Crossbreeding:

[Randy Dykema]

Will different types of hops crossbreed if planted to close to each other?

 

[B-Hoppy]

Not unless one of them is a male? If that's the case he can throw pollen onto the burrs on the gal next to him and that's how seeds form. If you plant one of those seeds you'll have a new variety. If they're all girls the best they can do is to dream about, lol! Hoppy Trails~

 

[H20ENG]

What I found from planting Columbus and Centennial close together was the Columbus really stunted the Centennials. I get almost no Cent. now. I knew better but they were small when I planted them lol.
Better to keep them separate by at least several feet.

 

[6Tap]

What I found from planting Columbus and Centennial close together was the Columbus really stunted the Centennials. I get almost no Cent. now. I knew better but they were small when I planted them lol.
Better to keep them separate by at least several feet.

That’s an interesting point H2OENG.
I am on my 5 year growing a row of hops Along my south facing side yard and every year the Columbus shoot up first And climb 24 foot + and my Centenial grow to about 15’ by the end of the season and the Cascade grow to 24+ feet as well. All hops get the same amount of sun and are 3’ from each other. Sounds like Centenial hops don’t like to be close neighbors with other hop varieties? For the past few years I have experimented with different fertilizers and water amounts but just can get the Centenial hops to really take off.
I have not experienced any cross breeding of my hops todate.

 

[Randy Dykema]

Thanks for the responses! I tried putting some cuttings in my garden but they failed. I'll try again next year...

 

[tellyho]

Pretty sure the hops we grow are only the female and will not reproduce with others.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

Pretty sure the hops we grow are only the female and will not reproduce with others.

Indeed. All commercial hops are female. Male hop plants are only used for the creation of new varieties.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Thanks for the responses! I tried putting some cuttings in my garden but they failed. I'll try again next year...

Start cuttings in pots. I've had some bines on the ground, and they begin to take root without any encouragement, keeping them in pots will assure that they get enough water from you t get established. The other option for propagating more plants will come when you trim back those rhizomes, every couple years.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Indeed. All commercial hops are female. Male hop plants are only used for the creation of new varieties.

. . . and improving yield in some varieties. There's also been some studies done in the UK finding that pollinated burrs are susceptible to infection by downy mildew for a shorter window of time than non-pollinated burrs.