Growing hops in Mississippi.

[maf58d]

I have made an all Nugget pale ale with my homegrown hops, just to see what it would be like. I knew that I liked the taste of them, fresh picked or dried, but read where some called there taste catty or such, so with some wonder to its result made a batch. I loved it! It had a great spiciness to it, I will make it again. I used the homegrown for full boil and late additions and and a fair amount in keg, dry hopped.
--Mark.F.--

 

[maf58d]

Getting my upright support bases driven in.
3rd picture is Sterling hops.
4th picture is Magnum hops.

 

[maf58d]

Well, started on some of the woodwork for the addition.
#1 - Framework up and tied in.
#2 - Small pieces cut and painted this morning, may finish on Saturday, weather permitting.
#3 - Cascades filling in cones.

 

[maf58d]

A little done on Saturday before the rain came.

 

[maf58d]

Finished the addition,(for now).
Will wait to run the third runner rope for each plant till next year, and an extra coat of paint on everything after the bines have died back.
2nd, 3rd and 4th pictures are the Sterling, Magnum and Cascade this morning.
Last picture is Cascade in front of store this morning.

 

[BadDeacon]

All you need now is a picnic table in that soon to be shady hoppy spot.

 

[maf58d]

This morning,
#1- Hop garden.
#2- Cascade at home.
#3- Cascade at store.

 

[BrotherGrim]

Here is my update as of yesterday afternoon. Had some trouble with something eating my leaves early on, but I think I have that under control. I also have to keep the water to them when we don't get rain for a few days. The cascade has already busted out the hop cones, but I still have nothing on the nugget or goldings.

 

[maf58d]

Yours are looking good BrotherGrim,
mine are about the same, but my Sterlings are pretty yellow pale, have not fertilized them much because of all the rain, but will try to get them greener.
Second picture is of the pale Sterlings.

 

[maf58d]

Last few pictures of Cascade in front of store have all been with the sun to high, making it look shadowy below. This shot is at 9 am this morning to get a better sun angle and make the cones show better.

 

[maf58d]

Hops look better now with miracle grow added to watering. Sterling growing slower than rest, but greening up. Hops at home overdue to pick, have to make time. In front of store about to be ready also.

 

[maf58d]

Went straight home and picked hops yesterday evening.
Did not get a high yield, I believe because it was so wet in May.
Noticed ants going up and down Nugget bine, that means they are collecting honeydew, that means aphids. Sprayed bines with Organocide after picking cones. Seen and killed a couple whiteflys as I sprayed.

 

[maf58d]

After 3 days of fan drying, weighed Thursday's pickings.
They came out as 2.5 ounces of Cascade and .8 ounces of Nugget.
Down a fair amount from last June, as I was expecting looking at them, but a usable amount all the same. I think I will use all of them in my next batch, and skip any vacuum sealing.

 

[Brian77095]

Looks good! I like the trellis.

 

[maf58d]

Update on hops. Cascade, Nugget and also Magnums have burrs and small cones on them. Expect to be ready in August. Sterling are not doing well, aphids attacked one to the point of killing it, and the other is still small.
Cascade in front of store ready to pick when I get around to it.

 

[maf58d]

Picked hops in front of store Thursday evening. Filled 5 gal. kettle, that came to 3 pounds 1 ounce before drying
Have not been able to download pictures for the past week, so until I sort that out, this is all I have.

 

[maf58d]

Pictures from last week.
Thanks Austin and the administrators for helping get this sorted.

 

[maf58d]

Shots taken this morning of home hops.
2nd shows Magnums, doing very well.
3rd is Cascades, round two.
Sterling hops flat out died.
Store front hops that were 3 lb, 1 oz, dried to 14.25 oz.

 

[pointcity-homebrew]

Shots taken this morning of home hops.
2nd shows Magnums, doing very well.
3rd is Cascades, round two.
Sterling hops flat out died.
Store front hops that were 3 lb, 1 oz, dried to 14.25 oz.

Hopefully mine will be at this point one year.

 

[maf58d]

On a different note, made a trip to Molly Harmon Springs, just south of Tremont, for some brewing and wine making water yesterday morning. Loaded up 36 gallons in all my empty bottles.

 

[maf58d]

This morning, took some shots to update.
2nd shot is Magnums.
3rd shot is some volunteer cantaloupe that took the place of the ill fated Sterlings.

 

[maf58d]

Picked and dried my first Magnums, came to 3.6 oz. dried.

 

[MVKTR2]

Wanted to post an epiphany I had earlier this week based on my experience growing hops in Clinton/Hinds Co. MS & Clarke Co. MS. They did GREAT in partial sun in a flat area in my backyard in Clinton (Cascade & Golding). I moved from that home and moved my plants to my parents place in Clarke Co. They came up the next year along with a few added rhizomes but did VERY little running with the Goldings refusing to do anything but sit on the ground. That was about 7 years ago.

This week while reading Hop Unions blog post updating this year's crop they mentioned an unusually warm winter had caused some plants to come up and not produce runners(just sit on the ground growing bushy), they had a word for it that I don't recall. A light went off in my head, we had planted my hops on a southern facing hill that receives full sun. My family owned commercial wholesale greenhouses and my father knows his stuff. We always thought the issue might be sun/heat related because of the difference in the two locations. Turns out it was, just from winter heat!

 

[maf58d]

Hop garden as of this morning.

 

[maf58d]

Been 4 months since last post.
Not a whole lot to state since then, did get some late harvest hops off each plant, but just a few ounces all together on the Cascade, Nugget and Magnum combined for October.
Cleaned out the dead bines after Thanksgiving. And last week my dad was hauling off an old truck with no tranny or brakes, and the chain he had it tied down with on the trailer broke going up the hill on the driveway, and it rolled down and hit the right front pole in the picture. Made a good amount of damage. Patched pole with a cripple, will finish rest of repairs in the spring.

 

[maf58d]

I am a bit late posting anything this year, but not really anything new. Patched up my trellis to go another year, showing some dry rot in broken wood so will probably make new with treated wood for next year. Pictures of Nugget, Magnum, and Cascade at home.

 

[maf58d]

And, just beyond the trees to the back of the hops, the creek under the pavilion is flowing nice with all the rain.

 

[maf58d]

A picture of Cascade in front of store, has reached 12 ft.

 

[MVKTR2]

Hey Mark, this is Phillip, been meaning to call you for a while just to say hi. I see the hops are looking good and y'all have been afflicted with lots of rain like us in south MS.

Hope things are going well at the store! Anyone in the Tupelo area should look up mark and Trost Und Prost. God bless my friend!

 

[maf58d]

Thanks Phillip, always good to here from you.

Has been a week and a half since last posting. Nugget at 6 ft.
Cascade and Magnum at 12 ft.
Storefront Cascade at Building height.

 

[maf58d]

Been over 2 weeks since last go.
Been busy with many things, including finishing my muscadine trellises before the vines grew to much for the canes
Also finally got around to pinching of all the surplus shoots on the hops, they looked more like bushes than trained hop bines.

 

[maf58d]

Been over 2 weeks since last go.
Been busy with many things, including finishing my muscadine trellises before the vines grew to much for the canes
Also finally got around to pinching of all the surplus shoots on the hops, they looked more like bushes than trained hop bines.

 

[Caseylandmarks]

Mark, I would appreciate any help/advice you would lend to a new hops grower. Thinking about starting some this fall or whenever you suggest starting. I'm in Falkner, near Ripley, and I grow muscadines & Scuppernongs. I would like to branch out and grow some hops but I know nothing about it! Thanks for all your future help.

 

[maf58d]

Hey Caseylandmarks,
Hops want full sun, good moisture without being waterlogged, and something to grow up on, preferably at least 16 ft.
It is preferable to plant before June, but I think you can start them any time you want with success.
You can call me at my store if you want direct conversation, and to see what I have available when your ready to go.
662-844-5000.
---Mark F.---

 

[maf58d]

Time keeps on slippin' , slippin' , slippin', into the future.
Been another two weeks since last go.
Cones are maturing and should be ready for first picking in 2 or 3 weeks.
First shot is Cascade.
second is Magnums.

 

[maf58d]

Finally made some time this morning to pick the Magnums and Cascades that have been ready for the last week. Will see what I got, net, in a few days when they have dried.

 

[maf58d]

Dried last pickings came to 1.7 oz. from 1 Cascade plant, and 5.3 oz. from 2 Magnum plants.

 

[Daybis]

Hops are looking great this year!

 

[maf58d]

Thanks Ron. Just brewed an Oktoberfest lager with some of the Magnums, and I will dry hop the Cascades in an all h.g. Cascade IPA today when I keg it.

 

[Daybis]

Sounds awesome!