Cut back first bines?

Do you guys always cut back the first few bines that grow at the start of the season, or do you let those grow and cut the ones that grow later? Third year cascade and centennial, not that it necessarily matters.

 

What I have been doing and what I read some where is that I will let the bines grow, then pick the 3 to 4 strongest and remove the rest. These 3 or 4 will be trained to climb and prosper.

 

Actually, on mature plants, you should do the exact opposite. The first 3-4 strongest are the most likely to be "bull" bines. They are huge, but hollow and often snap later in the season. They also tend do have more spacing between the nodes - meaning less side arms - meaning less hops.

 

I let them grow few weeks then get rid of the bull shoots an train the best three.

 

I've just cut back all the bines but the bigger 3-4. I wished i've read this before.

 

You should be fine, the plant will put its energy into the ones remaining.

 

Yeah, but the remaining bine are those dull bines that ive just read about, from what i understood these bines won't be as prolific as it should. I will let the plant make another shoots and them cut the big dull ones back again.

 

I'd been letting the strongest ones survive as well!

So, if I understand this correctly, would the following approach work?
Let them all grow. Pick the top 3-4 and cut them, then let the next 3-4 grow, and cut the rest. So I'd be letting bines # 4-7 grow and produce.

 

fwiw, after letting the crowns grow for a couple of weeks I chop everything down to grade and start over. By that time each crown has sprouted a hundred purple shoots or more - they look like weird hair by then.

Another couple weeks later I'll pick out the best looking four shoots, train a pair up each of the two drops per crown and cut back the rest. Doing this I've not had any bulls in the mix. The plants will keep trying to send up more bines so every few days I have to chop the little buggers back.

This will be the fifth year for my 15 plants, and the yield and quality have always been stellar. I've only recently used up the 2013 crop, and I typically hit the 200g mark each year...

Cheers!

 

Same as day_tripper. Let them grow a bit, then cut them all back. THEN start training the most healthy-looking.

Well, usually I cut out some of the rhizomes for whoever wants them, but that' really early in the season. Actually need to do that this weekend now that the ground is not frozen.

 

If you cut them all back, they will throw more bines. It's still way early in the season. Like day_trippr and Homercidal, I'll be cutting all of it back on all my plants at the end of April, then training my best bines.

Hops are very hearty. A trim here or there is no big deal. Especially early in the season.

 

Thanks so much, I'm glad I found this post. I will cut all the bines back and then pick the best 4. I have had good crops over the last three years so this one should break the bank. thanks again.

 

You'll pick the best 4, and then after a bit a whole bunch more will sprout up and you will stand there looking at them, wondering if you should cut them back, or train them up with the others....

It's so tempting!

 

Will this approach work for first year rhizomes as well? Cut back the first few shoots, then train the next healthy 3-4 that sprout up.

 

I wouldn't for first year. You may have limited bines and you may damage the only viable ones. I'd save the cutting back for second year and on. Let the plant grow roots and spread out for a year.

 

The trick here is judging when your plants are "mature".

For the first year, let everything grow. This allows the plant to capture lots of sun and build up it's stores in the rhizome. For the same reason, I recommend not cutting the bines down in the fall, until they are completely dead.

In the 2nd year you need to take a guess at how strong the root system is. If you have your doubts, don't whack the first growth.

By the 3rd year, the rhizome should be plenty strong - so strong, that it wants to put out the bull vines. In a natural setting these would probably serve a purpose. I could see them darting up a tree creating a natural leader for the other bines to climb. However, in your yard, the bulls aren't needed and just cause issues.

 

Good to know guys. Thanks.