Is this a hops plant?

[WayFrae]

So I moved into my first house over the winter that has an over grown yard. As I was doing yard work this weekend I was cleaning up a trellis that had some dead vine on it. As I was chopping away I noticed some leaves at the base of the trellis that look a lot like hop leaves and the bines feel kind of like the rough side of Velcro. Do you think that this plant might be hops? I have two trellises in the yard with similar looking leaves and bines. Let me know what you guys think. Sorry if the photo is bad, I took it with my phone.

 

[Roondy888]

That is definitely Humulus lupulus!!

 

[PapaBearJay]

So I moved into my first house over the winter that has an over grown yard. As I was doing yard work this weekend I was cleaning up a trellis that had some dead vine on it. As I was chopping away I noticed some leaves at the base of the trellis that look a lot like hop leaves and the bines feel kind of like the rough side of Velcro. Do you think that this plant might be hops? I have two trellises in the yard with similar looking leaves and bines. Let me know what you guys think. Sorry if the photo is bad, I took it with my phone.

That is a hops plant, at least from the present image, though I'd be hesitant to actually say if it was lupulus or not. Those don't look to be fairly tall, which means the leaves are not likely the mature foliage. That said, you could monitor and take photos throughout the season and let us now. If you're willing, there are those of use who would be interested in using it if in fact it is lupulus, so I'd be interested if you'd be willing to share any rhizomes present.

I'd make it available to anyone interested as a result of your generosity.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[WayFrae]

Awesome! You are right they aren't very tall. The tallest ones are maybe 16 inches or so. I was trying to clean up some dead leaves and twigs around the base and accidentally broke some of the bines. I will take more pictures as time goes on. I am willing to send rhizomes but I don't know exactly how to harvest them. This is my first hops growing experience. I ordered a couple crowns a week ago before I noticed I had these growing. Will I have to cut the green bines off in order to harvest some rhizomes?

 

[PapaBearJay]

Awesome! You are right they aren't very tall. The tallest ones are maybe 16 inches or so. I was trying to clean up some dead leaves and twigs around the base and accidentally broke some of the bines. I will take more pictures as time goes on. I am willing to send rhizomes but I don't know exactly how to harvest them. This is my first hops growing experience. I ordered a couple crowns a week ago before I noticed I had these growing. Will I have to cut the green bines off in order to harvest some rhizomes?

No, not necessarily. What you can do is follow the green growth to the ground, and dig slightly around it. What you will find is either a mass of roots, lateral and otherwise, as well as rhizomes (or should anyways). You should be able to quickly differentiate between the two, as the rhizome will have small protrusions on the side (potential sites of active growth) which would be analogous to a leaf bud on a tree branch. The roots however will possess only more roots, and no buds. The rhizomes should also appear blanched in color as compared to the root system.

If you dig, take pictures and I can help you differentiate.

In order to harvest, just cut. Leave some growth between the crown and your cut, and make sure you use a clean pruner/shovel, and just snip. Quite simple. Rhizome cuttings are generally 5-8 inches in length and have about 3-6 buds. The size and amount will depend on many factors associated with plant health and soil fertility.

 

[Gar]

How very cool of the previous owner to hook you up.

 

[JacksonPollock]

I am no expert, but it looks like it could be a wild grape plant.

Edit: Actually, I've changed my mind; it doesn't look much like a wild grape vine at all.

 

[dantose]

I am no expert, but it looks like it could be a wild grape plant.

Edit: Actually, I've changed my mind; it doesn't look much like a wild grape vine at all.

Not impossible, but the lobes are very distinct and have a very pronounced serration that makes me think hops.

EDIT: ninjaed by the guy I was quoting!

 

[Gar]

I am no expert, but it looks like it could be a wild grape plant.

Edit: Actually, I've changed my mind; it doesn't look much like a wild grape vine at all.

im not gonna say your wrong but alot of the hops ive grown in different areas look like that even if you striped the leaves off id know that stem. full disclouser im piss drunk off homebrew and could be talking ****

 

[B-Hoppy]

I am willing to send rhizomes but I don't know exactly how to harvest them. This is my first hops growing experience. I ordered a couple crowns a week ago before I noticed I had these growing. Will I have to cut the green bines off in order to harvest some rhizomes?

Think of the crown (the main place where the growth is coming from) as kinda like an octopus. The head is where the first new growth comes up and the tentacles (rhizomes) radiate outward, usually found within the top 6-8 inches of the soil radiating outward from the crown. If you plant a crown or rhizome, they usually won't start sending out rhizomes until the second or third year, yours look like they've been in the ground for a while so there may be some rhizomes. Mostly, the roots tend to go straight downward from the crown (not always though), but you can usually tell a rhizome from a root because of the 'buds' that form on them, kinda like the eyes on a potato. The roots won't have any buds or eyes. Some pics may help:
1 A very vigorous Canadian Redvine crown that tends to put out a bunch of really thin rhizomes every year.
2 Centennial rhizomes that are usually big and fat but few and far between
3-4 Big fatty Chinook rhizomes.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Nice Chinook! Must be heck to dig!

 

[WayFrae]

Ok it seems easy enough. Should I wait to harvest the rhizomes or is now the time to do it?

 

[PapaBearJay]

Doing it now would be better, that way the plant has the entire season to recover.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[B-Hoppy]

Nice Chinook! Must be heck to dig!

It only takes about a half an hour per crown now. Every year after digging the 'rhizome region' gets backfilled with a little compost and the digging gets easier as time goes on. Those Chinook were actually just shoots that were buried last spring rather than letting them climb. For some reason that plant doesn't put out many rhizomes naturally so I have to help her along, ha!

 

[WayFrae]

I checked on the plant this morning and it is looking kind of sad. I must have done more harm than good in trimming away all the dead bines. I watered her a bit this morning so I will see how she looks when I get home. I would rather wait until she looks healthy and happy before harvesting any rhizomes I think.

 

[WayFrae]

I just thought I would give you guys an update. I decided to just let the plant be for now and let it grow on the same trellis the previous owner's had it growing on. It is only a 6 foot trellis and the tallest bine is already a foot taller than the trellis so I am trying to train it to some twine I put along the fence. So far so good. Here is what it looks like now. I was thinking that maybe I should trim some of that bottom growth but I don't know. I feel guilty cutting it! HAHA! I will try to remember to update this thread and let you know how the hops taste after harvest and then in the spring I will harvest some rhizomes for you guys!

 

[j1n]

That's pretty cool. Is there any way to contact the previous owner and ask what kind of hops he planted back there?

 

[WayFrae]

I don't know. I never met the previous owner. The house was foreclosed on and I bought it from the bank. I kind of like not knowing. I am hoping to get enough from the harvest to make a pale ale or IPA with only these mystery hops

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Dam serious rhizomes B.

 

[WWJPD]

Don't feel bad about cutting back. It'll give more energy to the stronger portion of the plant. Especially on the bottom leaves where the bugs might munch on, if I see more than a few holes that have been chewed on a leaf, I'll snip it off. Same with any leaf that looks "bad".

Also, I've heard you should try to cut back the shoots from the same plant to maybe 4 or 5 bines. It pained me to do it the first time, but I can't argue that it worked great.