Hop Growing in Pennsylvania

[SixFoFalcon]

I has forgotten about this thread! Almost 4 years ago I planted Cascade, Centennial, Goldings, and Nugget. I don't remember if it was draught or insane amounts of rain, but that first year was a really tough year for crops. The Goldings never really took off. The Nuggets started out well, but then basically died off before flowering. The Cascades and Centennials were strong from the start despite the poor conditions.

Second year, the Centennials just didn't come back, or maybe they came back but were really weak, I don't fully remember.

The Cascades are still kicking ass even though I don't do much for them. I just cut them back in the fall, top dress the area with compost, then more compost in spring and give them a trellis to climb.

 

[gavball6]

I has forgotten about this thread! Almost 4 years ago I planted Cascade, Centennial, Goldings, and Nugget. I don't remember if it was draught or insane amounts of rain, but that first year was a really tough year for crops. The Goldings never really took off. The Nuggets started out well, but then basically died off before flowering. The Cascades and Centennials were strong from the start despite the poor conditions.

Second year, the Centennials just didn't come back, or maybe they came back but were really weak, I don't fully remember.

The Cascades are still kicking ass even though I don't do much for them. I just cut them back in the fall, top dress the area with compost, then more compost in spring and give them a trellis to climb.

I am about to order three crowns to plant in SE PA this year... I think I am going to go with Cascade, Centennial and Perle.

SixFoFalcon,
How tall a trellis are you using? Are you pretty much letting them do their thing without any training ropes?

 

[SixFoFalcon]

I'm on my third iteration of a trellis, and this one's a keeper. It's probably about 15' high and the hops would love to go at least another 5' if I had the room.

The trellis consists of one telescoping aluminum support, with about a 4' length of square aluminum tubing mounted horizontally at the top. I run 6 or 8 lengths of bailing twine from the top support down to one of those corkscrew dog leash anchors which is about 1' in front of where the hop bines emerge. Once the bines get about 3' long I'll get them started training up the twine and the rest is up to mother nature.

I'll try to remember get some pics this spring when I set it up.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

It's April and my 3 hops vines are almost 12" long! I have a 16' tower erected for the twine and have begun twirling. I am in Philadelphia. How are yours doing?

 

[ffaoe]

My two cascades did decent last season for their first year. I had them in pots and they were limited in how high I was able to let them grow. This season I moved them to South Jersey and repotted them in much larger pots. I was actually able to cut a new rhizome off the one so I'm up to three. This year they will have plenty of room to grow with about 20 feet of twine to grow up.
From what I'm told they were at about 6 inches earlier this week and about to be started up the twine.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

Do you have them in pots in order to keep them portable? Mine are in the garden next to my veggies. This is my second growing season too and they are WAY ahead of last year at the same time. I'm growing Perle, Cascade and Centennial.

My two cascades did decent last season for their first year. I had them in pots and they were limited in how high I was able to let them grow. This season I moved them to South Jersey and repotted them in much larger pots. I was actually able to cut a new rhizome off the one so I'm up to three. This year they will have plenty of room to grow with about 20 feet of twine to grow up.
From what I'm told they were at about 6 inches earlier this week and about to be started up the twine.

 

[ffaoe]

Yes, I kept them potted. The new pots are much bigger this year, about 4 or 5 gallons in volume. I'd definitely prefer to care for them myself this year but where I'm living now I really didn't have any good space to grow them last year. They have plenty of room to grow where they are at now.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Most of mine are around 12" and going. The cascade are 5 yrs and the rest 2-3 yrs. I am way behind on the field this year. Need to get the twine up this week. If anyone needs rhizomes still have alot of them yet to be dug.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

I have room for 1 or 2 more plants, what varieties do you have?

On a gardening note: I heavily mulched the garden with fall leaves over the winter and dumped ashes from the wood burning stove all winter. I uncovered the shoots when I suspected there might be some growth and they took off like crazy. I worked a ring of hummus/manure around each plant and they seem be enjoying it immensely. I was concerned with applying a chemical fertilizer for fear of salt burns. Otherwise the hops are enjoying several years of soil conditioning from my tomato, pepper and eggplant gardening.

Most of mine are around 12" and going. The cascade are 5 yrs and the rest 2-3 yrs. I am way behind on the field this year. Need to get the twine up this week. If anyone needs rhizomes still have alot of them yet to be dug.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Here is what I still have. I am asking 3 ea and 5.35 for shipping 15 for 5.85. Cascade I will do 4 for 10 due to how may I have.
Here is a list of what I do have now. Pm me with want
.
CASCADE
CENTENNIAL
COLUMBUS
FUGGLE
GLACIER
GOLDINGS
HALLERTAU (US)
MAGNUM
TETTNANG
WILLAMETTE
NUGGETT

 

[WissahickonBrew]

My Centennial vine is about 8', Perle and Nugget are 5' and 6' respectively. I am worried my 16' trellis is not going to be tall enough. Any thoughts on this?

 

[gavball6]

Anyone harvest any cones yet? I am thinking that I might have some cones already ready. Gonna lower the lines and check tomorrow, but I am just curious if anyone else is seeing the same thing?

 

[WissahickonBrew]

I've been looking at hops that are so big and full, they look ready to pick! The literature states August, and to test them by squeezing. I think it's so ambiguous!

 

[bstanko30]

I grew some with good success ;EKG, Chinook, and Fuggles, checking the soil pH is the key, don't over water them and plenty of sunlight with some general wide band fetilizer worked well here just to your north, here are some shots from this past summer and fall harvest:

Wow!? Those look awesome!!

 

[gavball6]

So I lowered my lines today and, sure enough, I did have some cones ready for an early harvest. Only 1oz wet of Centennial, but they were definitely ready to pick. A bunch of cones weren't ready yet on the same plant (or my Cascade and Perle plants) plus there were still a lot of new burrs forming.

Hope to have a big harvest in another month or two!

 

[WissahickonBrew]

How do you know for sure they are ready to pick? How will you store them? freeze?

So I lowered my lines today and, sure enough, I did have some cones ready for an early harvest. Only 1oz wet of Centennial, but they were definitely ready to pick. A bunch of cones weren't ready yet on the same plant (or my Cascade and Perle plants) plus there were still a lot of new burrs forming.

Hope to have a big harvest in another month or two!

 

[gavball6]

How do you know for sure they are ready to pick? How will you store them? freeze?

I rely mainly on the squeeze test (squeeze between thumb and finger and the hop cone should bounce right back to shape... if it stays compressed, they aren't ready yet). They should also feel papery and sort of make a crinkling sounds when you rub them. Lastly, the ones I picked were starting to turn brown at the ends of each leaf in the cone.

I will vacuum seal and freeze this first little batch. Since it will only be about 0.2-0.25 oz when they are dry, there isn't much I can do with them by themselves!

 

[TVM71]

I'm in the Lancaster area and third year Cascades look ready to pick as well, which seems a little early but they feel ready and also turning brown. I'm guessing the heat last week didn't really help that situation.

 

[gavball6]

I'm in the Lancaster area and third year Cascades look ready to pick as well, which seems a little early but they feel ready and also turning brown. I'm guessing the heat last week didn't really help that situation.

I was definitely surprised that some would be ready this soon, but they certainly were. Just a tiny bit though.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

No doubt this killer heat wave must have had an effect on the maturation of the crop.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

I rely mainly on the squeeze test (squeeze between thumb and finger and the hop cone should bounce right back to shape... if it stays compressed, they aren't ready yet). They should also feel papery and sort of make a crinkling sounds when you rub them. Lastly, the ones I picked were starting to turn brown at the ends of each leaf in the cone.

I will vacuum seal and freeze this first little batch. Since it will only be about 0.2-0.25 oz when they are dry, there isn't much I can do with them by themselves!

How do you vacuum seal for freezing?

 

[bchurch]

I picked 2oz. Dry already and I still have a few more cascades I can pick. Must be the weather!

 

[gavball6]

How do you vacuum seal for freezing?

I use an old school Foodsaver vacuum sealer that my mom bought when I was a kid. I never remember her using it and on a whim asked her if she still had it last summer. Sure enough, she did and it works great for sealing up the homegrown hops!

 

[WissahickonBrew]

I use an old school Foodsaver vacuum sealer that my mom bought when I was a kid. I never remember her using it and on a whim asked her if she still had it last summer. Sure enough, she did and it works great for sealing up the homegrown hops!

I looked them up, NOT CHEAP! I guess for now we will zip lock them and squeeze the air out. They will be tossed into a boil in a few weeks anyway!

 

[TVM71]

I think I'm going to harvest some this weekend and see what I come out with weight wise and do a Cascade Pale Ale as to not having to worry about storage. Some of the ones I did ziploc bags in the freezer last year didn't hold so well but probably left them in too long.

 

[bchurch]

I looked them up, NOT CHEAP! I guess for now we will zip lock them and squeeze the air out. They will be tossed into a boil in a few weeks anyway!

I got mine off of eBay with a ton of bags and 3 rolls that you can use to make any size bag you want for 35 bucks! Just keep an eye out and one should pop up eventually.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

I got mine off of eBay with a ton of bags and 3 rolls that you can use to make any size bag you want for 35 bucks! Just keep an eye out and one should pop up eventually.

Good call, I need to set up a Google Alert!

 

[Weezy]

Thanks for this thread, fellas! One day I'll start some plants and seeing some people in the climate doing well is heartening.

 

[WissahickonBrew]

Last weekend I braved the tiny black mosquito swarm (issitme, or are they particularly aggressive this summer?) and picked a total of 9 oz. fresh weight of Centennial, Perle and Nugget. Centennial by far was the highest yield. There are more on the vines and will get them in a week or so.

Does anyone know a good conversion tool to calculate dry/fresh hop equivalents?

Related question: Does anyone know of SE Pennsylvania commercial hop growers?

Would anyone like to trade a few of their Citra rhizomes for healthy, vigorous Centennial, Perle or Nugget this Fall?

 

[TVM71]

I ended up with about 4 1/2 ounces of Cascade the other week and happy to see more have sprouted since then.