Hops with no where to go

[sumbrewindude]

So, I didn't think 1st year rhizomes where supposed to get this big.

I put up a 10' section of EMT as the rigid pole - separate for each hop rhizome, and my Chinook only sprouted two shoots that now have successfully cleared the poles and are still going strong. So strong, they've started to wind around each other for support and have now cleared 12+ feet with no stopping in sight.

I read on here not to trim anything back on 1st year plants, so I haven't on any of mine, but the Chinook has only put out these two shoots (one from each end of the rhizome) with nothing else.

I'm not a fan of letting the two tops just swing about in the wind up there, but I don't know if I can bolt up another pole/coir set to let them continue up any time soon.

Silly question, but - what are my options? Just let them continue to grow until they topple over?



Sort of timely, because it would appear my Nugget, CTZ, and Fuggles are rapidly approaching the same point...

 

[reeberom]

My chinook is dead. Cascade is looking... Meh...

 

[res291que]

They will stop growing up then start sprouting sideways that's how they develop cones.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[JohnSand]

I had success pinching off the stem on my first year hops last year. This year less, they still got taller. I use a trellis, so I just led them back to it when they bent over.

 

[sumbrewindude]

I may just break down and go get another section of EMT conduit and see if I can't extend the pole height another 6' - that would put me at 16' or so (and definitely get some looks from the neighbors) .

Vines still going, at this point I'm gaining almost 6-8" a day from the Chinook. Looks like a hop windsock at the top of the 10' section.

Time to go shopping again I guess...

 

[PapaBearJay]

I have a first year Cascade rhizome that is currently out-competing two second-year plants (Chinook and Nugget). Honestly, I am quite thrilled but also dread the amount of harvesting I will be doing as I think all but one or two plants will yield this year.

 

[day_trippr]

Ahahahahahahaha! (<- think "Bela Lugosi evil laugh" )

Just wait.

I remember how thrilled I was that my first year dozen plants yielded a few pounds of dry cones - and how much fun it was!

Fast forward to Year Three: "The Hops Strike Back". I was scratched up and worn out by the end of the season, I have a freezer that still nearly full of vac-sealed hops - and I do 200 gallons a year here, with half of that hoppy pales and IPAs!

It's gettin' crazy all up in here!

Cheers!

 

[sumbrewindude]

As an update, I put another 10' section of EMT off to the side by quite a bit and strung lines horizontally to the ground as a hypoteneus. It's been a royal PITA to wrap the hops across the horizontal lines, but so far they're behaving. I have to take a ladder out every evening and re-wrap the lines with the ends that are reaching skyward.

The Chinook is now at 20' and throwing side arms everywhere, the Nugget's at 15' and is worse than the Chinook with side arms, and the CTZ is about 14' and completely covering all possible routes up with at least 8 bines going at once - looks like a dang hop column up to the point, then it's a mess on the horizontal line.

Fuggles is hanging in there, and the Cascade/Hallertau are still the pokey ones to the party.

These things are way bigger than I expected for a container hop garden. I need to figure out a better system before next year.

 

[B-Hoppy]

These things are way bigger than I expected for a container hop garden. I need to figure out a better system before next year.

That's what the first year is all about, haha! The more varieties you grow will give you a better perspective as to which ones will do well for you (and are worth keeping). Some may grow well but won't produce, and like was mentioned earlier, they'll become a lot of work once they become established so have fun and take good notes . . . or just have a few and watch them grow, your call!

 

[thaymond]

As an update, I put another 10' section of EMT off to the side by quite a bit and strung lines horizontally to the ground as a hypoteneus. It's been a royal PITA to wrap the hops across the horizontal lines, but so far they're behaving. I have to take a ladder out every evening and re-wrap the lines with the ends that are reaching skyward.

The Chinook is now at 20' and throwing side arms everywhere, the Nugget's at 15' and is worse than the Chinook with side arms, and the CTZ is about 14' and completely covering all possible routes up with at least 8 bines going at once - looks like a dang hop column up to the point, then it's a mess on the horizontal line.

Fuggles is hanging in there, and the Cascade/Hallertau are still the pokey ones to the party.

These things are way bigger than I expected for a container hop garden. I need to figure out a better system before next year.

Pics or gtfo! Just kidding. I had a similar problem last year with Nugget. It reached the top of my house growing diagonally (about 25') and then tried eating my satellite dish. I fixed the problem this year by trying to contain my hops in 4x4x6 boxes (plus my HOA are jerks). They can now grow as freely as they like with no "height" restrictions as the rope is over 40 continuous feet. Nugget is approaching that growth mark at 30+ something.

 

[sumbrewindude]

Thaymond -

Dude there are mornings I'm just happy I know how to turn on the computer and find HBT. Pictures might take more talent than I've been allowed.

I saw those "boxes" earlier this year and thought that looked like a great idea, but then once my mess started growing I looked back and said "How the heck is he going to get around the mess? He should have left some space inbetween them so he could get at all the sides he could!"

Well, Cascade and Hallertau are back in the running, Chinook is throwing spurs everywhere and actually looks like a hop plant, Nugget's throwing side arms and doing nothing on the spur front, and the CTZ is just being a pain, most of the leaves from 3' to ground are yellowing out and dying off, but it's starting to throw spurs up top.

I have no idea what the heck it's up to, it's not like it doesn't have enough water (E/O day if required) or food (fert with a tsp of 16/21/16 every other week). Honestly its the only one I'm worried about because of something I read that said if CTZ's stressed it'll flipflop genders. After all this the last thing I want is a male plant, but the spurs are giving me hope.

I think I worry too much about the hops vs the regular garden that's right next to it.

 

[thaymond]

Sumbrewindude - for sure! You're right. Its a tangled horrible mess. I have to problem solve for some changes to the boxes for next year to try and make harvest easier. Its going to be a pain in the rear this year.