Fertilizing?

[chuckstout]

My hop flowers(cones) are just beginning to form and I was wondering if I should cut in some fertilizer now? I was also wondering what formula most home growers are using i.e. 4-2-4 and so on, also there fertilizing schedule

I imagine this is kinda of a loaded question, so any info would be great.

 

[beerloaf]

One of the things I noted with new hop growers is being impatient. As part of their impatience they then to over water, and over fertilize. More specifically with miracle grow and other man-made fertilizers. In a lot of cases they actually hurt or stunt the growth.

This is what I have done for years and has not failed me yet. I plant my rhizomes, in a 1/3 parts mix of top soil, potting soil mix with fertilizer(any brand), and dehydrated cow manure(it doesn't smell.) I then add a pile composted cow manure once every month until the cones are ready to pick. I have had plants that produce an average 3-4 lbs of hops per season. I have used liquid vegetable miracle grow however I tend to use it sparingly or when I notice leaf changes in the plants and appear to be nutrient deficient.

beerloaf

 

[chuckstout]

Thanks beerloaf,

I planted similar to the way you did I dug roughly 3ft deep trenches across. Mainly because we have rocky soil. Then layered top spoil and compost and some native soil without the rocks and some berry cane fertilizer we had laying around, but I have not done anything except water since then.

Maybe I'll add some then look for changes in the plants like your saying

Thanks again[emoji41]

 

[chuckstout]

I also ended up cutting a bunch of lower runners that didn't have any cones production to hopefully send more energy into the hops

 

[thaymond]

One of the things I noted with new hop growers is being impatient. As part of their impatience they then to over water, and over fertilize. More specifically with miracle grow and other man-made fertilizers. In a lot of cases they actually hurt or stunt the growth.

This is what I have done for years and has not failed me yet. I plant my rhizomes, in a 1/3 parts mix of top soil, potting soil mix with fertilizer(any brand), and dehydrated cow manure(it doesn't smell.) I then add a pile composted cow manure once every month until the cones are ready to pick. I have had plants that produce an average 3-4 lbs of hops per season. I have used liquid vegetable miracle grow however I tend to use it sparingly or when I notice leaf changes in the plants and appear to be nutrient deficient.

beerloaf

3 to 4 fresh harvest lbs, or 3 to 4 lbs after drying?

 

[beernutz]

I have read that the bloom fertilizers many gardeners use are heavy on phosphorus, the middle of the 3 fertilizer numbers.

I happened to have a quart of food grade 85% phosphoric acid I'd previously bought for adjusting mash pH so I thought, why not?

I mixed it up with some reverse osmosis water I bought using the ratio on the bottom of this page and added it to my underground watering pots.

It has only been a few days since then but there seems to be many more cones and burrs than when I first added it.

FWIW I had previously been regularly adding diluted liquid gardening Miracle Gro to the ollas to which the hops had responded very well except that there did not seem to be a large number of cones on my first year plants.

 

[chuckstout]

Thanks for the link beernuts, I have not checked the ph of my soil and also am growing outside, but it looks like there are many uses for 85% phosphoric acid when used properly. I may buy some to have around.

 

[beernutz]

Thanks for the link beernuts, I have not checked the ph of my soil and also am growing outside, but it looks like there are many uses for 85% phosphoric acid when used properly. I may buy some to have around.

You're welcome. With proper hand and eye protection yada yada yada it also works great for removing rust.