Double Harvest

[uechikid]

It looks like I'm going to have a double harvest from my cascade this year. They grew early and fast developing cones very early but not very many side arms. Now the side arms have grown and have burs all over the place.
Once I pick the first set of cones, does that encourage the growth of the second set?

 

[B-Hoppy]

i usually whack back the first growth for a month or so and then let the fireworks begin and find that the great majority of the hops ripen uniformly. i kinda doubt that picking some cones early will encourage additional growth but then again, my methods may differ from yours when it comes to training the vines.

 

[uechikid]

The thing is, I have a lot of cones close to being ready now. And a bunch of burs just getting started. No doubt I'm going to have a double harvest. I was just wondering how picking the first affects the second. Next year if they come up in early March I'm going to cut them back. My Chinook didn't come up until mid May and they're blooming at the same rate.

 

[B-Hoppy]

i've never run into this situation. best suggestion is to keep checking them out until they are ready and then pick. not much help but that's all i got. have at it.

 

[COLObrewer]

We tend to let the hops run wild and we have picked them thrice in one year, don't know what effect it has or if you get more/less, its just easier and gives us more time for brewing.

 

[magnj]

I've picked about 3 ounces dry from my 2 Chinook plants combined. LOTS of buds forming again and still some cones that will be ready next weekend. Almost like a continuous flowering situation. Probably too labor intensive for more than a few plants.

 

[Atl300zx]

i already fully harvested, cut down the original bines, and are letting new ones grow, that are already starting to flower.

 

[Randar]

I picked 11 oz wet weight last night off mostly Fuggle and Centennial. I have the same problem as uechikid this year. Didn't have this issue in the past and really the Fuggle and the Centennial were the only ones with enough cones to motivate me to get the ladder out.

I will probably let them go and just "lose" any of the rest of the early cones (I saw this morning that I missed a few last night as the light was fading).

Most of the rest of my plants (Nugget, Newport, Chinook, Cascade, Goldings, Mt Hood, Willamette, Crystal) have tons of burs or small hops and few, if any, mature cones. Not sure what set off the Fuggles and Centennial so early.