LJvermonster
Well-Known Member
Hi All, first time hop grower, my hops are about 7 to 8 ft tall now and was wondering if/when a single cone will grow? I just want one this year!! Photo attached from yesterday. Thanks!
Hop Cone Growth
- Thread starter LJvermonster
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alane1
Well-Known Member
Are they 1st year? Just before cone growth happens the plant usually produces sidearms.
They gotta be young'uns, and rather skinny looking ones at that.
I'll be surprised if they muster up the energy to produce cones this year.
What kind of light are those getting and when were they planted?
Cheers!
I'll be surprised if they muster up the energy to produce cones this year.
What kind of light are those getting and when were they planted?
Cheers!
OP
OP
LJvermonster
Well-Known Member
1st year hops, probably 6-8 hours of sun a day. Soil is really Sandy. Water every other day or every 2 days. Been hot... Planted these end of may. Am I doing something wrong?
fwiw, I'm an hour away and water on a 3 day cycle. But while my beds are raised and well-draining, I wouldn't describe the soil therein as "sandy", so you might have to water more frequently.
One thing I'd do is dig out the grass around the plants by at least a couple of feet to cut down on competition at the root level.
And while my first reaction to those pics was "not enough direct sunlight" I could easily be wrong and the problem is more with nutrients (or lack thereof) than light.
I mean, they look don't look "ill", they just look like they never really thrived...
Cheers!
One thing I'd do is dig out the grass around the plants by at least a couple of feet to cut down on competition at the root level.
And while my first reaction to those pics was "not enough direct sunlight" I could easily be wrong and the problem is more with nutrients (or lack thereof) than light.
I mean, they look don't look "ill", they just look like they never really thrived...
Cheers!
OP
OP
LJvermonster
Well-Known Member
How deep are your raised beds? I was planning on digging out my hops next year and restarting them in better soil. Do you remember what your raised bed soil mixture is?
My beds are ~9" above grade. When I put them in (5 years ago) I dug down a bit over a foot deep and a couple feet wide over eight foot long strips (for four plants each), tossed the rocks and removed half the soil, mixed compost and well-rotted horse manure ~50/50 into the holes, then mixed back in the soil I had removed 'til the beds were formed.
I fork in more manure each spring along the margins of the beds, leaf mulch heavily in the fall (which the worms turn into castings by the time the snow has melted), and do a couple of feedings during the early growing season if I remember to (though, frankly, the plants don't seem to miss it when I forget).
And with an automatic drip system, I'm pretty much left with just herding rogue runners and killing pests...
Cheers!
I fork in more manure each spring along the margins of the beds, leaf mulch heavily in the fall (which the worms turn into castings by the time the snow has melted), and do a couple of feedings during the early growing season if I remember to (though, frankly, the plants don't seem to miss it when I forget).
And with an automatic drip system, I'm pretty much left with just herding rogue runners and killing pests...
Cheers!
OP
OP
LJvermonster
Well-Known Member
Good info thanks! Do you think I'll have any issues digging up this year's hops and replanting them next spring?
OP
OP
LJvermonster
Well-Known Member
Also, do you have any pictures of what your hops are looking like now?
FizzerNoob
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Here are mine, this years second cropView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440726562.332760.jpg
Moving the crowns in the Spring - or even Fall - will work fine.
Take a healthy root ball when you dig them up and they'll never know what hit 'em
As for this year's hops...this shows the whole bunch back on July 31...
...and 2.5 dry pounds of Centennials vac-bagged and frozen the same day.
This is the tops of the Chinook as of two weeks ago August 14...
...and the tops of the Cascades the same day.
Cheers!
Take a healthy root ball when you dig them up and they'll never know what hit 'em
As for this year's hops...this shows the whole bunch back on July 31...
...and 2.5 dry pounds of Centennials vac-bagged and frozen the same day.
This is the tops of the Chinook as of two weeks ago August 14...
...and the tops of the Cascades the same day.
Cheers!
OP
OP
LJvermonster
Well-Known Member
Moving the crowns in the Spring - or even Fall - will work fine.
Take a healthy root ball when you dig them up and they'll never know what hit 'em
As for this year's hops...this shows the whole bunch back on July 31...
View attachment 299396
...and 2.5 dry pounds of Centennials vac-bagged and frozen the same day.
View attachment 299399
This is the tops of the Chinook as of two weeks ago August 14...
View attachment 299397
...and the tops of the Cascades the same day.
View attachment 299398
Cheers!
This in its entirety is glorious. Well done.
TheHappyHopper
Well-Known Member
FWIW - I am a new hop farmer this year as well (in KS); I have a Mt. Hood and a Cascade plant. The Mt. Hood grew like a champ but never produced any cones (at this point I'm not expecting any to show up), the Cascade took several weeks longer to sprout and it produced +/- 35 cones (but they are a lot smaller than I expected). I'm excited to brew up a Cascade Pale Ale this weekend and I am going to throw all of the fresh Cascade hops in at the end for aroma/flavor.
My thoughts were:
1 - After I trained the vines along the wires I didn't keep up with keeping the grass and weeds away so they were probably competing for nutrients the whole time. I will definitely be much better about that next year.
2 - First year problems? Everything I read said don't expect too many (if any) cones for the first year.
My thoughts were:
1 - After I trained the vines along the wires I didn't keep up with keeping the grass and weeds away so they were probably competing for nutrients the whole time. I will definitely be much better about that next year.
2 - First year problems? Everything I read said don't expect too many (if any) cones for the first year.
Moving the crowns in the Spring - or even Fall - will work fine.
Take a healthy root ball when you dig them up and they'll never know what hit 'em
As for this year's hops...this shows the whole bunch back on July 31...
View attachment 299396
...and 2.5 dry pounds of Centennials vac-bagged and frozen the same day.
View attachment 299399
This is the tops of the Chinook as of two weeks ago August 14...
View attachment 299397
...and the tops of the Cascades the same day.
View attachment 299398
Cheers!
Wow, that looks amazing! How many plants do you have total and how long have you been growing them? They look very healthy, bountiful and mature plants! I hope to have some like this in the back yard with our other raised vegetable gardens!
nestar:
Wow, that looks amazing! How many plants do you have total and how long have you been growing them? They look very healthy, bountiful and mature plants! I hope to have some like this in the back yard with our other raised vegetable gardens!
I have 4 each Centennial, Chinook and Cascade in the ground in three plots (in the pic they go right to left in foursomes). I also have three Fuggles in 8 gallon planters that can't seem to find a permanent home in the yard.
They're all in their fifth year, and yes, they're wicked healthy. The exposure is 187° so they get good sun, they get drip-watered automagically, and the soil is really good between all the stuff I've mixed in - and the work of the worms.
Gotta have worms!
Cheers!
ffaoe
Well-Known Member
Second year cascade cones.
alane1
Well-Known Member
@Day trippr. Did you use anything for insects this year? My Cascades were devastated by Winter moth caterpillars.
This year the cat's ignored my plants - I wondered if the harsh winter here wiped out the early moth attacks.
But I did have a run-in with two-spotted spider mites.
I used a mix of Captain Jack's Deadbug and castile soap and soaked the stem and undersides of the leaves twice, 4 days apart, and that put an end to the mites...
Cheers!
But I did have a run-in with two-spotted spider mites.
I used a mix of Captain Jack's Deadbug and castile soap and soaked the stem and undersides of the leaves twice, 4 days apart, and that put an end to the mites...
Cheers!
alane1
Well-Known Member
Here's a pick of some of the damage View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440857491.121629.jpg
