. I think it went by the name Signorotti Farms. I don't know if it even exists anymore as it has been probably a decade or more since I last heard about this place. I am pretty sure the old kilns are still out there at least as of 3 years ago when I left the Sac Valley for the frozen tundra of WI.

Thanks I'll check it out. I've heard of the hip yards that used to be in sloughouse and have been wanting to hike around the area

hoops_hops said:

Thanks I'll check it out. I've heard of the hop yards that used to be in sloughouse and have been wanting to hike around the area for a while

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Sorry, writing this from my stupid iPod Gould have said above

Indianhead_Brewer said:

If you are interested in historic hops in California there used to be an old hops farm out in the Sloughhouse area. I think it went by the name Signorotti Farms. I don't know if it even exists anymore as it has been probably a decade or more since I last heard about this place. I am pretty sure the old kilns are still out there at least as of 3 years ago when I left the Sac Valley for the frozen tundra of WI.

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Im not sure what the name used to be, but as of about 10 years ago the old kilns where still standing. My grandmother was part of the family that was involved in the hops. I never knew it as a hop farm, only a "cut your own" Christmas tree farm. The ranch is now all grapes. I am planning on going out there this summer and finding, hopefully some of the original plants, we'll see.

If you ever have a chance to visit Lodi Beer Company, the owner Roger grew up in the area and remembers a bit about the hops grown there.

My family has lived in Sacramento since 1910, according to my Grandmother who still lives in East sac, Sac state was a giant hop farm up until the 1940's I think. You should have some good luck growing your hops in Sacramento.

I visited Old Sacramento a few years back in Jan. That was a really a well spent visit for sure.

Bsquared said:

My family has lived in Sacramento since 1910, according to my Grandmother who still lives in East sac, Sac state was a giant hop farm up until the 1940's I think. You should have some good luck growing your hops in Sacramento.

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True fact on both. Hops everywhere, but not aware of any wild patches. I would suspect some of the creeks around Grant Line Rd. could have harbored volunteers.
As a kid in the 60's, I used to ride up there with my dad to service his pinballs and jukebox at Bridgehouse Tavern (bridge long since replaced and, I think, now on Rancho Murieta property) and Tavern long-gone.
Used to be acres of poles and twine and huge sheds for processing, and actual hops.
Infrastructure still there in 1970 when we cut school to go swimming. All corn and xmas trees now.
No idea what flavor hops was grown there - homebrewing was illegal at the time.

We actually have some old bines up in Julian, CA east of San Diego from the turn of the last century(1900). May be try contacting Star B ranch in Ramona, they have a hop farm up there, not far from Julian. I think they might have some of the old bine growing to on their ranch. Not sure if any one knows what varietal it might be.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Star-B-Buffalo-Ranch-Hop-Farm/224796880912457

There are some new wild hops along the American river.

slomo said:

There are some new wild hops along the American river.

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Gotta keep an eye out for them.................

What flavor are they

They are cascade, centennial, and chinook. The general area is guy west bridge and Watt ave on the south side of the river. Not sure if they are still there as I haven't checked on them in two years.

I hate to resurrect old threads like this, but I've lived in Sacramento my whole life, and once I saw this thread saying there were hops near Watt Ave and Howe Ave, I HAD to check it out! I spent about 4 hours looking around pretty well. I spent like 2 hours near Guy West Bridge, going about a mile from the bridge on each side, looking. Then I spent about 2 more hours near Watt Avenue, mainly on the south side of the river.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any. I found PLENTY of blackberry bushes, whose leaves look deceivingly like young hop leaves. So no hops, but I filled up on blackberries.

So, slomo, have you checked them recently, and were they close to the water?

If you have any info, that'd be awesome.