I want to grow hops!

[Stauffbier]

Can you good folks recommend a couple reliable sources for ordering rhizomes. I'm in the desert southwest, if it matters...

 

[Labratbrew]

Can you good folks recommend a couple reliable sources for ordering rhizomes. I'm in the desert southwest, if it matters...

Id go with great lakes hops... Such a good deal on hops. Where bouts in southern California do you live??

 

[Stauffbier]

Id go with great lakes hops... Such a good deal on hops. Where bouts in southern California do you live??

I'm actually in El Paso, TX (darn near in Mexico) not California.. Thanks for the resource! I'll check them out. I'm an avid gardener, so I figure growing hops should come easy to me..

 

[Yooper]

I'm actually in El Paso, TX (darn near in Mexico) not California.. Thanks for the resource! I'll check them out. I'm an avid gardener, so I figure growing hops should come easy to me..

Hops don't like hot weather or dry conditions. I think you're going to find them very challenging!

Of course, up north, they grow wild all over the place. They are invasive, even, and we see them all over old barns and sometimes in the strangest places. My brewing buddy found them all over in his back lot, growing like crazy!

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

I'm actually in El Paso, TX (darn near in Mexico) not California.. Thanks for the resource! I'll check them out. I'm an avid gardener, so I figure growing hops should come easy to me..

Sorry dude but you're probably too far south, unless you can use lights to trick your hops into thinking they're experiencing shorter days or you're doing indoor hops.

Check out EdWort's Texas Hop Garden thread and good luck, I don't want to discourage anyone from experimenting but it may be difficult. I'm hoping to grow hops but I'm up in Chicago so I can't say I'm much of an expert of your area and I'm a noob as well when it comes to growing.

 

[Brew_Force]

Don't be discouraged, I have a buddy who grows several different types of hops in his backyard, and I live in the dfw metroplex. You should be able to rig something up with enough determination!

 

[Stauffbier]

I actually grow many things that other people have trouble with in my climate. I've been told that I have a big, fat, green thumb.. What I've learned in my habitat is things that normally grow in full sun up north do fine in partial shade here in the dry heat.. I have things that I keep alive by watering morning and night that otherwise wouldn't survive. I have even simulated humidity with a mister. I'm not opposed to growing indoors if it will yield a decent crop, but I've heard hops can grow quite large. It couldn't hurt to experiment. I have a great little cool spot on the north side of my house that I think might just work..

 

[Jagdad]

You're on the right track- the trick is to keep the feeder roots cool. Most of the deep south guys have luck with a part day of full sun exposure. ( I used to work near Weslaco - loved the barbacue and dancin' - hated the heat!) Good Luck!

 

[Stauffbier]

So I got a new client today that just happens to be a botanist/horticulturist.. AND.. He just happens to be interested in growing hops. He brought it up when I told him that I'm a homebrewer. He says my plan sounds like it will work, and he also says he can help me balance my soil ph to get it right. He was already planning on ordering his own rhizomes soon, and he says he's going to order me some as well! I can't wait to give it a try!

 

[GodsStepBrother]

I have 5 different varieties growing in my backyard. Well I should say four, Willamette hates it in El Paso, the sun tortures it. The ones that are doing well in our dry weather are Chinook and Cascade. Then it is followed by Centennial and Columbus. The Chinook and Cascade both are animals and love the sun, though if I could re plant them I would ignore a lot of the advice I got online. In our climate it is better to not plant them in a mount, the soil is hard to keep wet even if you’re trying. Also do not plant them in the full sun, then you will be like me having to water them twice a day. Hope all goes well, if you need some rhizomes shoot me a pm I will be more than happy to dig some up for you.

 

[Stauffbier]

I have 5 different varieties growing in my backyard. Well I should say four, Willamette hates it in El Paso, the sun tortures it. The ones that are doing well in our dry weather are Chinook and Cascade. Then it is followed by Centennial and Columbus. The Chinook and Cascade both are animals and love the sun, though if I could re plant them I would ignore a lot of the advice I got online. In our climate it is better to not plant them in a mount, the soil is hard to keep wet even if you’re trying. Also do not plant them in the full sun, then you will be like me having to water them twice a day. Hope all goes well, if you need some rhizomes shoot me a pm I will be more than happy to dig some up for you.

This is inspiring news!

 

[hitecgmblr]

I have 5 different varieties growing in my backyard. Well I should say four, Willamette hates it in El Paso, the sun tortures it. The ones that are doing well in our dry weather are Chinook and Cascade. Then it is followed by Centennial and Columbus. The Chinook and Cascade both are animals and love the sun, though if I could re plant them I would ignore a lot of the advice I got online. In our climate it is better to not plant them in a mount, the soil is hard to keep wet even if you’re trying. Also do not plant them in the full sun, then you will be like me having to water them twice a day. Hope all goes well, if you need some rhizomes shoot me a pm I will be more than happy to dig some up for you.

Would you have a problem digging up some rhizomes and shipping them up here to Lubbock? The county I live in is very successful growing wine grapes and ive been wanting to experiment with hops. Im a farmer but transitioning from cotton and peanuts to grapes and hops isnt going to be easy.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

I might suggest still doing mounds but watering in the evening or covering the mounds (except the vine of course) to prevent too much evaporation. Should give you better draining and insulation. I think the main problem is that you'll get lots of vine growth but not as much hop production because of the length of day, I remember reading something about it in another thread about New Zealand growers.

Disclaimer: not an expert, just enthusiast. The other Texas growers definitely know more than me here.

 

[GodsStepBrother]

Would you have a problem digging up some rhizomes and shipping them up here to Lubbock? The county I live in is very successful growing wine grapes and ive been wanting to experiment with hops. Im a farmer but transitioning from cotton and peanuts to grapes and hops isnt going to be easy.

send me one of your homebrews and you got yourself a deal. pm me your address.

 

[Randar]

I might suggest still doing mounds but watering in the evening or covering the mounds (except the vine of course) to prevent too much evaporation. Should give you better draining and insulation. I think the main problem is that you'll get lots of vine growth but not as much hop production because of the length of day, I remember reading something about it in another thread about New Zealand growers.

Disclaimer: not an expert, just enthusiast. The other Texas growers definitely know more than me here.

*bine, not vine.

And yes, southern growers (SoCal, Fla, Texas) can grow them if they insulate the soil and keep it watered enough that it isn't totally dried out. However, hops are photoperiod sensitive and sense the change in day length as days get shorter and this triggers the flowering response. This is why they grow so well in moderate northern climes. Long hot (but not scorching) days and cool nights with plenty of water (naturally or from irrigation)... then, an abrupt and rapid shortening of day length triggers a massive flowering response in one shot. So, they can be grown, but yield is usually smaller and flowering can happen over a length of time as opposed to a single shot. They also need a distinct dormant period where the bines die back and the energy is concentrated in the crown as it prepares for another growing season. They shouldn't be grown year-round without said dormancy period.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

Yeah what Randar said.

Also have you heard about growers using lights at night to trick the hops? I swear I heard that somewhere, seems like it would be a bit of a hassle and annoy the neighbors, but these are hops we're talking about...

 

[Randar]

Yeah what Randar said.

Also have you heard about growers using lights at night to trick the hops? I swear I heard that somewhere, seems like it would be a bit of a hassle and annoy the neighbors, but these are hops we're talking about...

Yes, but I can't imagine the cost one would undertake, even on a small scale, to try to do this.

 

[Greatlakeshops]

Hop lighting is a pretty common practice with hop growers in latitudes near the equator. They don't use high intensity - regular light bulbs are spaced out down the rows - it kinda resembles a christmas tree lot at night. They only are trying to trigger the photosynthesis response and create a "fake" short day. It doesn't cost that much because they only use them a couple of hours per night; and only during certain crop stages.
Unless you're growing in the southern tip of Florida, Texas, or Puerto Rico; it does't make any sense to do it. You can find more info on this if you Google search through places like India, New Zealand, Africa, Etc.
Lighting is mentioned in this forum occasionally because normal household lights, security lighting, or street lights can trigger the same vegetative response. These threads typically start with "my hops are growing but they are not getting any cones and it is already August".

 

[hitecgmblr]

send me one of your homebrews and you got yourself a deal. pm me your address.

Im in the process of moving and my pipeline is gone. As soon as i get set up, you gotta deal!

 

[corkybstewart]

I live in Carlsbad, just up the road from you and I grow hops. Some years they do OK, some years they suck, it all depends on how hot it gets. I tried growing mine on the east side of my barn so the afternoon heat would be easier on them but the really didn't thrive. Now they're in full sun all day and do better. Cascades do best up here, and for a while I had good luck with Nuggets, but a couple of years ago we were on vacation for a month during a heat wave and my daughter didn't water my hops enough so the Nuggets never recovered like the Cascades did.
If you get up to Carlsbad this spring I can dig you up some rhizomes.

 

[HOUZERSON]

Im in Abq , trade 2 double chinook IPAs for some Carlsbad digs?

 

[Stauffbier]

Well, there is no real way to find out other than to try, so I have ordered 4 types of rhizomes. A friend is giving me another variety of rhizome that he grows here locally. A client of mine whom is a botonist is ordering me another type of hops that is a late bloomer, so I'll have late season harvests as well (assuming they grow).. So, I'll be planting about 6 different types. I've already started preping spots around my property. I have chosen spots with full sun, partial sun, and low sun. Let the El Paso desert hops experiment begin!

 

[corkybstewart]

Im in Abq , trade 2 double chinook IPAs for some Carlsbad digs?

Sounds like a plan. They should do a lot better in Querque than down here because of the lower temps. As soon as they start popping up I'll get you some.

 

[Beer_Eugenics]

I live in Laredo, Tx (The Devils Anus) and will be trying to grow Cascade, Centennial and Chinook this year.

 

[Stauffbier]

I live in Laredo, Tx (The Devils Anus) and will be trying to grow Cascade, Centennial and Chinook this year.

Keep us posted on your success. If you can grow in Laredo you can grow anywhere!

 

[HOUZERSON]

Excellent!

 

[Stauffbier]

Well, I only ended up planting 4 types of rhizome so far. I planted Cascades, nugget, Mt. Hood, and Sterling.. They've all sprouted and look good. Hopefully they'll do well...

 

[f0xtr0t]

How are your hops doing since we've enter pre-hell summer (soon to enter 9th level Armageddon hell)?

 

[Stauffbier]

They're struggling a little, but they're growing. I have to keep the soil wet 24/7.. I don't expect to get much of anything out of them this year, but maybe next year they will be doing a little better. The experiment continues!

 

[Stauffbier]

Struggling in the 100+ degree heat, but it's growing. It's at about 5 foot tall, but it seems very skinny and lanky. Hopefully it will beef up after time.