Is Willamette usually slow?

[Jonas217]

I have a 2 year old Willamette plant that has been stuck at the stage where it is just starting to send out sidearms. It has been like that for over 2 weeks.

The plant receives over 8 hours a day of full sun. I gave it a healthy dose of manure compost at the beginning of the growing season and halfway thru and a weekly feeding with Miracle Grow.

I have two other varieties of hops that have been growing for many years. They are loaded with burs that are now turning into cones.

 

[IanJ]

Funny that you mention it, I've been searching around for the same issue. My 2nd year Willamette is also just hanging out without doing much else.

Although noting that it's my only plant (and it's in a planter) so I may have slightly more issues preventing growth

 

[thaymond]

I canned my Willamette in my garden for this reason. It grew like a weed and then completely stalled out. It was the first to 15' last year, first with laterals, but then it was last with burrs and they took forever to become cones. I thought it was me, but my other two plants did just fine. I relocated it to my mom's house (she is retired and gardens like pro) and she's reported the same thing. It climbed all over the fence and ate a few bushes, but it has just a few cones on it. I'm chalking it up to the climate in IL. I think Willy doesn't like it here. To be honest, I can't blame him. :-D

 

[captjpr]

I had the same results with willamette here in California. I gave up on it. There is probably some mystical soil balance it needs. My cascades just about run me out of the side yard

 

[Jonas217]

There is hope. After staying little tiny buds for a month the sidearms are now developing very slowly. Hopefully I'll get some cones before the first frost hits.