2011 Hop Garden Picture Thread

[jeepinjeepin]

Zeus finally reached the top. Cascade has been lagging behind even though it was planted a few weeks earlier. Both are first year plants for me from freshops.com cuttings.

 

[halucin8]

Can you harvest this early in the season? I thought you only harvest at the end of summer/beginning of fall?

I usually get two harvests a year here in NC. Don't know if that's normal, but it's been like this for the five years they've been growing. Anybody else get two harvests?

 

[extra_medium]

I usually get two harvests a year here in NC. Don't know if that's normal, but it's been like this for the five years they've been growing. Anybody else get two harvests?

WOW! Can i get a rhizome! Seriously, what do you use for fertilizer?

 

[halucin8]

WOW! Can i get a rhizome! Seriously, what do you use for fertilizer?

I haven't used any fertilizer, just plenty of water.

 

[lebshiff21]

I have a hard time believing those are ready to pick already. Are they dry and papery? Spring back right after you squeeze them?

 

[twigboy2000]

It's not that uncommon in the Southeast to get an early smaller harvest and then a Fall harvest. My bines were all the way up by early April and I had my first cones a few weeks later. Those are probably a week or two away from harvest.

Now if I kept cutting everything back and didn't let them start to run until May, I'd probably only get a Fall harvest.

-chuck

 

[extra_medium]

we have had nothing but rain and clouds since March. My poor babies are only about 3 feet tall. Tons of rain, but little direct sunshine. (seriously, in April we had 8.7" and it looks like the same for May)

 

[halucin8]

I have a hard time believing those are ready to pick already. Are they dry and papery? Spring back right after you squeeze them?

Yep. They are ready. A slight bit of browning, dry & papery, hairs coming out the top, full of lupulin.

 

[beerkrump]

Yep. They are ready. A slight bit of browning, dry & papery, hairs coming out the top, full of lupulin.

I've got a few cones on my Cascades. They broke ground late March/early April.

 

[oly884]

Last year I grew 5 hop plants up the side of my house, one died, but the rest did alright.

I wanted to step it up this year:

I have 8 varieties growing now with a total of 16 plants (two of each variety).

I transplanted the 4 surviving hop plants from last year:

The one in the pic above is now 7' tall and growing about 4-6" a day!

More pics:

 

[Daybis]

Cascade, Nugget, Kent Goldings

 

[Jones]

Cascade, Kent Goldings, Willamette, Nugget
2nd year

 

[Jones]

 

[dallasdb]

Seeing all these pictures makes me wonder... is anyone else at about 12-18" on their growth this season?

I feel like I hit 12" really quick but now I've been there for about 3 weeks. Getting a little worried but Denver has been rainy lately. Hoping some sun in the next few weeks will make them jumpstart some growth.

 

[Brent_in_Aurora]

Mine are big. I will post a pic later.

 

[SAMPLER]

Mine are between 6-8 ft. Although I just noticed that about 8 inches of the tip of my Fuggles got twisted and start to break off. I hope this doesn't halt the growth. Any ideas?

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Zeus has broken 12'. The problem that I have is that my trellis stops at 12'. Cascade is still around 6-7'

 

[NuclearRich]

Seeing all these pictures makes me wonder... is anyone else at about 12-18" on their growth this season?

I feel like I hit 12" really quick but now I've been there for about 3 weeks. Getting a little worried but Denver has been rainy lately. Hoping some sun in the next few weeks will make them jumpstart some growth.

Mine are around that size. 1st year Nugget and Willamette. We've had tons of rain in the last two weeks, but I'm hoping the next week of heat and sun will jump those babies up their trellises.

 

[sdillow]

Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Willamette first year growth.

 

[Paulasaurus]

From left to right

Cascade, Centennial, Columbus, Chinook

Not pictured, Zeus, Nugget, Fuggle, and a potted Chinook.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

1st year Zeus coming off the top of a 12' trellis. Cascade in the background at half that height.

 

[sloanme]

First year growing hops, planted one fuggles and one cascade. It's been pretty rainy in Calgary the last couple of weeks, but the sun is back with vengeance now. Also due to the snow on the ground until the beginning of May it looks like I am a little behind.......

 

[fdben]

First year growing hops, planted one fuggles and one cascade. It's been pretty rainy in Calgary the last couple of weeks, but the sun is back with vengeance now. Also due to the snow on the ground until the beginning of May it looks like I am a little behind.......

I hear you - I planted late due to frost and laziness. Hops went in the ground May 23, and 2 or 3 of the 5 were up within 2 days. Here are some pictures as of yesterday. I'll post pics of my trellis system another time - 5 post are 24' long buried 3.5' in the ground (so 20.5' exposed), with 4 1/8" steel cable guy wires for climbing. One post per variety. I planted (the pictures are in the same order) Cascade, Fuggles, Goldings, Hallertauer, and Magnum. Need more compost in the soil!

 

[Gridlocked]

I'll bite

L to R:
2nd year Cascade, 1st year Magnum, 2nd year Centennial, 2nd year Cascade

1st year Tettnang, Chinook, Nuggett (potted in corners) Fug and a Nug

The lone "Willamette by the fence" - who's poor 3' of growth snapped off in the transfer from the temporary bucket to the pot

and finally the "Centennial in the corner" and the "Chinook in the back 40"

 

[fdben]

As I mentioned above - here is the hopyard. I have setup one post per variety, but have only planted one plant per post this year. This will let me work out the kinks, and next year I will have 4 plants per post if all goes well.

The posts are 3 layers of laminated 2x4's to make a 24' post that are buried 3.5 feet into the ground. Each post is secured by 4 guy wires that are 1/8" aircraft cable, which will also be what the bines climb.

Currently I have a tripod mounted sprinkler to water when I can't get to them, but will be installing a drip system later this month to get the water directly to the plants. The tripod sprinkler does work, but if there is any wind its effectiveness is greatly reduced.

I may add more as well - I'd like to add some Saaz next year (the hop farm ran out of Saaz rhizomes before they got to my order). I have room to add a couple more posts in the current hop yard, and can cultivate up more of the grass on either side to add more if I feel the need.

 

[Spartan1979]

Second year Cascade. We were at a brewpub that had hops growing over the rails of the deck so we thought we'd do the same. It's more for atmosphere than for brewing.

 

[lebshiff21]

Here's mine - 3 Centennials and 2 Willamette right now. Just planted a couple Brewer's Gold on the far left.

Updated shot:

 

[BootsyFlanootsy]

that soil looks SUPER compacted. Do you have a lot of clay in your soil?

I hear you - I planted late due to frost and laziness. Hops went in the ground May 23, and 2 or 3 of the 5 were up within 2 days. Here are some pictures as of yesterday. I'll post pics of my trellis system another time - 5 post are 24' long buried 3.5' in the ground (so 20.5' exposed), with 4 1/8" steel cable guy wires for climbing. One post per variety. I planted (the pictures are in the same order) Cascade, Fuggles, Goldings, Hallertauer, and Magnum. Need more compost in the soil!

 

[fdben]

that soil looks SUPER compacted. Do you have a lot of clay in your soil?

Roger, serious clay. I put some more compost on the mounds last night, but I didn't want to dig them up and disturb them.

Should I dig them up to improve the soil? or stick it out...? I'll have to take some more pictures as they are about 6 to 8 inches and leafy now.

I now realize I should have mixed more in when I planted them; I am fairly ignorant about gardening though so this is a major learning experience.

Any input appreciated.

Thanks,

Ben

 

[Paulasaurus]

Main trellis as of Monday. Left to right.

Cascade(3rd year), Centennial(2nd year), Columbus(2nd year), Chinook(1st year)

 

[Gridlocked]

my chinook on the fence measures roughly 20' so I started to train it back toward the center of the plant. I'll ad more pics when it stops raining but 3 out of 10 plants have reached the rain gutters on my house.

 

[jfrank85]

1st year hops pictures took about 2 weeks ago. Pics taken before i mowed and trimmed excuse the length .

Cascade- About 6ft now with TONS of bines, very bushy.

Centennial- Already reaching the top of its string (10') and still growing. Has second bine trying to catch up lol.

Chinook- Smallest rhizome of the three, has started picking up in growth as of late.

 

[magnj]

Central NJ, today. 3rd year Chinook.

 

[jfrank85]

Is it weird that mine haven't flowered yet or is that normal for 1st years?

 

[magnj]

Is it weird that mine haven't flowered yet or is that normal for 1st years?

Normal, mine did almost nothing on year one.

 

[platypotamus]

my 2nd year Nugget & Cascade plants are sportin' some small cones already. beautiful sight! they didn't show any until mid-late August last year.

 

[RGingerelli]

Here are a few pictures of my first year hops. I have a total of 15 plants (1 didnt take) with 8 different varities. I built my structure out of 4x4 pressure treated and the hops are climbing up jute twine. My 2 cascades are the tallest so far at about 14' with my Chinooks right behind them.

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[tchuklobrau]

half of my plants.

 

[KevyWevy]

finally got them all strung up with a new trellis this year... still not tall enough though!!!

 

[runs4beer]

From there go with conduit hose clamped to your posts, that should give the height you need and then you can take them down after the grow season.