2016 Hop Growing Thread

[mprowland]

I got a late start but hopefully they'll start to take off. I have 4-Cascade, 2-Centennial and 2-Mt. Hood. The tallest being a Cascade at 18-ish inches. I also have Morning Glory in between for color.

 

[jakeasaur]

My first year hops are coming along nicely along with the rest of the garden. Something was chewing on my plants, so I applied a dose of Sevin Powder and it has seemed to quell the destruction.

A few of the bines lost their tops, but the side bines are taking over and making up lost time it seems like.

The question is: I've got plenty of vertical room. Should I reduce some of the bines on the bigger plants to promote upward growth, or just let em go wild to encourage root growth? More height equals more light in my situation, but more leaves would seem to have an advantage too... what to do, what to do.

As a side note, my tomatoes are going crazy. They are next away from the house after the hops. Figured tall plants next to the house to encourage the best use of light in the available gardening area.

I'd just let them grow. On a side note is there a reason you have a gap between the raised beds? Just seams like a waste of growing space plus a pain to mow and trim

 

[jimyson]

I'd just let them grow. On a side note is there a reason you have a gap between the raised beds? Just seams like a waste of growing space plus a pain to mow and trim

The spacing allows access to the beds for weeding, picking, and other maintenance.

 

[Punx Clever]

The above reply covers part of it. The other part is ladder access to clean gutters and unclip the hop twine from the eve of the roof.

I've employed the neighbor kid to mow the lawn, but the ultimate goal is to mulch in the area around the garden anyways.

 

[Rypcord]

You need spaces around raised beds; otherwise it defeats the purpose of having a raised bed rather than the old style 'grow area'.

 

[DurtyChemist]

You need spaces around raised beds; otherwise it defeats the purpose of having a raised bed rather than the old style 'grow area'.

Unless you want to grow multiple varieties in a small area and don't want the roots to reach across and mix with different hops.


Yes mostly for wedding and maintenance of the hops and gutters above as well as install lines next year too.

 

[Rypcord]

Well, the root thing is just another reason to use the raised beds with spaces between them like I was saying. Ease of weeding, non-root mixing, mobility, etc, are all reasons why raised beds > the old style of growing in just a field/flat area.

 

[FewestKitten896]

Got my shady ripped 2x4 trellis built a couple weeks ago. Surprised it didn't warp to much but seems to be working. I think it is about 7.5 feet tall with rope zig zagged so that I can get some extra growth without building a 12-15' trellis in the backyard. I don't think my neighbors would appreciate it. Haha. But here are some pictures of the growth I have had. The northern brewer seems to be doing the best. One of the neighbor kids decided to hop the fence and land directly on my sterling, It didn't look like he damaged much but I kind of had to redig it up and replant it but seems to still be getting growth. These are all first year rhizomes.

Trellis

Zeus

Sterling

Northern Brewer

Centennial

Chinook

Cascade and lettuce photobomb

 

[Brizzo]

Cascade won the race to the top for the first time ever- last year it was magnum and the year before it was nugget.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1464904676.201742.jpg

 

[brewcat]

Have my rows mostly set now. Applied some sulfur today. Hoping to bring the ph closer to 6.0-6.8 for next year. Probably will apply some worm castings tomorrow. One of these days I may have to get the drip system ready.

 

[LoopeyLoon]

First year cascades.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1464923961.365295.jpg

 

[cram]

May 12 centennial. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1464933571.502099.jpg
June 2 View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1464933701.415162.jpg
To the top is about 20 feet.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Went out and watered my plants and this is @ 12:47View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1464977253.551565.jpg
And 13 minutes later @ 1:00View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1464977283.748110.jpg
Crazy how fast these things grow!! I'm going to have to figure out what to do now that it's at the top of my trellis?

 

[wysiwyg]

3rd year cascade and chinook. Not sure how high the roof is but the top of the trellis is 8 feet. I totally underestimated how high these were going to grow! Btw, I'm in the outskirts of Minneapolis.

View attachment 1465063219211.jpg

 

[ffaoe]

Update of the hop yard so far this year. Row on the right are 1-4year old crowns.
Middle row is second year seedlings, and first year cross-breeds. Row on the left is first year wild collected seedlings and first year cross-breeds.
On left in the brown pot is my one for sure second year male.

 

[Rypcord]

Update of the hop yard so far this year. Row on the right are 1-4year old crowns.
Middle row is second year seedlings, and first year cross-breeds. Row on the left is first year wild collected seedlings and first year cross-breeds.
On left in the brown pot is my one for sure second year male.

What do you mean by cross-breeds? Are you actively taking (just for example) Centennial and Cascade hop and cross-breeding to make a new hop variant/type?

 

[ffaoe]

What do you mean by cross-breeds? Are you actively taking (just for example) Centennial and Cascade hop and cross-breeding to make a new hop variant/type?

Yes, actively cross breeding. The cross which so far as resulted in the most surviving seedlings is an open pollinated cascade male crossed with brewer's gold.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Things are getting kinky in here

 

[WilliamSlayer]

I got explosive growth on the hop plants over the past week or two. Just a perfect combo of sun and rain has seen my plants gain about 4-6 FEET of growth. That Chinook is now at the top of my 'cage' ( = approx. 18 feet of total growth).

View attachment 1465146560381.jpg

View attachment 1465146570165.jpg

 

[WilliamSlayer]

As a funny side note, I saw this sign near my house this week and almost ran off the road laughing!

View attachment 1465146955989.jpg

 

[Marka7z]

Hi, first time grower. I planted 2 sterling and 1 chinook Rhizome. The Sterling have died, but I am seeing one new bud,,while the chinook are off and climbing, 2 sprouts off the first year Rhizome. My problem is that the lower leaves are turning brown and dying, I'd like to get ahead of this, so any suggestions would help. I have a drip system that imparts roughly a quarter gallon every morning per pot, and the soil is 1/3 manure, 2/3 top soil, and the pots have minimal drainage. From observation, the soil retains moisture throughout the day. Any advice would help.

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

First time growing. Missed out on ordering rhizomes, but my wife found some Cascade plants at a local greenhouse. (Happy Father's Day!)

Knowing how well hops do in Northern Michigan, I'm going to test my luck with these, and hopefully grow a few more varieties next year.

 

[RockyMountainCraftBrewing]

My 2nd year Cascade is 7 foot now for the main bine and I have 4 more chasing it.Lots of sun this week.

RMCB

 

[brewcat]

Have my drip system installed. Finally dry and hot enough to use it. Ran it for an hour today. I'll have to see how my moisture meter reads and go from there.

 

[rupert130]

Just under 2 weeks later and all but centennial have made it well over the level of the fence. Some of the tallest bines are about 10 ft now. From left to right you are looking at Chinook, Centennial, Dr. Rudi, and Crystal.

View attachment 1465263995011.jpg

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Some lower sections of my leaves/shoots have turned yellow - I guess I didn't water them enough when I was under the weather.

They are still growing nicely though, so I'm hoping all is well and they'll get their bright green color back with some watering.

 

[phug]

saw my hops again this weekend, last I saw them was two weeks ago. they went from 6 inches high, to 5 feet tall. fortunately they found the trellis to climb on. They also grew 5 inches in 2 days. I'm pretty happy since they're up at the 45th parallel, and winter stayed late this year. I also haven't been watering them, but they're within 20 feet of a lake, and I suspect they're reaching for ground water.

 

[Kharnynb]

the front hops are doing great, they are much higher than the first year already and growing well.

Sadly the one on the side of the house didn't come back after winter...always a risk this far north i guess.

 

[Robx]

Nice growth! Kharnynb - Does one of your hop plants have a "whorled" leaf arrangement as opposed to "opposite"?

I have a golden hop plant currently showing whorled arrangement on the main stalk. Curious how common it is and whether it has any impact on growth or productivity.

 

[ffaoe]

Nice growth! Kharnynb - Does one of your hop plants have a "whorled" leaf arrangement as opposed to "opposite"?

I have a golden hop plant currently showing whorled arrangement on the main stalk. Curious how common it is and whether it has any impact on growth or productivity.

Hops have an opposite leaf arrangement.