Growing Hops Near Chicago

[TheBreweryUnderground]

So this year I'm stealing some space at a friends farm to try hop growing. I was wondering if people had any suggestions for growing in Northern Illinois and what things to look out for. I'm probably going plant 4-5 different varieties to see what works out and to hopefully have more hop options. I'm thinking cascade, willamette, columbus, saaz, and hallertau unless these varieties are particularly terrible in my area. It should be a good spot on top of a hill (if such a thing exists in Illinois) where it will drain well. If anyone on here has experience growing in the area I'd love to hear from you.

 

[mux]

Good luck, are you using rhizomes? I want to grow hops this year in my backyard, I'll be watching for any experienced growers comments.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

I was also hoping to start a group buy thread but I'm a n00b. Most places I found do wholesale prices at a hundred. I have a decent amount of space to work with so I could take a good number of them but don't think I could take 100. I found organic rhizomes for $3 wholesale so if anyone is interested and wanted to start a group buy thread that would be awesome.

 

[mux]

I'm in. What varieties are available?

 

[BBBF]

I ordered from Freshops a couple years ago. I went with Nugget and Cascade, which did pretty good the first year and gave me way more than I need this year.

 

[mux]

I wonder if they would get citra?

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

I was looking at this site: http://www.northwesthops.com/
Freshops doesn't offer wholesale from what I can see and I like supporting the smaller farmers although they're still a good option if buying individually. Northwest does wholesale at 100 with a max 4 different varieties in quantities of at least 25 so thats somewhat limiting. I sent them an email so I'll let you know when I hear back. I'm thinking Cascade and Willamette are solid choices that can work for a lot of different styles, plus maybe Mt Hood for lagers/aroma and Centennial for high alpha acids/bittering. But we could take a poll to see what varieties people would be interested in.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

I haven't seen Citra available anywhere or Amarillo or Simcoe!

 

[TyTanium]

Make sure they get as much sun as possible. I planted some rhizomes in different spots in my yard - full sun w/southern exposure did great (though no harvest this year); partial sun barely grew at all. The difference was amazing.

I ordered 5 rhizomes from Northwest Hops last year - 2 Cascade & 3 Centennial. They were all in good shape when I got them, but only 1 of the 3 Centennials made it Probably my error though.

I'd be interested in a wholesale purchase - looking to expand my selection...and I haven't been able to find Amarillo or Simcoe either.

 

[TyTanium]

PS - great Martin Luther quote...did you know his wife was a brewer at her convent before she left to marry him? Talk about marrying up!

 

[Retrofit]

I live in aurora il and I'm going to need to trim my crowns. I'll probably have cuttings available for trade or sale. Depending on what you want you want and how much (quantity) I might be able to help some Chicagoland people.

 

[Retrofit]

Oh yeah, simcoe, Amarillo, and citra are proprietary. They won't be for public sale for about 12 years.

 

[TyTanium]

oh yeah, simcoe, amarillo, and citra are proprietary. They won't be for public sale for about 12 years.

Dang.

 

[acidrain23]

I've sucessfully grown hops in Chicago:

However, they were disappointingly weak. Very little resins. I think lack of full sun was the issue, which is the biggest problem in city gardening. I've heard lack of nitrogen may be an issue too.

 

[TyTanium]

I've heard nitrogen = green leaves; too much encourages green growth & little flowering. So wouldn't lack of phosphorus & potassium (P,K in fertilizer) be more of the problem? Not sure. Lack of sun definitely though.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

If you have nitrogen issues you should utilize some liquid gold. I'm basically starting a small farm and if it does well I might expand, I was thinking of starting a CSA for homebrewers to claim a share of hops if they can't grow their own in the city. Has anyone had issues with aphids/mildew/etc. or does Illinois not have as many issues due to it not being traditional hop country?

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

Oh yeah, simcoe, Amarillo, and citra are proprietary. They won't be for public sale for about 12 years.

I think I'm going to take a road trip out to the PNW and start digging up hop fields for these.

 

[Randar]

If you have nitrogen issues you should utilize some liquid gold. I'm basically starting a small farm and if it does well I might expand, I was thinking of starting a CSA for homebrewers to claim a share of hops if they can't grow their own in the city. Has anyone had issues with aphids/mildew/etc. or does Illinois not have as many issues due to it not being traditional hop country?

Depends on the biodiversity in and around your field. Japanese beetles are the most indiscriminate, but many of the other issues like aphids, mildew/rust/etc have more to do with the health of the plants as a whole.

Stay away from most of the noble varieties and stick to proven American strains at first. Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Magnum (good grower in north america), CTZ, Nugget, Newport... etc are all good growers in our region.

And if you are starting a farm and want to cut a year off your maturation cycle lag time, try to buy jumbo rhizomes or plant 2-3 smaller ones per crown.

Setting up your trellis, watering, and harvesting systems are going to be expensive and time consuming. Such a small operation might end up being almost entirely manual labor. Good luck, though. Once established, it's possible you could contract your whole harvest for wet-hopping customers/breweries in the region.

Here is a recent article from the Kalamazoo Gazette on the start-up hop farming operations in Michigan:
Hop of faith: More and more entrepreneurs, farmers growing the plant for Michigan beer | MLive.com

I think I'm going to take a road trip out to the PNW and start digging up hop fields for these.

Have fun in the clink.

 

[cyclogenesis]

I had a good first season with my Cascade and Chinooks last year! Much better than I was hoping...
Early growth:

Nice Lupin!

 

[TyTanium]

Great pics! Did you build that trellis? I'm looking to build something similar over the winter (err, spring today). Or, if you bought it, where?

 

[cyclogenesis]

The guy who build our deck did it... I can provide contact details (he is in Downers) if you want...

I am the creative input... I suck at handy stuff

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

Thanks for all of the info Randar! If I'm planting 2-3 rhizomes to up 1st year production what happens to them in the ground? Do they just fuse together for a healthier root system? If I could hook up a deal with micros that would be great to go bigger, and selling wet hops would be much easier. Although I think I will at least build an experimental solar oasthouse.

Have fun in the clink.

"Oh hi officer, I'm just a farm hand don't mind me. What am I doing out here at 2 in the morning? I'm just a... dedicated worker? Graveyard shift?"

 

[Randar]

Thanks for all of the info Randar! If I'm planting 2-3 rhizomes to up 1st year production what happens to them in the ground? Do they just fuse together for a healthier root system?

Essentially they entangle into a single crown. That is, of course, if all of the tiny little "twigs" survive and are viable, for which I have seen varying success rates. If you plant a small rhizome on each side of the crown and train them up opposing stringers, you will build the overall root system more quickly, IMO. That said, I have no clue how the commercial guys plant out a new field.

 

[ognam]

Depends on the biodiversity in and around your field. Japanese beetles are the most indiscriminate, but many of the other issues like aphids, mildew/rust/etc have more to do with the health of the plants as a whole.

I am very inexperienced at this, but on the third year of growing Halltertauer and Cascades. The Japanese Beetles are by far my worst problem. I am avoiding the use of chemicals, and they're tough to keep up with. They don't bother the actual hops, but I believe they're affecting the production by eating most of the leaves. They seem to prefer the Hallertauer, and the Cascade has always produced more (and bigger) hops.

Also, I don't know where they get their supply, but you might want to contact the guys at the Brew and Grow (there's on in Roselle and one in the city). I got my rhizomes there.

 

[Randar]

I am very inexperienced at this, but on the third year of growing Halltertauer and Cascades. The Japanese Beetles are by far my worst problem. I am avoiding the use of chemicals, and they're tough to keep up with. They don't bother the actual hops, but I believe they're affecting the production by eating most of the leaves. They seem to prefer the Hallertauer, and the Cascade has always produced more (and bigger) hops.

Hallertauer is a very low yield strain, especially in comparison to the American C's, which I have found to all be very prolific in our area.

For Japanese beetles, I offer up pole beans and rose bushes in sacrifice to them. They tend to prefer these when given the option vs hops. Also, lawn grub killer applied 2x per year has helped reduce the local numbers a bit (although you should do everything you can to get your neighbors to apply it as well). It really is the only insecticide I use on my property... All other issues I try to address via biodiversity and attracting beneficial insects and birds.

 

[TyTanium]

...Also, I don't know where they get their supply, but you might want to contact the guys at the Brew and Grow (there's on in Roselle and one in the city). I got my rhizomes there.

Do you remember which varieties they keep in stock and approximate prices? I may have to check this out.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

I would do brew & grow in small quantities if it was a last minute decision, but you'll get a better variety and prices online as well as the rhizomes being fresher. Last year I saw rhizomes there at the end of August! They were on sale of course but I would feel better getting them straight from the farm personally. I emailed northwest hops last week about buying wholesale and they haven't gotten back to me yet, I'll post when they do.

I'm looking to start a small hop farm so I would probably end up buying out brew and grows supply anyway at a lot more than wholesale. I almost bought some last year to get started inside and transplant but ended up traveling out of the country.

 

[TyTanium]

Cool. ...and definitely agree. More just curious about what they sell. You could try giving freshops a call - that's what I did last year and they were really helpful.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

I remember in August they had Nugget left but I don't remember the beginning of the season. Also I think a lot of the LHBS get their hops from these online suppliers.

 

[Retrofit]

When I got started, Randar offered me a lot advice and I'd listen to his sagely experience. Randar mentioned lawn treatment twice a year, which I do- and "trap" plants like roses and beans. I do beans- they add good nitrogen to the soil, they distract the bugs, and occasionally I dine on some beans.

I do a grub ex around my yard just after picking, and a second in early spring. That's my yard- my garden I leave a lone. Every year I do less and have fewer problems. I'm sitting on 100 ounces of hops. I think the only way I can use them all is if build or buy a Randall. Stupid hops forcing me to buy a Randall!

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

FYI I've had no response from Northwest Hops but I'm looking into Greatlakes Hops, they don't do rhizomes but starters and crowns which are more reliable and don't require double planting to get more yield the first year. Also they are right across lake Michigan so it's not far for shipping and I appreciate supporting local growers.

Thanks for the info everybody, here's some I've collected for reference:

-marigolds are great to surround your hops as it protects from the things trying eat them, human hair also works really well as animals will detect the scent and be scared off
-nitrogen is good for green leafy growth (first part of the season) so using nitrogen fixing cover crops like beans are great as well as my preferred method of liquid gold, how else are you goin to get that piss flavor from your hops?
-phosphorus is what you need for cone growth at the end of the season if anyone has any natural suggestions for this I'd love to hear it
-build mounds for your hops to get good drainage and cover them to prevent evaporation and freezing in the dormant winter months
-there's lots of guides on hop websites about everything related to growing
-pruned hop bines can be put into salads

I'm thinking about taking a larger dive than expected into this after being inspired by the Michigan Hop Alliance, I'd definitely like to see more in the Chicago area.

 

[TyTanium]

Good info, thanks. I've heard really good things about Great Lakes Hops - sold on eBay, right?

I'm very excited for this hop growing season. Time to start building my lattice!

As for phosphorus, one of the more readily available sources is bone meal, but I don't like buying stuff. Most compost has more than enough phosphorus (especially if you're composting your spent grain!)

 

[cyclogenesis]

I got mine from Midwest Supplies
Hop Rhizomes - Hops - Brewing Ingredients

 

[Randar]

FYI I've had no response from Northwest Hops but I'm looking into Greatlakes Hops, they don't do rhizomes but starters and crowns which are more reliable and don't require double planting to get more yield the first year. Also they are right across lake Michigan so it's not far for shipping and I appreciate supporting local growers.

"starts" may be more reliable in "surviving" transplant, but they have less stored energy and growth potential in their first year and I believe they will take longer to form a full-on crown (although I don't have direct experience with starts, only going from my understanding of it and the fact that commercial operations plant rhizomes and not starts)

Thanks for the info everybody, here's some I've collected for reference:

-marigolds are great to surround your hops as it protects from the things trying eat them, human hair also works really well as animals will detect the scent and be scared off
-nitrogen is good for green leafy growth (first part of the season) so using nitrogen fixing cover crops like beans are great as well as my preferred method of liquid gold, how else are you goin to get that piss flavor from your hops?
-phosphorus is what you need for cone growth at the end of the season if anyone has any natural suggestions for this I'd love to hear it
-build mounds for your hops to get good drainage and cover them to prevent evaporation and freezing in the dormant winter months
-there's lots of guides on hop websites about everything related to growing
-pruned hop bines can be put into salads

If you want companion planting and beneficial insect information, fattymatty and I compiled the following google docs spreadsheet (he used it to help plan his hopyard, IIRC):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aitc3OdxDO-WcHBCTExuaVBqTTZKc1l3TnJlTmhZVXc

 

[Randar]

As for phosphorus, one of the more readily available sources is bone meal, but I don't like buying stuff. Most compost has more than enough phosphorus (especially if you're composting your spent grain!)

Hop requirements for phosphorous are really not a consideration if you have anything but the most barren soil... Nitrogen and potassium are the critical factors dealing with growth and cone production, respectively.

This is a link I keep at the ready for this forum:

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/fg/fg79-e.pdf

 

[TyTanium]

Hop requirements for phosphorous are really not a consideration if you have anything but the most barren soil... Nitrogen and potassium are the critical factors dealing with growth and cone production, respectively.

This is a link I keep at the ready for this forum:

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/fg/fg79-e.pdf

Cool, thanks. Great info. I tend to not add anything to my soil other than leaf mold & compost. 1) it's free and 2) I don't know what I'm doing, so better leave it up to nature. Good to hear that should be sufficient.

 

[Randar]

Cool, thanks. Great info. I tend to not add anything to my soil other than leaf mold & compost. 1) it's free and 2) I don't know what I'm doing, so better leave it up to nature. Good to hear that should be sufficient.

Unless the builder in your area scraped and sold off the top soil, generally our dense black soil is naturally high in all of N, P, and K. You just need gentle feedings of slow release nitrogen and if you are really anal some potassium shortly before the plant sets flowers.

But, some top-dressing in the spring and once in mid-summer is all you REALLY need around here.

 

[TyTanium]

Haha...we have great soil...cherry tomatoes grew like grapes last summer! No production from my 1st year rhizomes last year, but hoping for some this year. Thanks for all the great info.

 

[Jagdad]

Quote -starts" may be more reliable in "surviving" transplant, but they have less stored energy and growth potential in their first year and I believe they will take longer to form a full-on crown (although I don't have direct experience with starts, only going from my understanding of it and the fact that commercial operations plant rhizomes and not starts)

That's just not accurate- of the nine largest growers & Co-ops in Michigan; ALL are planting hop plants -not rhizomes. I am quite sure of this because I am their grower/supplier. Their plants are growing as we speak and will produce a crop first year. (The experienced growers seem to have had their fill of planting diseased rhizomes dug from old hop yards.) The guys out west DO use rhizomes- usually because they already have acres of their own hops to propagate from. They can afford to put up to 5 rhizomes in a hill to get one good plant.
Just to help clarify, Great Lakes Hops produces 3 different size grades - "starts" (4-6week), "field grades" (10-20 week) and "crowns" (a plant that has already produced cones) The biggest difference between GLH plants and rhizomes is that the hop plants are certified and virus indexed - rhizomes are not. It is critical to commercial growers to start "clean" to get maximum yields- which is the difference between making or losing money. You can find Great Lakes Hops site and check it out for yourself . . . Brew on!

 

[AnimalHouseBrewery]

Resurrecting as I recently moved to the Chicago area from South Carolina, where growing hops is nearly impossible. Wandering if anything has changed in 2 years with growing hops in the area.

I have a plan for my trellis, about 15' tall, and a spot picked in my yard which gets about 6 hrs of sun spring to summer and faces west.

Planning on growing Cascade, Mt Hood, Centennial, and Nugget; 2 mounds each. Any suggestions would be great, or if anyone is growing these in there area already and would like to share some cuttings, I would much appreciate the help.