Best way to manage second year plants - Give us the benefit of your experience

[Calder]

I planted several hops last year and they did pretty well for 1st yr plants as far as I can tell ... got a few ounces off them (dry).

The second year is about to start (one is already showing a couple of shoots). What do you do to give them the best opportunity to produce lots of hops?

- Let everything grow? (I suspect this is not the best advice).

- Cut back to the 2 or 4 fastest growing bines? Or how many?

- I've seen recommendations of cutting back the first bines, and then waiting for the next wave (how long do I let them grow, and when do you cut them back?)

- What the hell is a 'Bull Vine'???????

- I assume you have to select the 'best' bines. What characteristics do you look for to determine which are the 'best' bines?

 

[B-Hoppy]

Did you plant crowns or rhizomes last year? A crown will put you a little bit ahead going into year two (rootwise) because it already had some roots started last year but the number of buds (which will in turn form the climbing vines) should be pretty even in either case. The picture shows what a little rhizome will turn into after one season in the ground. This was a Chinook with the majority of the roots trimmed up.

Trim or let everything go?
Generally, those first shoots to come alive are fueled by a bunch of simple carbohydrates that were produced and sent back to the crown last fall. This will allow the very first growth to almost grow before your eyes and this is where most of your bull shoots will be found. Most commercial growers eliminate the first flush of growth to help minimize disease pressure (downy mildew spores will overwinter in those buds closest to the surface) and to help with training timing. This article will help explain the different growth phases: http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/wp-content/uploads/jason-perrault-transcript.pdf

Cut back to the fastest growing ones?
You may see some really early ones pop up and then once things warm up a bit you'll have a 'flush' for lack of a better word. Once this group gets a foot or so tall you can cut them all back. After another week or two you'll have another flush and you can do this again. I've done experiments where this was done about 4 different times as I didn't have time to work them and get them strung up. Once I did find time I selected 4/5 that were about the same size and trained them to the poles.

I'm in NEOhio and it will probably be another week or so before I can get out and dig some rhizomes but some folks I spoke with at the hop conference last week mentioned they were way ahead and were getting ready to do some crowning (Dayton Cincy area). My friend out near Corvallis has been digging rhizomes for over a month already as have the folks in the Yakima Valley. It's all dependent on the weather where you're located.

 

[cekramer]

Great advice, thanks! I have been wondering the same thing about my second year plants. The first round of bines have popped up within the last week or so.

 

[B-Hoppy]

And once the crown gets a little bit older you should think about whacking it back a little harder to keep it manageable. Here's a few clips that show how commercial hops are 'crowned': [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftiID816JZQ[/ame], [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPzCwbg_nio&ebc=ANyPxKo0UgUaz_oBNbZNE8s7G9fgyrdxWT6IS4-BqnzTuqBw9gpXX2aO4JWrLV-qG79MjIIDNhvxkXphpuudGvfooc0iKgL73A[/ame]. For the most part, the upper 6 inches or so of the crown and soil are removed and in a few weeks, the new growth is trained up the strings. Once everything is up and climbing the farmers come through and till and throw the soil back over the crowns.

First pic shows the soil pulled away from the crown after rhizome removal
Second shows what nice work the old pruning saw did
Third shows all the junk that was removed

 

[sfish]

B-hoppy great stuff I thank you, How old are they?

OP check this out

March 3, 2016 - Springtime Hop Care

http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=radio

 

[B-Hoppy]

That Zeus plant has been in that location for about 4 years and gets this done to it at the beginning of every year.

 

[Calder]

That Zeus plant has been in that location for about 4 years and gets this done to it at the beginning of every year.

I've never seen anyone talk about doing that to hops before. I must remember for next year. Not ready to do it this second year.