Harvesting the Hops

I know people harvest their hops towards the end of season after they have grown large and maintained flowers. What is wrong with picking off/harvesting the hops through out the season? (if you can access the plant) or is that a problem. It seems to me that picking the hops when they grow, would allow the plant to distribute the nutrients to other parts of the plants, helping create more hop flowers. The reason I ask, I will be planting my cascade rhizome as soon as I get it.

BEAT THE SHORTAGE!!!!!:rockin:

You can't harvest the cones throughout the season because all the cones come out pretty much at the same time. You won't see any hop cones at all until at least after July.

The growth pattern is bine, side arms, flowers; each timed by the length of the day. Out here, entire hop fields ripen within the span of a day or two. Unlike the blackberries, where you'll have ripe berries and flowers on the same cane.

As everyone else has said, the plants pretty much flower all at once.

You can pick the "ripe" flowers at your discretion and leave those that need more time on the plant to ready themselves. This practice is the most laborious but, does have the best potential for highest yield and allows for harvesting at the peak of readiness.

Thanks for the info, I'm really looking forward to growing hops. I have an apartment and only a small amount of space as a fenced in back porch. I'm going to show people that anyone, with any space can AG brew and grow their own hop vines. (If my hops do well of course) I will post pics, but I still have a few months to go.
I just planted my tomatos this past week.

Dave the Brewer said:

...I just planted my tomatos this past week.

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Wow!
I don't plant anything until mothers day or there abouts. We normally get tricked into thinking the snow is gone and then whammo! Major snow and freeze.

The last freeze we had here was was in 1996 and the only time it snowed was in 1989 (I was 4 yr old). Its been a steady 70-80 degrees here for the past week. South East Texas man..... It will be 100 degrees before you know it.