Growing Cascade bine in S Jersey is a hopless endeavor

[leedspointbrew]

No replies necessary. Just venting.

 

[Kickass]

Outside of typical hop growing regions you may have to experiment with different varieties. Some will do better than others in your climate/micro climate. I’ve had some do well in southern CA and some refuse to take.

 

[Bobby_M]

what problems are you having with them?

 

[leedspointbrew]

what problems are you having with them?

Bine starts to sprout, is watered twice daily in the hot summer months and has grown pretty well; looks healthy, but produces no cones.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Is this the first year? Typically, they don't start producing until year three.

 

[Bobby_M]

I think twice a day is over watering as it washes away all the nutrients. A really good soaking every other day is what I've been doing. Allow 3 good bines per root ball but cut away everything else. Also, make sure you apply a small amount of fertilizer every other week during peak watering season.

 

[lumpher]

 

[madscientist451]

Like someone else said, not all varieties will do well in all locations. I have Brewers gold, which grows like crazy will little care, while my centennial and cascade barely grow at all.

 

[scrap iron]

I'm not in your grow zone but I had trouble with a Sterling plant not doing well with no cones. I bought some Alaskan fish fertilizer and added it to some compost, and it has taken off. For the first time in three years I have Sterling cones. Get some compost or manure and some Alaskan fish fertilizer.

 

[Dgallo]

There’s 3 things I can think of that will effect flowering;

1) first a foremost sunlight. Hop really need full sun, so atleast 8 hours of direct sunlight. If it’s not getting enough light, it won’t have the energy to flower

2) not feed enough. Hops need a fair amount of nutrients. So make sure you’re fertilizing

3) they are root bound. Idk if you mentioned if you’re growing in pots or not (if they are in the ground then this isn’t your issue) but if your not in at minimum 25-30 gallon pots, you need to do that next season.

I grow Cascade, cashmere, and Columbus in NY and have pretty good success. Since you’re in a similar zone you should be able to grow Cascade. That said., make sure you get a copper fungicide to prevent Downey and powdery mildew as they are susceptible with our humidity

 

[leedspointbrew]

Thanks to everyone for their replies.
Per Bobby_m, I'm going to cut down on the watering; per Scrap iron, I'm going to try some Alaskan fish fertilizer. It's late in the season for cones, but maybe next year.

 

[BrewZer]

No replies necessary. Just venting.

Sorry, not bine it.

 

[Dgallo]

Thanks to everyone for their replies.
Per Bobby_m, I'm going to cut down on the watering; per Scrap iron, I'm going to try some Alaskan fish fertilizer. It's late in the season for cones, but maybe next year.

It’s hard to say you’re over watering without context. I grew up working at my father’s greenhouse and nursery business and landscaping on the side for the past 25 years, so I can safely tell you, overwatering would all depend on the following; how your growing the plant—ground or pot and if pot what size, how long/how much water your giving the plant each time, and how big the plant is.

If you were over watering It would be quite noticeable in the foliage. Yellow or browning leaves, them wilting with the soil still moist, seeing mold or mildew around the soil, the plant itself would truly look like sh!t. 2 times a day does sound like a lot, but it would depend on the factors above

Fish fertilizer would be fine but you’d have to use quite a bit as its pretty low in NPK numbers. Your goal from April to June would be to use a fertilizer with high nitrogen that also contains a fair amount of calcium and iron. This will stimulate vegetative growth. In June and July, you’ll want to switch to something with higher phosphorus and potassium to help the plant throw more flowers (cones). You could go with either a water soluble fertilizer or granular for both stages. Water soluble, is much quicker but you need to do it far more often, nearly 1-2 times a week. If your going granular, it will dissolve slower and last in the soil longer so you’d only really have to fertilize 2-3 times a season

 

[Saunassa]

My Willamette does not grow well so next spring it gets dug up and moved to the farm. See if the change in scenery makes a difference. Nugget hops on the other side, stand back because they are monsters. The one I have ignored is probably 14' with leaves as big as my hand.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I have the same issue with my Nugget, it’s a beast. I typically get 2 to 3 pounds of cones (after drying) every year. The Chinook competes with the Nugget, but hasn’t overtaken it. My Cascade will produce about a pound of dried hops in comparison.

 

[Saunassa]

Well I will probably dig up the Willamette next spring and move it to family farm. Since I am in northern minnesota I need a hardy one. What would be good choice as replacement? Chinook or Cascade?

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Here in New Hampshire, my Chinook does great. My Cascade does ok, but I get about half the yield as the Chinook. Not sure how they would do in your area.

 

[leedspointbrew]

Sorry, not bine it.

This exactly the sort of reply the post deserves!

 

[leedspointbrew]

Watering schedule adjusted to tri-weekly, with the addition of Alaskan fish fertilizer today's (relatively) cool morning. Leaves look pretty good, the bine seems to be growing, just no cones. As said, looking like a hopless endeavor this year, but will be consulting all the posts in this thread next March.

 

[scrap iron]

Watering schedule adjusted to tri-weekly, with the addition of Alaskan fish fertilizer today's (relatively) cool morning. Leaves look pretty good, the bine seems to be growing, just no cones. As said, looking like a hopless endeavor this year, but will be consulting all the posts in this thread next March.

The reason I suggested fish fertilizer was because I don't use the chemical type on something I consume. Also it is good for beginners at growing hops because it is all natural and will not burn plants. It takes a week or two to see good results. It only takes two or three tablespoons in a gallon of water so really not that expensive. I also have chickens so I use a little of their poo mixed with some compost.
I remember in school they taught about the Indians showing the Pilgrims to put a fish in with the corn seed for fertilizer. I don't know if they still teach that.

 

[BrewZer]

Watering schedule adjusted to tri-weekly, with the addition of Alaskan fish fertilizer today's (relatively) cool morning. Leaves look pretty good, the bine seems to be growing, just no cones. As said, looking like a hopless endeavor this year, but will be consulting all the posts in this thread next March.

I hope the cones don't pick up a fishy character...

 

[leedspointbrew]

I hope the cones don't pick up a fishy character...

I'd be happy just to get cones. Haven't thought about how I'll actually use them if / when they appear.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

You didn't answer my earlier question. Is this their first year?

 

[mashdar]

I hope the cones don't pick up a fishy character...

Can't tell if you're serious. Fertilizer has historically been all kinds of stinky stuff. Fish, animal excrement, human excrement (a big reason for worm issues in shoeless southerners 100+ years ago), etc. The food's always been fine.

Now, I've heard of foliar applications of fish fertilizer - that could affect cones if applied late enough in the season.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Anchovy hops?

 

[leedspointbrew]

You didn't answer my earlier question. Is this their first year?

3rd year.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

3rd year.

Ok, what are the growing conditions? Are they in the ground, or in something above ground? Do they get full sun all day? How tall is the trellis, or whatever they are growing on? Hops prefer to be in the ground with well draining soil. They need full sun all day. And they want to climb tall. They'll grow to 30 feet high if you let them.

 

[Saunassa]

If I remember correctly, you don't really want to give them high nitrogen fertilizer after beginning of June. Otherwise they keep growing longer and not producing the arms and cones. I stir in slow release organic fertilizer granules in May and then a few times with liquid fertilizer May. June and beginning of July. Picture from July 15th. The more sparse one on far right got mowed (oops) beginning of June but did make a come back

 

[Brushwood Brewing]

I don't have specific tips beyond what has already been said. But don't give up! I have Cascade growing in central NJ and it is doing well, so it's not a lost endeavor.

 

[hawaiibrewer]

No replies necessary. Just venting.

Despite naysayers and our latitude, I was able to grow Cascade and had a good crop of cones my first year within 5-6 months of planting the rhizomes in February. I just followed the recommendations from the rhizome supplier...Fresh Hops. The bines reached 12-13 feet in length. Not sure how the crop produced the following years since we moved back to the mainland after 25 yrs on the Big Island. Since Hawaii lacks daylight hours, hops aren't really viable as a commercial crop.....but it was fun having the local brewery brewers marvel at a Hawaiian hop crop.

 

[BrewZer]

Anchovy hops?

Garum Ale