How to Grow Hops

[SHRHOP]

Best Regards: Please how can I identify the male HOP plant from the female plant diference the flower.

Thank for your help

 

[Suds]

I would contact Freshops - These really know there stuff. Also, if you're looking only to propagate hops, just order from them and you'll only get the female plant - no need for the male.

www.freshops.com

 

[SHRHOP]

Thanks for your answer. I don´t propigate hops but i have 10 hop plants 1 of them is male and others is female there are little and i can´t identify because not are in flower state. I want to identify the male plant before it flowering

 

[Suds]

Ah, understood. I would call those guys at Freshops...I'm sure they can answer your question. Happy Hopping!

 

[Golddiggie]

Growing Hops

VERY helpful link...

IF I cannot plant in my sister/mother's yard, I'll see if I can get my landlord to let me take some of the south facing ground by the driveway (close to the house) and plant one rhizome per 5 gallon bucket. Thinking that if I don't fill it all the way, I'll drill some holes right about 'ground level' in the bucket for water to drain out of. I could even use some mesh screening to make sure less soil gets through the holes. I have some stands I made a few years back to hold 2x2 wood (for holding targets) that I could use to run the trellis from... A couple of long enough sections of 2x2, with string between, and coming down, could be done pretty easy that way (cheaply too)... I like the bucket idea since I'll plan on either being in a place where I can plant into the ground, within a couple of more years. Or convince family to let me plant in their yard...

Thinking of one or two hops per variety I like to use (the majority of the time) would be good... If I have a brew that needs something else, I'll just pick those up... From the sounds of things, a couple of plants cost not much more than a couple of brewings worth of hops, initially. The real pay-off is having your own hops in your brews (from my thoughts) plus the very little (if any) future expense...

 

[zap_1961]

Well, I have a second home in Western Colorado, so I guess I need to get my irrigation system setup so I can get some of these little guys growing at my place.... hummm fresh hops.... nice.

 

[Greatlakeshops]

Found several helpful growing guides from cooperative extensions.
Unfortunately, the files are too big to attach directly to this post.
So I am posting my URL -www.greatlakeshops.com
If you Look under the "Docs" in the left margin, you'll find them there. If you scroll down the posts a ways, you will also find a very cool visual chart from London brewers that compares hop oils and bitterness by variety.
I do not intend this as spam- and if anyone with more computer savvy can transfer the info to HBT - please do! Thanks, and hope this helps the newbies!

 

[Hambrew]

Anyone grow hops in Florida? I'm just north of Tampa and it is very hot here in the summer and would like to know if it's even possible to grow them here.

Did you end up growing hops?

-John

 

[sweetcell]

Found several helpful growing guides from cooperative extensions.
Unfortunately, the files are too big to attach directly to this post.
So I am posting my URL -www.greatlakeshops.com
If you Look under the "Docs" in the left margin, you'll find them there. If you scroll down the posts a ways, you will also find a very cool visual chart from London brewers that compares hop oils and bitterness by variety.
I do not intend this as spam- and if anyone with more computer savvy can transfer the info to HBT - please do! Thanks, and hope this helps the newbies!

excellent resource, thanks!

a good "hops 101" one-page can be found here: http://www.willamettevalleyhops.com/growing (PDF has same content as the web page)

 

[mr_y82]

my babies have sprouted and are growing like hell! 2nd year...

 

[ahaley]

Hey guys I'm thinking about growing hops, is it too late in the season?

 

[Greatlakeshops]

It's not too late in the season. We have a lot of guys that are still planting.

 

[drummstikk]

Hey guys I'm thinking about growing hops, is it too late in the season?

It's really never too late to plant.

You're in the Central Valley, right? If you don't expect hard freezes, then I suppose you could even plant in the middle of the winter. The rhizome would just lie dormant until the spring.

If you take the rhizome from a cool refrigerator to a frozen ground, I can see it having issues with cold damage because it hasn't had time to "harden". This is the process that plants use to pump cryoprotectants into their tissues in anticipation of winter. This is the only issue with the timing of rhizome planting that I'm aware of.

 

[ahaley]

It's really never too late to plant.

You're in the Central Valley, right? If you don't expect hard freezes, then I suppose you could even plant in the middle of the winter. The rhizome would just lie dormant until the spring.

If you take the rhizome from a cool refrigerator to a frozen ground, I can see it having issues with cold damage because it hasn't had time to "harden". This is the process that plants use to pump cryoprotectants into their tissues in anticipation of winter. This is the only issue with the timing of rhizome planting that I'm aware of.

Awesome thanks, and yes I'm in the central valley and I've seen ice come here like.. 4 times in about 20 years or so lol now I just need to learn about what hops to grow lol

 

[MrWhite]

Any one know of any commercial hop operations in CA? We are a winery/vineyard in the Central coast of CA and are thinking of putting in about 10 acres of hops for some of the local micro brew guys around here. I'm trying to learn what I can from google, but it would be really helpful to see an operation with my own eyes. can anyone point me in a good direction?

Thanks!

 

[drummstikk]

The only commercial hop farm I know of in CA is Hop-Meister. They are extremely nice people, and in a totally different local market, so I bet they'd be happy to help.

Good luck! You're living the dream!

 

[ddrrseio]

i got three crowns from great lakes hops back in april and i am collecting cones now! they run a great farm, which you can see on their facebook page, and they have great prices.

if i were considering whether to begin now or next season, i'd certainly start now and let those crowns get going so you can anticipate a stronger plant and a larger harvest next year.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Is it normal to start having bronzing in the leaves as it nears harvest time? Or are my bines just giving me a sign that they want some nutes? Its not spider mites or any pest problem.

 

[Mobeers]

When is to late to plant, I'm in southern CA and is still 100+?

 

[DrexelBrewer]

Check out 'Aquaponics' I have a setup in my basement now, next to my fermentation setups.

Using aquaponics to grow indoors would be tough, but you could do it outdoors.

My youtube name is "Twizzlerx25" check out my aquaponics videos. If you're a homebrewer or a DIY kinda person, you could easily get into it. It's 'Green' and 'Sustainable'. Check it out.

If anyone wants to throw me some seeds/rhizomes i'll make room in my setup and modify it so that I can grow hops, and i'll document it as well and post it to this forum.

I have flourescent lights as well as HPS lights for fruiting plants.

-Sean

 

[johns]

bump

 

[BFry86]

Hey gents,
I planted all my Rhizomes last May and had great results for the first year. This is my first spring and I have them coming up like crazy. I've heard many people say that one should trim back the first that come up. Any suggestions? I've got two rhizomes per mound and anywhere from 4-15 shoots that are almost a foot tall. Thanks

 

[Guidry]

Same here....Waiting for advice.


Thanks!

 

[wildcatman17]

Can I grow if I have dogs in the yard

 

[brewmcq]

Can I grow if I have dogs in the yard

Yes.

Just keep the dogs away from your plants.

 

[sweetcell]

Can I grow if I have dogs in the yard

i have a dog, she chews and eats everything under the sun it seems. she has shown zero interest in my hop plants. she spends all day in the backyard where i have my cascade and centennial. over the past year i've had 3 different dogs over for play-dates, none of them paid any attention to the hops (except maybe peeing on them). i have 2-foot chicken wire around the plants mostly to protect from the lawnmower and from being stepped on.

there is a lot of disagreement over how dangerous hops are. based on what i've read, it's a lot like peanut allergies with kids: rare, but deadly when it happens. i believe that only stalky, muscley breeds are affected, and even then they need to have a genetic predisposition. i've also read that it's the boiled, isomerized hops that are deadly - not the raw plants. there are a ton of threads on here with people who's experience or opinions don't match mine, so read up before making your own decisions.

 

[sweetcell]

Hey gents,
I planted all my Rhizomes last May and had great results for the first year. This is my first spring and I have them coming up like crazy. I've heard many people say that one should trim back the first that come up. Any suggestions? I've got two rhizomes per mound and anywhere from 4-15 shoots that are almost a foot tall. Thanks

another topic with a lot of confusing information and disagreement. it's important for commercial farmers to cut the first growth because they want plants that are all the same size and all ready to harvest at the time time. in large monoculture fields, it also helps with disease control.

it's very unclear, as far as i can tell, if home growers should cut their first growth. we don't need uniformity among plants, since we typically only have 1 of each type of plant (and if you have more than one, does it really matter to you if columbus #1 needs to be harvest one week and columbus #2 is ready the next?). i am not cutting back the first growth on any of my plants... i don't see any advantage to doing it.

one thing you will want to do with second year plants is to eventually trim back the bines and keep only 4-6 of the healthiest per plant.

 

[GVH_Dan]

There are lots of "reasons" to cut the first flush but reading the literature doesn't support any of them expect exactly what you have pointed out...uniformity and disease control.

For homebrewers, it would makes sense if your hops are popping up too early in the year. The other reason to cut them is they are real tasty.

 

[brewmcq]

i have 2-foot chicken wire around the plants mostly to protect from the lawnmower and from being stepped on.

there is a lot of disagreement over how dangerous hops are.

I'm mostly interested in protecting my plants... my dog has sniffed all around them and even sniffed crushed up cones (in my hand) and has shown zero interest.

It's the green beans we need to keep her out of... she'll eat an entire harvest in an afternoon.. not the plants, but the beans.. that crazy mutt loves her some green beans.. lol

 

[sweetcell]

For homebrewers, it would makes sense if your hops are popping up too early in the year.

interesting. can you elaborate on what you mean by "popping up too early"? do you mean before the risk of frost has past? or is there any other reason to delay the bines?

my newport is 6 feet tall already.