2016 Hop Growing Thread

[BrewSRQ]

I can post some more tomorrow, but my cascades are already throwing cones and are about 11 feet tall.. I guess you can grow them in Florida, lets see how they handle the summer. They came from GreatLakes and were put in the ground on 2-18.

 

[s0615353]

I have two 4th year plants that were basically neglected last year. I have been adding blood meal and a molasses based organic fertilizer every other week for the past three weeks. One hop plant is doing great, and will probably be ready to train in about a week. The other is barely growing! Do you have any tips to catch it up?

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463325428.222249.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463325445.375119.jpg

 

[Punx Clever]

I know, I know. The plants are too close to each other. I accidentally ordered more rhizomes than I intended to.

But, hey, they are first year plants. Between all 10 I'll probably have enough to make a single kitchen sink batch at the end of the summer, and next year I can move a couple to planters up on the porch.

Good news is that they have plenty of room to grow upwards!

Put the rhizomes in a month ago, from left to right:
CTZ
CTZ
Crystal
Crystal
Willamette
Goldings
Centennial
Centennial
Cascade
Cascade

 

[Yeastieboy]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463357875.470345.jpg
Centennial pokin' up! First year here in central Texas.

 

[Calder]

I can post some more tomorrow, but my cascades are already throwing cones and are about 11 feet tall.. I guess you can grow them in Florida, lets see how they handle the summer. They came from GreatLakes and were put in the ground on 2-18.

I have bracs starting on mine at the upper limbs. Both cascade and chinook are showing the start of flowers, both are about 15 feet high.

The willamette and centennial are about 8 to 10 feet, and are showing nothing yet; they don't have any side shoots yet either.

 

[philipCT]

I know, I know. The plants are too close to each other. I accidentally ordered more rhizomes than I intended to.

...

But hey now - tell us about that drip system. Looks pretty cool!

 

[Punx Clever]

But hey now - tell us about that drip system. Looks pretty cool!

When I built the raised garden, one of my lawn sprinklers was in the way. Instead of just capping it off, I set it up so the drip system is fed from it. This way, watering the garden is automatic.

As for the system itself, it's a drip irrigation kit for gardens from Lowe's... About $50. The tan 1/4" lines have 1 gph emitters every six inches, and the kit came with 50 ft of it. Also came with 100 ft of 1/4" regular line, 25 ft of 1/2" supply line, the regulator, and various 1/4" fittings.

Each garden bed (4'x8') has three drip lines, and the hop bed (2'x16') has the one you see in the photo. The sides are 2x12 pressure treated boards, and the corners are reinforced with 4x4's sunk two feet deep. Filled it in with 4 yards of 50/50 topsoil compost mix and fertlized with slow release 10_10_10 fertilizer. The top of the hop lines are spaced 2.5' apart, and all sizes were based on available space more than anything. The wall faces W by SW, and was the best location based on sun expose, getting maybe 1/2 to 1/3 of each day in full sunlight.

Here in costal VA the concern really is over watering and drainage, so I think it should work out. I can always splice in more emitter line if needed

 

[Rypcord]

Since its been nearly a month (the first picture is my Cascade, planted 4.16, the second is Chinook, planted 4.22, and the third is another Chinook, planted 4.25), I figured I'd post some new pictures:

Doesn't look like there's been much growth in the first month. Though the Cascade is starting to certainly look bigger, and getting more sprouts.

 

[kev211]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good fertilizer?

 

[Texconsinite]

Since I have limited vertical space, and a small back yard, I'm using a trellis and a fence to try to give mine as much room as possibleView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463498877.234656.jpg
Neo1 on left, Cascade is already going nuts, starting to climb the line
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463498918.527506.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463498930.389485.jpg

 

[DurtyChemist]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good fertilizer?

Scott's or the cheap stuff from Home Depot.

 

[kev211]

Scott's or the cheap stuff from Home Depot.

Oh well thats easy. Wasnt sure if it needed to be something super special

 

[lzrdkng14]

This stuff is good for a nitrogen boost
http://m.homedepot.com/p/LESCO-50-lbs-24-0-11-No-Phos-Fertilizer-080258/202310769

Otherwise, this is a good all purpose fertilizer
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-40-lb-All-Purpose-Fertilizer-10-10-10-523902/202968725

 

[lzrdkng14]

Oh well thats easy. Wasnt sure if it needed to be something super special

A good thread to subscribe to https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=580811

 

[jsvinth34]

Well these grew about 5 feet and then I had to plant them somewhere else. Pacific Gem. Built a 15 foot pvc pipe trellis. We will see how it goes, sadly accidentally snapped off a couple of the top shoots but the side ones are Taking over already. We will see how this goes for already traumatized hops

View attachment 1463550707168.jpg

 

[MBasile]

Does anyone else have cones forming yet? I noticed some cascade flowers are starting to turn into cones. I thought it was a bit early in the year for that. But this is my first going season in Austin, and mother nature has been much kinder here about watering:sun ratio than in California.

 

[Texconsinite]

Yes, here in Houston my first year Cascade is going NUTS (planted a rhizome in January I got from a friend in WI) this is them yesterdayView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463587089.663203.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463587107.045722.jpg

 

[sablesurfer]

Holey crud, if only Texas was a blue state, and not so hot.

 

[sablesurfer]

First one is to the top of the trellis as of this morning.

 

[jmill]

First signs of life from the Golding...a late start, but TX winter is mild enough I may get a decent late harvest.

 

[Yeastieboy]

Holey crud, if only Texas was a blue state, and not so hot.

Austin is blue... ish.

 

[HopVol]

My 3rd year Cascades are doing well.

 

[Robx]

Holy smokes - looking good HopVol.

It would be helpful to have the posters location or at least grow zone along with these awesome progress shots. I'm starting to feel bad about my 1st years over here in Massachusetts.

 

[s0615353]

Robx, I know the feeling being in NJ. It has been raining almost every day, so the plants have gotten sun 5/7 days of the week. I can't wait for this weather to break!

 

[HopVol]

Holy smokes - looking good HopVol.

It would be helpful to have the posters location or at least grow zone along with these awesome progress shots. I'm starting to feel bad about my 1st years over here in Massachusetts.

Thanks and just hang in there. The first year is slow but they will mature. I'm in middle TN, just South of Nashville. The first year I didn't get alot off them, about 1/2 a lb I think. Maybe a little less. Last year I got a little over 1 lb. This thing is going nuts this year. Looking forward to see what it produces in year three. I recently brewed a SMaSH using Marris Otter and all Cascades from this plant. It turned out really nice.

 

[MBasile]

Yes, here in Houston my first year Cascade is going NUTS (planted a rhizome in January I got from a friend in WI) this is them yesterdayView attachment 354940View attachment 354941

Awesome! I haven't checked mine in a few days, trying to avoid feeding the OCD troll.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I let mine be for about a week and when I finally got to check them out they had gotten a little carried away. So I did some trimming and had to re route a few shoots which crossed from the Cascade strings to the Glacier strings.

20 mins worth of work and all is well again.

 

[BrandonMH]

Do any of you use liquid seven on your hop plants to kill off pests? Something has been chewing the leaves a bit. I looked under the leaves and didn't see anything. I did find green worms and green aphids on rose bushes today though.

 

[dyqik]

Try insecticidal soap?

I've got no idea what liquid sevin is, might be the same thing.


Although if you've got rose bushes and aphids, you might try buying lady bugs, which will eat the aphids all summer long.

 

[Brizzo]

Do any of you use liquid seven on your hop plants to kill off pests? Something has been chewing the leaves a bit. I looked under the leaves and didn't see anything. I did find green worms and green aphids on rose bushes today though.

Personally I would never use sevin; it kills off beneficial insects as well as the bad ones. And it can drift. It wrecks havoc on honey bee populations I've always used an organic pesticide dust on my hops and never have had any reals issues. Bugs wil still get some leaves but u will still get a really good harvest