Ready to harvest?

[Beer_Eugenics]

I'm assuming I can harvest these an just let new shots grow. Has anyone else been able to get two harvests in one year?

 

[day_trippr]

Do you like grassy notes in your beer?

Those are babies and likely nearly devoid of lupulin and oils. You'd have to use a ton of them to get anything out of them - and as a result there'd be a crap load of grassy notes .

It's only the first week of May.

And, no, you won't get two harvests - hops only flower once. You can draw out your yield by picking ripe cones and letting the rest ride, but that gets old when you have a prolific garden...

Cheers!

 

[thaymond]

Wait on them. Its way too early. Its pretty Amazing you have cones like that in May. They're very green still. Do you see any yellow lupulin? Does it feel/sound like squishing a Wendy's napkin?

 

[PapaBearJay]

Wait on them. Its way too early. Its pretty Amazing you have cones like that in May. They're very green still. Do you see any yellow lupulin? Does it feel/sound like squishing a Wendy's napkin?

It's not all that surprising. He's near the southern tip of the US, where in fact his plants have received decent temperatures for growth for the past couple months at this point, and because they've been growing for so long, they've obviously reached the necessary height to respond to the shorter daylengths. (Yes, I know the plants respond to shortening daylengths, but it's actually the length of night that is most important, and the nights are still long enough to induce flowering for his crop.)

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

They do look immature What variety? Kind of look like Nugget that produce smaller cones. I would take one cone and break it open and se if you have yellow lumpium in a good amount. As for a second yield, not on those mature bines, never tried to regrow more bines in the same season. I would try it with new bines and cut the mature ones to the crown when you harvest, might be on to something.

 

[thaymond]

It's not all that surprising. He's near the southern tip of the US, where in fact his plants have received decent temperatures for growth for the past couple months at this point, and because they've been growing for so long, they've obviously reached the necessary height to respond to the shorter daylengths. (Yes, I know the plants respond to shortening daylengths, but it's actually the length of night that is most important, and the nights are still long enough to induce flowering for his crop.)

I'm from IL, and we are just hitting 80 today for the first time this year. Most of April was rainy and in the low 50 and 60s. My plants are just barely getting out of the ground. seeing a full on crop already at the onset of May is pretty awesome.

Cheers!

 

[Beer_Eugenics]

Thanks for the replies, I realize that they are a little young but was thinking that they would be ready in a couple of weeks. (even if it took as long as middle of July that's only half way through the growing season here) Which was more of my question as to if I could let new vines grow and get a second harvest. Last years first growth I just let it go wild and it produced cones throughout the season until the end of November. First pic was taking mid November. Second of what the cones look likes now and it's Willamette.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

I would wait a few mor weeks and keep checking them. Definatly need more time on the lumpia.

 

[cram]

Two harvest are possible when things get going so early, especially at lower lattitudes. I documented a few Chinook plants that I harvested twice a several years ago on HBT, and I am down in southern CA. That year, I experimented between cutting one plant to the ground versus leaving one up to see which would yield more on the second harvest. From what I recall, it didn't make much difference. What's likely to happen is that you'll notice new growth toward the bottom of the plant, basically new lateral growth. I found it most successful to choose one side of the lateral growth stemming from a leaf node, and to pinch off the other, essentially training 2-3 new bines up the rope (new ropes are best, too, to make climbing easier for the new bines).

I can say, though, a harvest this early may not translate into the best quality hops. Some of the ones you have pictured are fairly open already but they look small, not very dense, and the color isn't quite right for typical harvest. I suspect they will be pretty grassy this time around. Here's to hoping you get a second harvest--you still have a long growing season ahead.

From my experience with two harvests, I now think it's an advantage to have the hops on a more traditional schedule and harvest once. My notes have shown that one big harvest yields better quality and more hops than two smaller harvests.

This year, I had a Tettnang plant off to an early start this year, and just pushed the reset-button and cut it all the way back because my experience has shown (especially with Tettnang) that the early flyers get going and then stall out and don't produce the same yield as plants that start later.

Still, from an aesthetic standpoint, it's awesome you have cones set in May.