Hops broke ground already

[SHAIV]

Temp got up to 80 today in sc. I started thinking man I wonder when my hops are going to break ground. I checked tonight when I got home and I got two with new growth breaking ground and it's not even march. These are second year plants and I have 4. I think it's the cascade and centennial which surprises me because the centennial didn't do well at all last year. The only one that didn't produce last year

 

[Brizzo]

I'm in central Ct- it's been 50,s-60's this week And all of mine are breaking ground. Lots of new growth underground too.

 

[SHAIV]

Oh really? Ok I didn't even get my rhizomes last year till April so I thought it was like really early for them to show their green little head. I had one plant give me two crops last year I guess I should get more this year. When do you cut them back?

 

[Brizzo]

Really depends on when you plan to harvest- up north you kind of figure that By about the summer solstice you just be preparing for cone production in order to harvest for fall. Not sure about timing for y'all southerners I keep cutting the shoots back until I don't have anymore bull shoots growing.

 

[SHAIV]

How do you tell a bull shoot from a non bull shoot? I got one plant with 6 heads starting to come out the ground

 

[Brizzo]

Bull shoots are the first shoots that pop up- they have a hollow center that u can feel if you squeeze them. There is also a greater distance between leaf nodes too. Just keep clipping them back

 

[jojacques]

Wow. There is still 4 feet of snow and 10-15F temperatures here

 

[SHAIV]

Haha dang! we just got a cold front and the high is 65

 

[Greatlakeshops]

How do you tell a bull shoot from a non bull shoot? I got one plant with 6 heads starting to come out the ground

In a commercial hop yard setting 2nd year on plants only get trimmed once. after the bull shoots are 1'-2' tall. Repetitive trimmings are not necessary and can stunt plant growth and or introduce disease into the plant from continuously trimming shoots near the crown into the spring as disease pressure increases.

As they described, the bull shoots are the largest initial bines. They grow the most vigorously but often have fewer breaks and are generally poor producers of cones.

After those have been trimmed you can train 4-6 bines up 2 strings if they are second year plants. Just be sure your training clockwise around the string. lol They only climb in one direction.

 

[khannon]

Yep, saaz broke the ground last week, and 18" of snow yesterday... That's New England for you...

 

[SHAIV]

Yeah we had snow on Sunday. There was pollen everywhere that week before. Brings a whole new meaning to yellow snow

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Still freezing and waist-deep snow here. I won't see any shoots for another couple months at this rate.

 

[brewcat]

Went and trimmed some old growth today. Saw some new growth. Still awhile before I'll start training. But it gives me some incentive to get in the yard.

 

[wyowolf]

hmmmm I just checked mine yesterday.. nothing and the coldest it ever got here in Ga was about 22 or so... hoping they come up... everything else is blooming already...they came up fine last couple years...

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

My 6yr old chinook has already broke ground here in GA. My cascade and willamette haven't come up. The chinook has 4 shoots 3-4" tall. Looks like it may be a good year!!

 

[wyowolf]

My 6yr old chinook has already broke ground here in GA. My cascade and willamette haven't come up. The chinook has 4 shoots 3-4" tall. Looks like it may be a good year!!

My Cascade hasnt yet I cant believe that they got killed off by this mild winter... will be 3rd year for them

 

[SHAIV]

Dint write it off. One of my cascades has just barely shown its first little green head. It'll come back man might just not be ready yet

 

[FewestKitten896]

Checked yesterday and all of my hops have broke ground, some just barely, Centennial, Cascade, Zeus, Sterling, Chinook and Willamette I believe. They are second year hops but looks like our temps here in northeast Kansas are staying in the 50s-70s*F range.

 

[BrandonMH]

I checked the other day and both cascade and centennial broke ground. They actually did quote some time ago, I still have the leaf litter over them for now. Fluctuations in Temps are constant lately.

 

[Dimax]

Third year Hops Cascades coming up
it's been a pretty dry winter here in my area of Colorado.
Need to start cleaning up around the plants and do some weeding.

 

[wyowolf]

Dint write it off. One of my cascades has just barely shown its first little green head. It'll come back man might just not be ready yet

lol... the Cas and Am just broke ground

 

[SHAIV]

I knew it. Hops are very hardy

 

[BrandonMH]

Checked mine today, almost a few inches already. Still.keeping a light layer on them yet.

 

[caseyodell]

Hello. I'm following this thread trying to understand if I am supposed to cut ALL the early shoots that have come up in the last 2 weeks, or only the smallest ones. Please help. thanks

 

[Brizzo]

Go back to page 1 - follow great lakes hops advice.

 

[newtobrew1981]

Nice

 

[pshankstar]

Mine recently broke ground here in Western NY. I have Chinook and Centennial that were planted last year. Can't wait to see how year two turns out and then the infamous year three next year!

 

[SHAIV]

My cascade had a few bines 2 ft long so I cut them back. I guess the ones I didn't cut will grow now so then I'll have to cut them back whenever they get to 2 feet too? Or should I have just cut them all and then wait to select the best 3 or 4

 

[BrandonMH]

Wondering the same. I know once you start to.train the 3 to 4 bines, you still need to cut the new growth one.