Japan Hops Trading -

[Blue-Frog]

You Gaiz! Guess what came today!View attachment 199386

What's New?

Several of us have been lucky enough to have recieved cuttings from OB;
I would like to know how those cuttings/rhizomes are doing.

The Centennial I got is growing as a miniature; the vines not getting much longer than 50cm.

The Magnum, although it its too early to draw any conclusions, is also sluggish,
but is producing robust, wide leaved short internode short "indica" like growth, Unfortunately, it is only ca.10 cm or so tall.

How are other people's cuttings of these two been growing?

-------------------
And just so no one feels left out,
how about the new ladies from the US ?

Have they shown any activity yet?


So curious.

Blue-Frog

 

[OppamaBrendan]

Just my 2 cents.
The main plants the cuttings are from are doing poorly this year, stalled at 8-10 feet high and the magnum took a lot of abuse from leaf eating insects. If I recall last year they stalled at this time and then took off again later in the season, but it bothers me since some people are getting harvests and I must be doing something wrong. I don't think I will cut them next year, but will put them in the ground instead of planters.

 

[Fencdar]

of the 4 rhizomes I've planted, this Sterling is the only one doing anything at all.

I dug up the centennials, and they were just dead. I guess that's what happens when you ship late, and overseas. I tossed them and planted 2 willamettes in their place (shoulda planted them earlier, but no time)

 

[Blue-Frog]

humm...
ok don't bite my head off for doubting you,
but were your really really sure they were just dead?"

Only say that because sometimes they amaze me with sudden burst of green growth out of brown twigs that look incapable of supportting life...

it might be wise to earth "mummys" in a spot you haunt often, just in case.

Interesting Planter do-hickey! (not the planter but the sticks)

What its called-n-where'd ja get it? Price?

I will try to find the same one if you have the name or code whatver.

Havent seen that design before!
But the planter looks like the 3 I bought recently.

Blue-Frog

 

[Fencdar]

humm...
ok don't bite my head off for doubting you,
but were your really really sure they were just dead?"

Well they were in the dirt for several weeks, and they looked the same as the day I put them there. No new shoots at all.

it might be wise to earth "mummys" in a spot you haunt often, just in case.

Not a bad idea, I'll plant it in my apartment's empty garden space (which we are forbidden from using ><)

Interesting Planter do-hickey! (not the planter but the sticks)

What its called-n-where'd ja get it? Price?

I will try to find the same one if you have the name or code whatver.

Havent seen that design before!
But the planter looks like the 3 I bought recently.

Blue-Frog

The planter and sticks are from Shimachu Homes. Planters are self-watering type (using capillary action to suck it up from a bottom reservoir).

The sticks are just tomato doohickeys, and I wrap a thick twine in a spiral around the outside.

No idea bout the prices or anything, sorry.

 

[OppamaBrendan]

I agree with BF on the "mummies". If the rhizomes are not clearly rotten/decayed, then there is a good chance they could just be dormant. Stress seems to be the cause of a lot of that.
My own hops are suddenly putting out new growth, though they had lost 50% or more of their leaf area to bugs and were stagnant for probably 3 weeks. I have been using AACT (active aerated compost tea) on everything at least once per week, and hope this is going to help. It is full of a diverse microfauna that I hope will help fight off diseases (powdery mildew is an issue with my cucurbits).
Cheers!
B

 

[Blue-Frog]

Hop Growers...

I want to ask the hop gardeners here to consider spliting a bag of antioxidants for packing with their hops this year,

and

making some observations or comparisons w & w/o them.

There are many types and sizes,
but in general, they run about 2,000&#65509; for 200~400 or so...

I don't need so many!

If you know you will harvest this year, or have high hopes,

Wanna give these guys a try?

Blue-Frog

 

[OppamaBrendan]

I just cut all the leaves off my Centennial. Infested with spider mites and no new growth for weeks. About 3 weeks ago I did this to my Magnum and it has completely rebounded with more leaves than before and pest-free(ish)

 

[Blue-Frog]

My 2 (Centenial & Magnum) have just put out their 3rd set of bines, failure after failure... this time looks good though... about the size of the Sterling pictured above....

Can you see those Mighty Mites with the naked eye?
I am not sure I would know it if they were looking me straight in the face!
In the past I have seen things that look like them but don't know how to tell them from our friends, the predatory ? Mites.

I found a 7 inch black snake in the hop bed... and 2 sets of wasps.

 

[Guzzibrew]

Blue Frog you were wanting an update on the hops OB provided:

No pictures yet (I'll try and take a couple tomorrow).

Both my Centennial and Magnum have put out one pretty good bine each, the Magnum has a second smaller bine that I'll keep going, the Centennial has an additional 2 small bines, but none big enough to train.

The main bines are now about 1-1.5 meters long. Some of the lower leaves are yellow around the edge- too much water now it is rainy season? Or could it be something else?

The tops are green however. There is lots of room for them to grow- almost 6 meters of height to the eaves of the roof.

I've thinned most of the growth near ground level to give them a fighting chance against the extra moisture we now have.

I'm wondering about were to find organic fertilizer and all the other trace elements that OB talked about.

 

[Blue-Frog]

Guzzi,

Thanks for the update. I have mine in a large planter now, with the bines trained up a short length of hemp rope for the time being. I think they are going to take this time.

I will try to get some pix too.

BTW, the plastic sep. funnel (conical fermenter) is interesting... Hummm

What part of Kyushu?

 

[OppamaBrendan]

Nutrients are pretty easy most of the time. Daiso has several types of nutrients you can use.

My homestead hops have some flowers starting to form and are steadily climbing through my cherry tomato "tree". The tomato plant is 2.5 meters tall and still climbing, I have it tied to a kind of a flag-pole I made with a 4m laundry rod. If the hops top that pole I will be happy enough.

My cucumbers are all done so I think I might move my centennial to that location and put it in-ground... I have some rainy weather coming up which might be my last chance to do that this summer...

 

[Guzzibrew]

Blue Frog,

I'm in Dazaifu, just 20 mins south of Fukuoka. How about you?

The conicals look interesting, and at less than a C-note each they are affordable. I'd love to use stainless, but unless I come across a stainless fermenter in the scrap yard it is hard to see how I'll end up with one...

OB,

Thanks for the heads up on nutrients, but Daiso has a whole heap of gardening stuff- what nutrients were you thinking of? Currently I'm using a broad range liquid fertilizer (1 capful to 5 liters of water) and watering my hops with that.

The lower (older) leaves are still yellowed on the outer edge while new growth is nice and green.

GB

 

[OppamaBrendan]

Yeah just broad range nutes will do. Old leaves can get yellow thats fine, as long its putting out new growth. Theres better efficiency with newer leaves anyway and the plant relocates the mobile nutrients to new growth before dropping off the old leaf.
My centennial now has lots of new growth after I stripped the old leaves. Mites are gone and who knows, maybe it will produce some flowers after all...

 

[Blue-Frog]

Guzzibrew,
How far is that from Ibusuki?
I visited the ag research ctr there a long time ago...
I am in Nagano now, but when I went to Kyushu, I was in Tokyo... The same time when I frequently visited Kyoto... [Azuma Otoko : Kyo Onna!]
No matter what you do... life passes you by.


Growers
My Centennial and Magnum have begun to grow.
"Maggi" was way behind "Miss Sin" (see below)
but has now caught up and they are both about waist high.

So, it looks like they are stabilizing now.

Below now:
I have not really given them official names yet, Maggi might be Maggie May
(you know... "I wish I'd never seen your face... you made a first class fool outta me, but I'm as blind as a fool can be, you stole my heart but I love you anyway")... and Miss Sin could become Miss Sensuall (Sinsuall?) But then again "Miss Centenial" sounds like a winning title too.

 

[Guzzibrew]

Blue Frog,

What ever it is I'll have what you've been having:fro:

Ibusuki is at the other end of Kyushu. I'm at the North western end Ibusuki is south- about 5 hours drive.


My Magnum is now growing like it's been shot out of a 47 um, er... The main bine is well over 2 meters tall (longer but it's growing on a bit of an angle., the second bine is a lot shorter say a meter.

The Centennial is growing a bit slower the main bine is about 1.5 meters tall, but the secondary bines are pitiful. I think I'll just chop them all back.

I've been fertilizing it with a broad range liquid fertilizer and top dressing like crazy with peat moss and wood bark compost (from the home center).

I still think they look a bit wimpy, and the lower leaves are still yellowing around the edges but they are growing.

Maybe they'd do better if I named 'em but all I can think of is beer....

GB

 

[OppamaBrendan]

My Centennial keeps putting out fresh growth after lopping off everything a few weeks back. Magnum has buds on it now and has reached the roof of the house in a broad "V" lattice made from cucumber netting. The Homestead hops have been intergrowing with a cherry tomato plant, that has been trained up a vertical laundry pole. That Cherry tomato plant is 4 meters tall (no ****ting!) and the hops have topped the pole as well with some nice looking cones on it. Already more cones than last year on the homestead.

 

[OppamaBrendan]

I am starting to see a bunch of buds growing on the centennial now. Looks like cutting it back delayed the growth of them a bit but its better to be rid of the mites!

The cascade is slowly but surely climbing up my ume tree with thin bines. Not very big but I have it in a shaded spot out of the direct summer sun. Next year I will give it a better location once it has a better root system.

 

[Blue-Frog]

Growers
My Centennial and Magnum have begun to grow; they are both about waist high... it looks like they are stabilizing now.
:

Maggi broke and had to start over, (again!) but now both Maggi and Centennial are chin high;

Centennial certainly is the smaller of the two leaf wise.

No buds on either yet, but I won't give up until Halloween.

Oppama:
What month is that fall version of the spring meeting that happened earlier?

Re Peppers: Turned out to be Manganji (&#19975;&#39000;&#23546;&#21776;&#36763;&#23376
(A Huge devil's tail of a pepper! )

 

[OppamaBrendan]

The happami party will likely be in November in Yoyogi park assuming all goes well.

I have 12 gm of dried and vacuum packed Magnum in the freezer and more on the plant now. Probably get 40-60 gm total if I am lucky. Enough for a brew at least

Centennial have probably only 20gm on them at this point but I am not harvesting for a while since they seem to be immature yet.

Cascade is still chugging along like a little engine, no flowers this year I think, but it it probably beefing up the underground starches for winter which will give it a good head start next spring.

The homestead hops were 4 meters tall in amongst the giant cherry tomato plant I have. I never expected the tomato to grow as tall as my hops support pole, so it ended up shading out the homestead hops quite a bit and the flowers were scarce. I think it was only 6gm dry, though I may have missed more hops in among the tomatoes.

The sterling never made it this year, oh well...

 

[Blue-Frog]

I just noticed the Magnum, which is now taller than me, has a single cone developing!
The Centennial isn't growing and all leaves are quite small.

 

[sabotenfighter]

Seems to be getting warm quick. Is anyone ordering rhizomes this year or might have cuttings available? Id like to get some home grown hops going this year and probably should get started pretty soon.

 

[Guzzibrew]

No action on my plants yet this spring and I'm down in Kyushu. They grew pretty well last year, got 4 small cones on the Centential. But this is only their second year so I'm afraid I won't have any cuttings available yet.

Next year perhaps.

GB

 

[snow16]

I planted Centennial, Cascade, Northern Brewer, Chinook and Willamette last year. The wind beat them up pretty badly last season, but this year I plan on supporting them better.

I don't expect much in terms of yield this year - but am very interested in trading cones/rhizomes once mine get stronger -

I'm really excited to see such a great homebrewing presence here in Japan!

 

[OppamaBrendan]

I won`t be doing cuttings this year unfortunately. I moved ALL of my plants and they will be under a bit of shock, and lost enough roots during the move.

On the plus side, my little `Homestead Hops`have developed a healthy crown! If you go back you can find my story of the little twig that barely survived and came back from the dead, I am happy!
The Cascade developed 2 small crowns which are sharing a 1m X 1m raised bed now.

All my hops are now in a sunnier location on the South side of the house, between the neighbour`s house and mine. Cascade, Centennial, Homestead, and Magnum are showing buds ready to rock.

I have gone to the Daiso several times and loaded up on a 3 dozen or more long green garden poles and hoops and wire. I wired the hoops to the tops of pairs of the long poles, to create a tunnel over the walkway to the house. Then I added an A-frame of 2 more green poles to the top of each hoop set. Imagine a 14 foot tall "A" with the cross bar curved in the center. All the "A's" are connected with double twisted stainless wire at the top and sides, and anchored to the ground with guy-wires. Green poles are wired to the tops of the hoops for a rigid perpendicular support.

Sounds like overkill, but it isn't.

From what I have seen, the higher I can go, the happier the hops will be. It will keep them away from the soil, and associated soil diseases/pests. They will get better air circulation under them.
The frames will also get used by bottle gourds, cucumbers, tomatoes, and pole beans. giving us shade and hopefully a really cool "hanging" garden that will be easy to pick from.

Attached photo is of my homestead hops crown - almost all the buds are in the center of the crown...

 

[Guzzibrew]

Brendan,

Could you post a picture of your hops set up? So your hops are now in full sun? Are you worried about them getting too much sun?

What are you fertilizing with? How about pests and the like?

That Homestead crown looks amazing! Share your growing secrets.

GB

 

[Guzzibrew]

Brendan,

Could you post a picture of your hops set up? So your hops are now in full sun? Are you worried about them getting too much sun?

What are you fertilizing with? How about pests and the like?


GB

 

[Blue-Frog]

For those that are wondering where their rhizomes are....

Hi guys.

Just wondering what the interest level is on a(nother) group hop buy this year ... (I still want Mt. Hood or Liberty or some of the Noble Hops; S. Ace or Nelson Sauvin if avail!; or Hallertauer Blanc)

Does everybody have what they want, or are there still 1 or 2 missing from your collection?

 

[Blue-Frog]

My Magnum and Centennial are showing strong growth this year.
Mangnum seems about ready to start twining....

 

[OppamaBrendan]

I dont have good pictures of the trellis sorry.
I am not too worried about the hops getting too much sun since they are mostly between two buildings, once the upper canopy fills in a bit the soil will be shaded. I've put out some cucumbers already and the hops are all over a foot tall.
They all get compost for fertilizer, and will be topdressed as the season progresses.