My hops are sick in Boston

[shan196]

Hello all,

I was hoping that the home brew hive mind might have some some knowledge and advice about what is going on with my hops. Here is the patient history...

I am growing some first year hops in large (20inch) flower pots on my balcony. They face north east which i know is not perfect but they get 4 hours of direct light a day and then decent relfected light for the rest of the day. They grew quickly up to about 15 -18 feet onto our upstairs neighbors balcony and then they all started flowering. When i planted i conditioned the soil with compost, coffee grinds and some wood charcoal ash and the plants just took off. I watered a bit every day because the containers would dry out other wise and 1x per week i would water with miracle grow solution. I changed nothing in the routine except for switching to slow release, complete fertilizer pellets instead of the miracle grow solution.

All of the plants (2 nugget and 2 glacier) have burls on them but now it seems like 1/7 leaves turns yellow, then brown, and then when i crush it, it doesn't just fold over but turns to powder in my hands. I was wondering if this is a disease or a nutrient deficiency and what you suggest i do?

Any help would be great.
Thanks, Brian

 

[HBHoss]

Hello all,

I was hoping that the home brew hive mind might have some some knowledge and advice about what is going on with my hops. Here is the patient history...

I am growing some first year hops in large (20inch) flower pots on my balcony. They face north east which i know is not perfect but they get 4 hours of direct light a day and then decent relfected light for the rest of the day. They grew quickly up to about 15 -18 feet onto our upstairs neighbors balcony and then they all started flowering. When i planted i conditioned the soil with compost, coffee grinds and some wood charcoal ash and the plants just took off. I watered a bit every day because the containers would dry out other wise and 1x per week i would water with miracle grow solution. I changed nothing in the routine except for switching to slow release, complete fertilizer pellets instead of the miracle grow solution.

All of the plants (2 nugget and 2 glacier) have burls on them but now it seems like 1/7 leaves turns yellow, then brown, and then when i crush it, it doesn't just fold over but turns to powder in my hands. I was wondering if this is a disease or a nutrient deficiency and what you suggest i do?

Any help would be great.
Thanks, Brian

Could be a lack of nitrogen. Are the bines turning red also?

 

[shan196]

possibly a little red,

I thought they were just getting woody. Should they stay green?

 

[GreggZ]

I hear its possible to over fertilize hops and that it can "burn" your plant...

you could switch back to your old routine of once a week with mircale grow, or just give up on fertilizer all together and see what happens.

 

[shan196]

I have re-started using the miracle grow on the hops 1x per week. Being in pots I think its more likely they are deficient in some nutrient rather than being over fertilized. What do you think?

 

[HoppyDaze]

maybe the Red Sox's bats are contagious....haha