When you guys harvest your hops, how much bine do you leave on the plant? I've read that you should leave the bottom 2'-3'. Is there a point at which you cut that back even further before winter (Michigan hop growing season)? Do you let that just fall to the ground to die off? What's the procedure for making sure next years plants are healthy and undamaged? I've got what looks like about a 1/2 lb (dried weight) from 6 1st year rhizomes (2 more did not yield). They're all going fresh into a harvest ale in the next week or so...
How much bine to leave/ when to cut back?
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I cut off the whole top off each standing plant leaving ~16' of bines, then cut off any bearing side arms. I leave the standing bines until frost kills 'em (some time in late November) at which time I cut them off a couple inches above the crown, then spread around 4-6" of leaf mulch on the beds and call it a year...
Cheers!
Cheers!
You shouldn't cut anything off first year plants, and sometimes even second year plants, until all the leaves have fallen off.
For our 3rd year and older plants I leave as much as possible. By that I mean if there are no cones on the bine for the first 6 feet, I leave 6 feet. If the cones start at about 3 feet, but there are only a few until 5 feet, I cut at 5 feet. It's all about leaving the most leaves so the plant can store as much energy as possible.
For our 3rd year and older plants I leave as much as possible. By that I mean if there are no cones on the bine for the first 6 feet, I leave 6 feet. If the cones start at about 3 feet, but there are only a few until 5 feet, I cut at 5 feet. It's all about leaving the most leaves so the plant can store as much energy as possible.
squegeeboo
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I'm also wondering about this. But you leave 16 feet? That sounds like a lot. What's the crown? Where it emerges from the ground?
PapaBearJay
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DT is rewarded by a healthy plant the following spring that has all the nutrients from last years growth tucked away in reserve.
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HappiBrew
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Is harvesting a hassle that way? I envisioned cutting the twine from the top and pulling most of the plant down in a chunk. To harvest this way, I'd be leaving the twine system in tact.
derrick45123
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16' just doesn't seem right. So if your harvesting with a harvester, and it requires pretty much the whole bine, how can you be leaving 16'...that's pretty much the whole plant. Even hand picking, are you just picking in the hop yard, how many plants are you doing this with. I can't see you leaving that much unless your just doing a few plants. Not saying it's wrong, but I don't see that being a very efficient plan.
No hassle at all - but then my setup is likely unusual.
I harvest ~90% from the second story deck and the rest from below.
What I leave 'til frost settles in reaches the top railing which is just under 16' from grade.
Yeah, not sure what you're going on about there...
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derrick45123
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I think I'm thinking bigger hop yard, your talking about a few plants in your backyard.... If I was working with 250 plants, I would not want to pick them in the yard. I would rather take them down and move to the shade, or a harvester. Leaving 16' wouldn't be possible.
Arrgh. Forgot to link the pic. And for some reason I can't edit my posts tonight, and I'm betting it's a Stupid Forum Trick that's going to need undoing, but I digress...
Cheers!
Cheers!
derrick45123
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LOL! Well, jeeze, context is everything - and this is a Home Brew Forum. Even assuming a large scale grower would listen to anything me and my mere 15 plants had to say on hops, I doubt he'd be hanging out here looking for advice to begin with
Anyway...yes, the double deck - with a full southern exposure - was serendipitous. As the season progresses I'm literally right on top of any incipient problem before it goes critical, and the whole harvest thing is a piece of cake - I've gotten it down to never needing a ladder through the whole season...
Cheers!
derrick45123
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Ya, it was few beers clouding my head. I really wasn't even considering the fact this is a home brew forum... My dad actually does this with his hops every year.
