Please help my hops! What is this stuff on the leaf....

[Josh NRB]

Hello homebrewers,

I've been stalking these forums for a while now for information on growing hops. Full disclosure: it's actually for an art project more so than a homebrew at this point. But still lots of great information on here!

But now I need some help! I think some of my hops might be sick....

I've been dealing with a pretty belligerent and persistent aphid infestation which I think I'm finally getting under control. But yesterday I noticed this weird sickness on some of my leaves. A patch of the leaf has sort of dissolved and gone a bit mushy, and it has these strange black spots in it. I've been through a number of resources covering hops pests and diseases, but haven't been able to identify this from any of the images.

Any idea what it is?
Is it just the impact of the aphids? Or something more sever...

Little bit of context:
I have 4 varieties growing: Cascade, Comet, Hersbrucker and Hallertauer.
So far I've found this sickness on both a Comet plant and a Hersbrucker
They are being grown outside, but hydroponically in perlite. I need to grow them like this because eventually they will be used in an art project to build a sort of Hop-Tree
I don't have an automated irrigation system for them because in the next few weeks they'll be getting relocated, so I've just been hand watering them using a pressure sprayer filled with Canna hydroponic nutrients.
I've been spraying them with Cannacure to try and get the aphids under control.

At the end of the project we're hoping to partner with a local microbrewery to make a beer from whatever hops we get out of it.
(My own experience with brewing is still just limited to a little beginner kit)

 

[Kent88]

Hopefully someone else can come in and give a detailed explanation, but in the meantime I can share that this looks like something I've seen on my plants, and it hasn't been detrimental to them. I think I have mostly noticed browning like that on the lower leaves that I usually prune off anyway, because I want decent airflow at the base.

 

[Kent88]

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

 

[Josh NRB]

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for sharing your experience. I have to say that the two plants that have this issue have otherwise been seeming pretty good. Hopefully it's the same as with your plants and turns out not to be an issue. Fingers crossed...

 

[NitrogenWidget]

aphids are usually green.
they could be spider mites but i didn't think that many would attach themselves in one place.
I mix insecticidal soap and neem oil in a garden sprayer and give my hops a good shower every other week and they stay relatively pest free.
I still get an aphid exodus while drying them but once they hit the top of the wire it's hard to get to top hops.
on the other hand i'll take some aphids over black mildew from too many.

 

[MHBT]

i feel your pain its not even june and mine have rust fungus already i might cull them just a PIMA, 3 years old too

 

[mashpaddled]

There are black variants of many of the bugs that attack hop plants including aphids and spider mites. The good news is that most of your treatment options work the same for all of them. Most insecticides will wipe them out. Neem usually works as an organic option. Ladybugs will make quick work of most of those although they won't always stay where you want them, especially if the plants do not give them enough safe places to inhabit.

 

[B-Hoppy]

There are black variants of many of the bugs that attack hop plants including aphids and spider mites

Really, I've never heard of black spider mites? I've seen tssm and also their predators (along with some other incidental types), but these black ones you mention were never brought up in any of the talks I've attended - could you share your information?

 

[Miraculix]

Spider mite spider mite..... Does whatever a spider mite does.... *Homer voice*

... Sorry

 

[MHBT]

Is there webs?

 

[Josh NRB]

Is there webs?

Nope no webs. Just mushy leaf with weird black dots

 

[MHBT]

Nope no webs. Just mushy leaf with weird black dots

You can rule out spider mites then

 

[MHBT]

I really think its some sort of fungus infection, i would get some fungicidal soap and let it have it, good luck i feel your pain trust me, im about to cull my 3 y/o bines cause they cause nothing but a headache for me

 

[Josh NRB]

I really think its some sort of fungus infection, i would get some fungicidal soap and let it have it, good luck i feel your pain trust me, im about to cull my 3 y/o bines cause they cause nothing but a headache for me

Yep, indeed it was. After broadening my search from just hops i found something almost identical.
Fortunately, after cutting off the affected leaves, it seems to have recovered ok

 

[MHBT]

Yep, indeed it was. After broadening my search from just hops i found something almost identical.
Fortunately, after cutting off the affected leaves, it seems to have recovered ok

Definitely stay on top of it and spray it every week or every other week as maintenance best of luck to ya

 

[MHBT]

Amazing doctor zymes is great as maintenance spray( very expensive though) or homemade spray i do 1tbsp canola oil, 2-4 pumps of fragrance free hand soap( not detergent), and around a tsp or 2 of baking soda to a gallon of warm 90f water spray either before sun but preferably at dusk so you dont burn it

 

[MHBT]

Also get some ladybugs, lacewings they eat fungus spores as well as being awesome predators to pest insects if they leave its a good indication that you do not have a infestation but lacewings larvae cannot fly yet so they are forced to stay until they become adults

 

[bguzz]

It’s called powdery mildew and you see it on the lower leaves. Liquid copper is a good solution to fight it if you do it early. Strip off the bottom 3 feet of leaves when the bines get about 7 feet…that helps too.