advice for hops in Ohio

[Mad Hornet]

If you could grow 4 hop varieties in Ohio what would you recommend? We are USDA zone 5/6 at 1,008' elevation. I am thinking of brewers gold, cascade, magnum, and nugget but curious how more experienced growers would think.

 

[marc1]

No matter where I was I wouldn't grow bittering hops like magnum - no way to know the alpha, seems like a waste. I grew some "heirloom" varieties from Great Lakes Hops for fun (Diamond Springs and Saugatuck). I wanted to make shade for an area in the summer, so I have them growing on a trellis. So far they have been successful at creating shade, not great at making hops

From those you listed, I'd do Cascade if I was to get another.

 

[Mad Hornet]

Well it's something I want to try and experiment with. I have the space and the planting site is high ground with excellent drainage and full sun and the rhizomes are relatively inexpensive. Thanks for the reply I will check out Great Lakes.

 

[marc1]

Well it's something I want to try and experiment with. I have the space and the planting site is high ground with excellent drainage and full sun and the rhizomes are relatively inexpensive. Thanks for the reply I will check out Great Lakes.

They are cool plants to grow!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

While it’s true you won’t know the AA on bettering hops, they run close to commercial numbers. I grow Newport (on Long Island NY) and you may want to grow duel use hops like Nugget. Really what you grow should be based on what you like and if it will produce in your climate.

 

[willy_mugobeer]

I have two Columbus plants (well, one's a Zeus, but same thing) going here in Columbus OH ... fantastic production levels and pretty high AA; for an IPA fan like me, these have worked out really well. Used a couple old fermentation buckets as poor-man's drip irrigation systems last year, and harvested more than 10 pounds dry weight.

 

[Mad Hornet]

I have two Columbus plants (well, one's a Zeus, but same thing) going here in Columbus OH ... fantastic production levels and pretty high AA; for an IPA fan like me, these have worked out really well. Used a couple old fermentation buckets as poor-man's drip irrigation systems last year, and harvested more than 10 pounds dry weight.

Nice! How long ago did you plant them? From rhizomes?

 

[willy_mugobeer]

Nice! How long ago did you plant them? From rhizomes?

The Columbus is now going into 7th year ... it's on the east side of the house and so loses the direct sun every day about noon ... still produced about 4 lbs last summer. The Zeus (now going into 3rd year) is on the south side, so plenty of sun ... and produced some GIANT cones this year. Both of them I started from actual plants ordered from the suppliers (the Zeus was from Great Lakes hops, can't remember where I got the Columbus.) Contrary to popular wisdom, I let them both throw up a LOT of bines (after clipping the bull shoots in the spring, of course) -- generally two per string, total of 16-20, per plant, every year. Seems to work fine....

 

[B-Hoppy]

Depending on where you're at in Ohio you might want to contact Barn Talk Hops over in Wadsworth. She's been propagating hops for close to 10 years now and she & her husband have a few acres planted and also process for a handful of local growers. He bought a wolf picker when they first got started and about a year later jumped through the hoops to put together a small pellet operation. She wants to try to keep these locally developed varieties proprietary but you can always ask! They also have a bunch of others but these two have gained the interest of some local brewers and The Brewkettle has actually thrown some $$ behind them.

 

[Mad Hornet]

Depending on where you're at in Ohio you might want to contact Barn Talk Hops over in Wadsworth. She's been propagating hops for close to 10 years now and she & her husband have a few acres planted and also process for a handful of local growers. He bought a wolf picker when they first got started and about a year later jumped through the hoops to put together a small pellet operation. She wants to try to keep these locally developed varieties proprietary but you can always ask! They also have a bunch of others but these two have gained the interest of some local brewers and The Brewkettle has actually thrown some $$ behind them.

Thank you! I live in Pataskala so Wadsworth is a couple hours north but sometimes I get up there for work so I'll be sure to check it out.