Full sun or partial

[BigTexBrewer]

So I am a noob at hop growing, I live in the Dallas, Tx area and if this summer is anything like last summer it's going to be tough but I am up for the challenge.

My question is, since I live in a place that gets upwards of 80+ days of over 100 degrees, very little rain, and a lot of strong wind gusts, should I plant on the south side of my house so the plants get full sun or on the side so that the hops can get some afternoon shade. Oh and the afternoon in Texas is the hottest part of the day, stupid sun.

 

[sweetcell]

if you have the option, why not try both and see what works best? try planting one or two per location, test it out, then plant any additional hops wherever works best.

also, there are certain varieties that do better than others in heat. according to my research, cascade, columbus and nugget do well in hot climates. next-best would be centennial, magnum, santiam and willamette which are listed as "all climate". varieties to avoid would include fuggle, mt hood, perle, saaz and ultra - apparently they don't do well in hot climates.

 

[JackiB]

Hey Sweetcell & BigTexBrewer! Thanks for the info as I am going to be ordering Rhizomes to complement what I brought with me from Washington State. I just suffered though my first growing season and can say without question, Fuggle hates the sun and the heat! I am going to trying growing it in on the north side of the house out of direct sun and see if that works. Good luck this hops year!

 

[sweetcell]

hi JackiB!

there is a problem with your plan: while some hops like fuggle don't like heat, they all like sun (well, except for sunbeam and bianca). so if you plant your hops on the north side of your house they won't do well. they need sun to make their food, no sun = weak, small plants that probably won't produce cones. they might not grow at all. in the case of fuggle you really need to grow them somewhere sunny but cooler - in other words, somewhere farther north than texas.

since you laready have them, and they need to be moved anyways, you have nothing to lose by putting them on the north side... just don't expect too much. maybe you can plant them in such a way as they get a little morning or a little evening sun?

 

[BigTexBrewer]

if you have the option, why not try both and see what works best? try planting one or two per location, test it out, then plant any additional hops wherever works best.

also, there are certain varieties that do better than others in heat. according to my research, cascade, columbus and nugget do well in hot climates. next-best would be centennial, magnum, santiam and willamette which are listed as "all climate". varieties to avoid would include fuggle, mt hood, perle, saaz and ultra - apparently they don't do well in hot climates.

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of growing on both sides of the house at this time. I only have one trellis and one rhizome. I know I should have probably purchased more than one but with time constraints and other factors I figured I would just start with one. And it is a Cascade so I know it will hopefully do ok in the heat but I just hope it can withstand as much heat as Texas gets.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]And it is a Cascade so I know it will hopefully do ok in the heat but I just hope it can withstand as much heat as Texas gets.

I agree with full sun, it makes a huge difference in growth. Best chance to beat the heat is to set up an automated drip system, and mulch the heck out of the plant once it sprouts...

Cheers!

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

With as hot as it gets here you might want to plant it where you can avoid some of the afternoon heat. If it is getting full morning and early afternoon sun that is probably enough sun to get growth but avoid scorching the plants from the heat. Cascade is very hearty so it can probably survive direct sunlight all day but I think you need to make sure it gets plenty of water and mulch to keep the roots cool.

 

[Greatlakeshops]

Hey there Texans! Those hops have shallow feeder roots which can get cooked if the soil temps get too high. As possible solution to keeping the soil temps down (besides mulch) might be to place something between the rooting zone and that afternoon sun - a low fence, doghouse, bench - anything that blocks some sun. Maybe even planting a taller type flower, shrub, or cover plant like beans, okra, etc. to shade the soil around the base.
Cool roots+ lots of sun = more cones

 

[garnede]

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of growing on both sides of the house at this time. I only have one trellis and one rhizome. I know I should have probably purchased more than one but with time constraints and other factors I figured I would just start with one. And it is a Cascade so I know it will hopefully do ok in the heat but I just hope it can withstand as much heat as Texas gets.

Don't plant it in full sun. YOu might try planting it on the east side of your house. It will get 4-6 hours of direct sun before it gets too hot. If you don't have east exposure then go for south east or north east or even somewhere with partial shade during the day/afternoon. second to last resort is a pure northern exposure and last resort is full southern exposure. Hops is not much removed from a wild vine, which can survive in a shaded forest. It can synthesize what it needs out of lots of short burst sun light and does not need full sun in the south. If your house is stone or brick you may want to erect a trellis away from your house that still gets afternoon shade. Otherwise you'll be holding heat to the vines, absorbed into the stone/brick, without the benefit of direct sunlight.

Everyone suggesting to grow it in full sun lives in a northern climate. I can grow "full sun" plants that don't handle the heat well in partial to mostly shade and still get heavy production. I can grow tomatoes and pumpkins with less than 6 hours of direct sunlight.