Should I Prune Any Of These 2nd Year Hops?

[Polkahero]

My second year Hallertau and Centennials are starting to show some significant growth in the last couple of weeks (despite the rotten spring so far in Michigan). I've attached pics of both (Hallertau's are farther along). Should I be pruning any of these shoots? I know the first year you're supposed to let everything grow, but I'm not sure how much to let go during the second year. The tallest Hallertau bine is already a foot and a half off the ground. Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[rollinred]

oh yes, I would suggest trimming.

There really are two schools of thought here.

1. Don't trim and allow for more root growth.

2. Trim because the excess vegetation makes the plant much more susceptible to diseases and moulds.

Even though Michigan is usually very dry in the summer (I hate it here in the summer), the spring time is usually wet enough to expose your plants to some nasties you don't want them to battle with.

When you trim just don't cut too close to the roots. And make sure to trim all leaves off of everything for the first two feet or so. The leaves are the primary area for mildews and disease to start, so this is what you want to get away from the moisture near the ground.

 

[Polkahero]

Thanks for that response rollinred. How many bines per plant do you guys usually let grow and do you let multiple bines grow per string?

 

[dangerbrew]

I let 3 or 4 max grow per plant and keep pruning back any more that emerge. I wouldn't suggest letting multiple bines grow per string - the weight of both bines will eventually overcome it, especially if you have a good harvest. I know my Nugget hops almost broke my twines last year because I let them double up and I had to replace them for this season.

also, by pruning, you're training the plant to focus more on cone production and less on excessive growth, so you'll get a better harvest later in the year. however, if it's your first year, don't expect too much. you can even let your plant go wild if you want, just to get a good root structure if you're worried about nutrients.

 

[magnj]

So that I don;t start a new thread, I've got 3rd year chinook at over 10 feet here in NJ. I've only allowed 3-4 bines per plant. my question is what about the secondary, side arm growth? They are getting to be about a foot long and I know last year my plants turned into a giant bush. Should I trim those this early and let them get tall or should I let it ride?

 

[fineexampl]

So that I don;t start a new thread, I've got 3rd year chinook at over 10 feet here in NJ. I've only allowed 3-4 bines per plant. my question is what about the secondary, side arm growth? They are getting to be about a foot long and I know last year my plants turned into a giant bush. Should I trim those this early and let them get tall or should I let it ride?

Let the big boys grow and trim the little guys. 10ft is a lot of growth. Clear your root base of excess leaves and you'll be fine.

 

[magnj]

Yea I even removed every single bine when they were at around a foot and they came back hard! I've added another maybe 15 feet of twine from the top of my posts to a tree over the shed but I have no doubt they will reach the top of that by June, after that...no idea what I'll do with them.

 

[B-Hoppy]

It sounds as if they like where they are growing. You'll probably have a bunch more to come. It becomes a real chore the older they get because if you happen to get in a situation where you can't get out to thin them for a week or two they grow into a tangled mess. You start pulling and tugging trying to thin them out and end up pulling the wrong one (the one that's already up about 10 feet). This is one of the reasons folks keep knocking back the first growth spurts until they begin to slow down a little. I'm just about ready to start training mine after removing two serious flushes of growth. Also, you may want to dig them up next spring and trim the little monsters back into submission. At this point, they have so much energy stored up that it's really hard to hurt them. Grow on!

I forgot to ask. When you say 'secondary sidearm growth' are you talking about the actual sidearms/laterals, or just the additional shoots popping up from the crown. The sidearms originate from the nodes along the above ground portion of the vine where the leaves are formed. They grow out from the vine and are where the hops develop. Secondary shoots may be what you are referring to . . . or I may just be confused, which isn't unusual.

 

[magnj]

Yea I never trimmed the crowns up, will this year. I mean sidearms, some of them are 1-2 feet. The additional ground growth I've been removing. SO from your first paragraph I take it I do want to remove some of them?

 

[infantej]

Do not trim the sidearms. That is where you get your cones.

 

[B-Hoppy]

magnj,

If you like to pick hops, leave the sidearms do their job. If you don't like to have disease and insect problems, make sure any new shoots coming from the crown are trimmed away once you have your vines trained and climbing. This will help deter those problems from getting started.

 

[magnj]

Alright guys thanks, my book has nothing on pruning. What if I trim the bottom couple. I ask because I have a bunch of weeds in the garden and getting to them late in the summer when the plant turns into a bush is hard.

 

[Polkahero]

magnj,

If you like to pick hops, leave the sidearms do their job. If you don't like to have disease and insect problems, make sure any new shoots coming from the crown are trimmed away once you have your vines trained and climbing. This will help deter those problems from getting started.

I'm applying an insecticide powder right now and it's doing a really good job. Haven't trimmed any low ground growth.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

What I do is trim the shoots back to three or four per plant and in July I trimm the leaves from two feet from the crown to promote airflow and it also helps prevent downy mildew.

 

[+Ham]

2nd year hops grower from plants picked up at the local greenhouse. This was the first thread I found that had answers for my situation but I'm seeing a lot of conflicting opinions elsewhere or terms I'm not familiar with. I just need clarification please.
I've included pics of my set up:

The plant on the right is new this year, bought from a greenhouse and was tiny then. The plant on the left I bought from a greenhouse last year and planted in the ground. It grew to about 12 feet and produced a small amount of hops. Silly me dug it up and threw it on a scrapwood pile not knowing it would come back left out of the ground. Replanted it and it's off the the races.

My question is the little offshoots/secondary/lateral stems that come out at each pair of leaves. Do they need to be trimmed off? I hear that's where the hops grow from but I didn't see that last year. Plus, they have the starting of leaves on them like an all new bine. For now, I've wrapped them around the main shoot until I hear otherwise. Can I run more strings and let them grow by themselves? Will that not allow for the full potential of the main shoots? Help!

Here's the specific shoots I'm talking about:

 

[Sylvain]

do not cut them, it is that the majority of cones will come
"il ne faut surtout pas couper, c'est que viendront à la majorité des cônes "