Homegrown hops - cones to harvest timing

[thedarkleaf]

I've had my hops plants for 3 years now, grown from seed, and they've finally just put out their first cones. Problem is I've just sold my house, and will be moving in a few weeks... How long from when the first cones appear to harvest!?

And does anyone have experience with transplanting the whole plant (as opposed to taking a rhizome)?

I live in the southern hemisphere so I'm midsummer at the moment. So it's also the wrong time to take a rhizome... Any advice on this?

 

[Tett_paradise]

How long are the bines at the moment? What type of hop are they? My opinion is based on that. If moving living situations my recommendations would be cutting them down. Moving the crowns as soon as possible would be best to maintain growth for the next and future seasons.

 

[thedarkleaf]

They're about 4-5m long, and El Dorado. I don't quite have possession of their potential new home yet, so will be a few more weeks before I can move them.

Would you recommend trying to transplant the whole thing (it's growing up a twine trellis so this is possible) or cutting it down, harvesting whatever I can and just transplanting the roots?

 

[Tett_paradise]

I would not recommend leaving bines attached much more than 4 inches if you plan to transplant. You want all the energy to be focused in the roots.

 

[DU99]

southern as in australia.some people are picking them now..

 

[dmtaylor]

I actually have 5 years worth of real data for when I observed the earliest cones to when I harvested, and when I thought I really *should* have harvested. And on the average... it was about 40 days between seeing the first cones (past the burr stage and seeing the first green cones) and when I thought I should harvest.

I imagine your specific climate has something to do with this as well. In a hot or dry climate, the hops might mature a little faster. In a very wet or cool climate, it may take longer for those to ripen. For whatever it is worth, regarding my 40-day average, the absolute coldest winters we have here in Wisconsin, about once every 5-10 years, will get down to -15 to -20 F (-26 to -29 C). Summers vary in being wet or dry but highest summer temperatures on average are about 80 F (27 C). Compare these extremes to your own climate and adjust if appropriate.

I have never moved an entire plant. However I do not believe it would appreciate a journey. The plant will survive, but you might not see a good crop until at least the following year or year after. Same goes for transferring a rhizome. It will survive, but will not be happy during the current year.

Good luck.

 

[Apimyces]

I'd pot them, keep the bines as much as practically possible. Just make sure they don't dehydrate...

Digging them up will damage rootlets, which you'll have to do your best to minimize, and so hydric stress is likely, especially with all that leaf material (put in shade). But roots need leaves for photosynthesis in order to regenerate, otherwise you are taking a plant when it has the least reserves placed in the roots and asking it to rebuild it all from nothing.

Keeping it well watered (without drowning it) will be the most important thing. That's why transplanting in summer is not ideal, because it's pretty easy to have plants dehydrate when the temps are hot and the root system was damaged.

 

[Calder]

Dig up as much of the root ball as you can, and leave as much of the vine in place as you can.

Replant as soon as you can, and just prop the vine up off he ground somehow. The plant shoud produce well next year; maybe not the same as a mature plant, but with a substantial root system, it should be pretty good.

As for when the hops are ready ....... Pick when you have to; anytthing is better than nothing.