Late Start in Texas

[CircuitsToPlowshares]

I have been rebuilding a house for 3 years and all this time we have talked about putting up some shade vines on the south-side wall. This year on a whim while talking to SWMBO I mentioned the hop vines we saw in Oregon. She knew I had wanted to grow some and we decided a little haphazardly to buy 4 varietals and put them in some boxes on the side of the house.

The problem was that it was already April when we made the decision. I bought Crystal, Perle, Cascade and Sterling rhizomes for no particular reason other than I liked some of them. I have two of each in a box that is 2.5'x1'x12". We installed a drip irrigation system on each rhizome and added an 8' trellis frame that has one string on front and one on back in a zig-zag pattern that gives about 30' of line per plant. While they look like they cross they actually don't touch each other. To gain her approval I made the crossbeam into an "asian"-like pattern and it came out well I think.

The biggest problem is that I only got them into the ground two weeks ago so it was late April. I hope they will do well, they had some green shoots when I was moving the irrigation lines around this week and unearthed a few of them. I know the sun is sweltering so I have the timer set to give some water during the heat of the day and I am hoping they survive. I don't anticipate a harvest this year, but if they provide some green shade for the house it will be worth it to get a crop next year.

 

[mthorn2]

Never water any plants during the heat of day. If your worried about dried out soils during the day water in morning.

 

[Zuljin]

I'm in DFW, too. Second year Cascade. It didn't do crap the first year. This year, it was green nubs 10 weeks ago. It's six feet tall now. Would be taller, but I've tied it down a lot. Something I'm trying. You can see in my LST thread.

I second watering in the morning. Let the plant start the day with cool(ish) and damp soil. It'll have the benefit all day. We're also probably on similar water restrictions. The city would prefer you to water before 10am.

 

[CircuitsToPlowshares]

I'm in DFW, too. Second year Cascade. It didn't do crap the first year. This year, it was green nubs 10 weeks ago. It's six feet tall now. Would be taller, but I've tied it down a lot. Something I'm trying. You can see in my LST thread.

I second watering in the morning. Let the plant start the day with cool(ish) and damp soil. It'll have the benefit all day. We're also probably on similar water restrictions. The city would prefer you to water before 10am.

So I actually have the buried drip lines go off twice a day for 2 hours each, one at 3:30am and one at 3:30pm. Its probably a gallon a day for each watering. The problems I have most heard from water later in the day is that much of it burns off because you spray on top rather than into the soil like good irrigation in my case solves.

 

[JohnSand]

Your plants will do fine. I didn't plant until May last year, they grew right up and produced some cones. This year they sprouted in April, they are a couple of feet tall now.

 

[Zuljin]

Sounds good. You can scratch around in the dirt to see if it's staying too wet or dry, and adjust accordingly. My reading says hops don't like the soil to stay wet.

 

[CircuitsToPlowshares]

Sounds good. You can scratch around in the dirt to see if it's staying too wet or dry, and adjust accordingly. My reading says hops don't like the soil to stay wet.

So when you said it did nothing first year, do you mean no shoots at all or do you mean no cones. I am really hoping for some green to shade the wall. The hops are a happy plus if it happens.

 

[Zuljin]

It grew two bines maybe 2.5 feet long. Sad, really.

There are other first year hops on here though that grew like crazy.

 

[CircuitsToPlowshares]

Well they are starting to poke out now.

Order is Crystal, Perle, Cascade, Sterling.