Pruning young hop bines...

[Shropshire Lad]

Hi guys, below is a photo of one of my tubs (I have two of them in total) which shows hops in their third year of growth in London, UK. Is it correct that I select about four bines and then cut back all the rest? Many thanks, Tony G

 

[Beekeeper]

You will want to trim back the bull shoots.
https://blog.uvm.edu/hoppenin/2017/05/30/beware-of-bull-shoots/https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/second-year-centennial-pruning-question.700388/#post-9268166

 

[Shropshire Lad]

You will want to trim back the bull shoots.
https://blog.uvm.edu/hoppenin/2017/05/30/beware-of-bull-shoots/https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/second-year-centennial-pruning-question.700388/#post-9268166

OK, thanks very much for that so I cut back the bull shoots but if I remember correctly someone once said that only 3 bines/crown is sufficient. Is that correct?

 

[Beekeeper]

From this thread: Pruning bines... You were involved in that discussion, 2021.

"Once hops are established, in the spring you would trim back any of the early "bull" bines and then leave only a few (around 3) bines to grow."

 

[Shropshire Lad]

Many thanks for that. I’ve already cut most of the bull shoots, perhaps a little early, but I’ll cut some more in a couple of weeks if I’m aware that they are of the prickly variety.