First Year Hop Growers

[TangoHotel]

Doh! Its sideways! Tilt your head.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Is that one on the left a Sunbeam or Bianca? Very pale yellow foliage.

 

[TangoHotel]

Is that one on the left a Sunbeam or Bianca? Very pale yellow foliage.

The one on the left is the Sunbeam. I split the crown on that one and gave the other half to my mom as a gift. She likes how yellow the leaves are. Plus she said I can have all of the hops when its time harvest :rockin:

 

[rangrr4834]

I just bought hop plants from Great Lakes Hops and planted them recently. Do you recommend leaving all the bines for the first year just like a rhizome? Or, should I trim off the bines I am not going to train? Thanks to all growers in advance for your advice!

 

[B-Hoppy]

I just bought hop plants from Great Lakes Hops and planted them recently. Do you recommend leaving all the bines for the first year just like a rhizome? Or, should I trim off the bines I am not going to train? Thanks to all growers in advance for your advice!

Being that they already have some roots formed, their energy/nutrition gathering ability isn't limited just to what a rhizome would supply so I don't see why you couldn't thin the number of shoots out.

The one on the left is the Sunbeam. I split the crown on that one and gave the other half to my mom as a gift. She likes how yellow the leaves are. Plus she said I can have all of the hops when its time harvest :rockin:

Excellent!

 

[specialkaye]

To me, they kind of look like a miniature asparagus tip and can range in color from a very pale green to purple.

Yup, this sums it up.

 

[Daniel1980]

Here's my first year cascades. They are doing great. My magnums however haven't even broken through the ground. I also planted a couple strawberry plants between them.

 

[coldcrash]

My year 1 Centennial rhizomes went into a 30" pot two weeks ago. Here they are earlier tonight, the three main bines about 5" in height. Just started training them around a tomato stake. Definitely no green thumb here, so wish me luck!

 

[Ash_Mathew]

This is my first hop growing attempt. Her name is Alberta and she has been in the ground about a month and a half, maybe two months. Here are some pictures of how she started out, and what she is up to now. Figure she is about 3ft tall so far. By the time I get home from work today I reckon she will have grown at least another couple of inches.

 

[B-Hoppy]

What flavor is she? I hear the season was late for you this year. Hopefully things will even out and you'll have some cones this Fall.

 

[Brewitt]

I have three hop plants started (my centennial never sprouted). Chinook, Cascade and Kent Golding. The former two have two bines each growing up twine to my rebar structure. The final one has only one strong bine. The structure is about 12' tall and the bines have only hit between 2 and 3 feet. The Cascade had some transplant shock when it went into the ground, both tips died and one bine got tweaked and is dying off. However, both bines are sprouting a pair of growing tips just below the dying part so I think I will be OK. The Kent Golding still needs to go from the pot into the ground but I don't want to grow all three on one structure. Since they are only about three feet apart and the top of the structure will end up with them growing together. The ultimate plan is to have one structure for each.

A description of my structure is here if anyone is interested:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/2013-hop-garden-photo-thread-398999/index24.html#post5187026

 

[Ash_Mathew]

She's an EKG. Also have a Fuggles and a Zenith at my parents. They wanted to keep cats out, I wanted more free hops. Haha

To be honest, that's probably more just down south. I've not had a problem with mine so far. Although a challenger I have hasn't come through. Though I looked the other day and something could still be happening with her. The weather hasn't been too bad up here. Had quite a few hot days and the rain has been quite light. The hops at my folks are doing well, too. Started to be trained a week or so ago.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Well, hopefully she'll make more hops than mine. I could never get more than a few handfuls so out she went. Climate/soils have a lot to do with it so I'll just stick to Cascade and Chinook.

 

[Ash_Mathew]

Aye, I am hoping with the way she has come on so far that I at least will get a few from her. Not asking for much but just something. Haha If not, there is always next year. I am in this for the long haul with her.

See, I was put off American Citrusy hops due to using them right at the beginning when I had no idea what I was doing. But just done a Zombie Dust clone and they smell amazing. So, I may go in for a Cascade or something next year. See how things work out. I deeply resent having to pay for things that I could just grow myself. At least then I get the fun of growing it, and knowing exactly what has gone into it.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Same here, it's all about enjoying what you're doing.

 

[Ash_Mathew]

Aye, I agree. People are too quick to say "That's not how you do it. It won't work." Rather than "Give it a try, see what happens."

Been out to see her, she has probably grown another 2 or 3 inches today. Can't wait to see what she is like by the end of this week.

 

[mcbaumannerb]

I got my rhizomes in the ground late (about three weeks ago) but was very pleased when I returned from vacation:

Cascade:


Centennial:


Nugget:

 

[Brewitt]

I have three hop plants started (my centennial never sprouted). Chinook, Cascade and Kent Golding.

I lied. It was my Chinook that never sprouted (the rhizome was moldy when I got it but I tried to get it to go anyway). I don't have Centennial. The good ones are Columbus, Cascade and Kent Golding.

There! Hopefully I'll be forgiven

 

[mcbaumannerb]

You're growing hops. No forgiveness necessary!

 

[Ash_Mathew]

Oh my eye. What a little fibber... Haha

 

[krenshaw]

all 3 of mine are doing well! L-R: Columbus, Goldings, Willamette

 

[specialkaye]

I was laughing because you named your hop but then my wife comments, "I'm surprised you haven't name your's. But, that's why I just call them your babies." She actually thinks she's funny.

 

[Ash_Mathew]

Haha Some women just don't understand the important things in life. Mine being one of them.

Well, she was originally named Albert, until I remembered that real hop plants are female. Male ones are pretty close to being pointless as they do nothing for my beer. Haha

 

[tehnick]

I'm a first year grower so this thread has some good info, but the thing that made me cringe was the recommended use of miracle grow. I'll never use the stuff in anything that will be grown for consumption for mainly two reasons:

1. I don't use chemicals. It's stupid easy to amend soil with naturally occurring elements. Bone meal, blood meal, earthworm castings, and bat guano are really all you need for a base but you can also get boxed mixtures with NPK levels balanced out for different types of plants. Some good gardening stores can build one for you as long as you give them the NPK values you desire. If you want to cut corners and save time, something like Ocean Forest by Fox Farms is a great place to start and has some great stuff in it to feed your plants. It's also organic which is a nice touch, but you can add to it if desired.

2. Miracle grow is radioactive. Yes, there are small levels of radiation in it. I don't want that in my food or beverages. I'm sure others would agree.

Just wanted to throw that out there, but we all have our methods and what works for us.

 

[Ash_Mathew]

Well, it's a good job mine is only being grown with good old fashioned compost, water, sunshine and an unhealthy love. Haha Also planted stuff like Buckwheat which attracts bees and other good bugs that eat all of the bad bugs that like to eat hops.

 

[specialkaye]

Haha Some women just don't understand the important things in life. Mine being one of them.

Well, she was originally named Albert, until I remembered that real hop plants are female. Male ones are pretty close to being pointless as they do nothing for my beer. Haha

You could name it Brad Pitt and the male of the species would still do nothing for my "beer."

 

[specialkaye]

2. Miracle grow is radioactive. Yes, there are small levels of radiation in it. I don't want that in my food or beverages. I'm sure others would agree.

Did not know this. Can you provide the source of the data? Sadly, I bought some of the nuclear soup but now am hesitant to expose my babies to Chernobyl.

 

[TangoHotel]

I can't believe how fast this stuff is growing. We even have less than favorable temps for he last week, and it still grew almost another foot. I can't imagine its growth when summer hits its stride! The sunbeam is about 9 feet tall, Willamette is 9.5 feet tall, and the nugget is about 10 feet on two long vines, and a ton of offshoots are starting to fill out the trellises. I hope this can keep up!

 

[Ash_Mathew]

I can't believe how fast this stuff is growing. We even have less than favorable temps for he last week, and it still grew almost another foot. I can't imagine its growth when summer hits its stride! The sunbeam is about 9 feet tall, Willamette is 9.5 feet tall, and the nugget is about 10 feet on two long vines, and a ton of offshoots are starting to fill out the trellises. I hope this can keep up!

I am just loving the fact that my month and a half of plant is now nearly, if not actually taller than my 29 year old SWMBO.

 

[tehnick]

Did not know this. Can you provide the source of the data? Sadly, I bought some of the nuclear soup but now am hesitant to expose my babies to Chernobyl.

Sure. This is borrowed from a report I found:

By David Malmo-Levine and Dana Larsen


A recent study shows that many commonly used fertilizers are high in radioactive elements. The study was performed by Dr Paul Hornby, who holds a master’s degree in biochemistry and a PhD in human pathology from the University of British Columbia.

The study analyzed 25 different types of fertilizers, eight “organic” varieties and 17 “chemical” fertilizers. The results showed that the chemical fertilizers emitted on average five times the radiation of the organic group.

There are different ways of measuring radioactivity. The table shows the “counts per minute” (CPM) of radiation detected in each sample. The average for the organic fertilizers was 140, while the chemical fertilizers had an average radiation count of 675, an almost five-fold increase.

The lowest radiation was found in the organic blood meal fertilizers, which emitted only background radiation - the normal low radiation found in most objects. On the other end of the spectrum was the 5-20-20 berry food, with a radiation level about 24 times higher than background.

These levels of radiation don’t pose a danger through simply being around bags of fertilizer. However, cannabis and other plants are known to uptake radioactive elements from their growing medium. Radiation exposure is accumulative, so that repeated inhalation would present an increasing health risk.

Radiation also accumulates in the soil. Farmers who grow chemical-fed tobacco soon face soil vitality-loss, forcing them to use more and more chemical fertilizer every year to maintain the same level of productivity. That means that tobacco land gets more and more radioactive every year.

Numerous studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and other health, science and radiation journals have indicated that it is the radioactive elements in tobacco which lead to lung cancer (CC#35, Radioactive tobacco). Tobacco is typically fed with high-phosphate, chemical fertilizers, including heavy foliar spraying. All of these factors would produce a high-level of radioactive elements in the tobacco leaf.

Although further research is needed, this study does point the way to some simple harm-reduction techniques for pot growers. Many growers believe that using organic fertilizers produces a tastier, higher-quality bud. This study indicates that they could also be producing a less harmful product than that produced with many chemical fertilizers.

Although cannabis and cannabinoids are non-toxic, radiation is a major cause of cancer. Further research is clearly needed, but it seems likely that the best way to keep your buds as safe and harmless as possible is to use non-chemical, organic fertilizers, to eliminate any potential radioactivity getting into your stash, and your lungs.

· Dr Paul Hornby is available for testing of fertilizers and can also test marijuana for cannabinoid profiles: [email protected]


Fertilizer Type.......................... ..................Radioactivit y score

Evergro Specialty Fertilizer.................... ......90
Blood Meal 12-0-0

Green Valley........................ ............................96
Blood Meal Fertilizer
12-0-0

RainGrow Organic Fertilizer.................... .....102
Bloom-A-Long
0-12-0

SeaSpray Organic Fertilizer.................... ......125
0.5-1.0-0.5

Green Valley Blood and Bone.......................... 154
Meal Fertilizer
7-11-0

RainGrow Organic Fertilizer.................... ......160
4-2-3

Homestead 100% Organic....................... .........174
Bone Meal
4-14-0

DML Bird Guano......................... ......................178
NPK unknown

-----------------------------
Those above are all organic.
Those below are all synthetic.
-----------------------------


Miracid Soil Acidifier..................... ..............248
Plant Food
30-10-10

Shultz All Purpose Plant Food.......................258
10-15-10

Miracle-Gro For Roses......................... ..........285
18-24-16

Green Valley........................ ............................32 6
Rhododendron and Azalea Food
10-8-6

Shultz African Violet Plus.......................... .........393
8-14-9

General Hydroponics................... ...........................400
Flora Grow
2-1-6

Miracle-Gro Water Soluble....................... ...........409
Plant Food
15-30-15

Greenleaf Evergreen..................... ..........................437
Tree and Hedge Feeder
13-6-7

Stern's Miracle-Gro........................... ...................538
For Tomatoes
18-18-21

Miracle-Gro........................... .............................. ..547
Plant Food Engrais
15-30-15

Greenleaf Shur Gro........................... .........................672
Soluble Plant Food
20-20-20

Greenleaf Shur Gro........................... .........................693
Soluble Plant Food
20-20-20

Shultz-Instant....................... .............................. ........740
Orchid Plant Food
19-31-17

Shultz Tomato Plus.......................... ..........................874
18-19-30

Evergro Fruit Tree.......................... ..........................1037
and Berry Food
4-20-20

Osmocote...................... .............................. ................2021
Time Release Fertilizer
18-6-12

Green Valley Berry Food.......................... .................2384
5-20-20

 

[specialkaye]

I am just loving the fact that my month and a half of plant is now nearly, if not actually taller than my 29 year old SWMBO.

pictures?... of SWMBO....

 

[specialkaye]

Thanks, tehnick, for that super information.
Will definitely be changing my hop fertilizer plans.

 

[Ash_Mathew]

pictures?... of SWMBO....

You know what, I don't actually have any of SWMBO. But I do have a few pictures of the love in my life... Haha

 

[specialkaye]

You know what, I don't actually have any of SWMBO. But I do have a few pictures of the love in my life... Haha

We are all twisted in just a certain way....

 

[Ash_Mathew]

Was trying to train one of my binds tips and accidentally damaged it... It's not fallen off, still connected, still green but very limp. Taped it up a little where the split happened, so hoping it will fix her up good and proper. Can anybody say whether this will help or not, please? Or what will happen it the tip does die?

 

[organarchy]

If you cut the tips off or they die off this promotes the plant for side (secondary) side shoots to grow. This will actually give you a more vigorous vine! I have chinooks, cascades, willamettes up for sale, inbox me if needed!

Cheers

 

[Ash_Mathew]

So they would start from the bottom again? Or would they branch out from the top where the tip has died off? Is there any chance of it reattaching itself? Worried the the growth I have had from it now might have been a complete waste.

I would take you up on it, man. But it might not be possible to get it passed Customs.

 

[Ash_Mathew]

Oh yeah, are these miniature cones growing?

 

[sweetcell]

Oh yeah, are these miniature cones growing?

yup. side-arms will develop and then burrs will appear, which will eventually grow into cones.

 

[Ash_Mathew]

yup. side-arms will develop and then burrs will appear, which will eventually grow into cones.

Awesome. Thanks, man. At least I will get a harvest out of them this year. I think she is maybe older than I thought.