Summer Hop Hunting Results

[HopStalker]

This is my first post on here. I’ve been reading this forum/ site for the past year or so, and I finally decided to sign up to share the results of my tri-state area hop hunting.

cases of poison ivy: 2 (1 additional case is pending)
pricker scratches: 1,000 (to be conservative)
humulus japonicus located: 2 (I know, I know… I wasn’t looking for them)
locations/ hikes with no humulus lupulus: 6+
humulus lupulus located: 4

The Google Doc I created for my hop hunting research is about 45 pages, so obviously I could give more details, but TL;DR photos:

 

[HopStalker]

Notes: An isolated area along a road about 200 ft in length, no males or “male parts” observed, no seeds present in the cones.

 

[HopStalker]

Notes: A massive half-mile section along a rail trail, no males or “male parts” observed, but there are seeds present in the cones. Humulus japonicus also present in this area.

 

[HopStalker]

Notes: Humulus japonicus

 

[HopStalker]

Notes: A section about 200 ft in length along a rail trail, no males or “male parts” observed, no seeds present in the cones, but I may have been too early (I found some male herbarium specimens from this area).

 

[HopStalker]

Notes: An isolated clump in about a 10 ft radius at the intersection of a road and a trail, no males or “male parts” observed, but many seeds.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Nice job, even showing the battle scars!! Many of those pics look a lot like the stuff I've found over the years based on the cone structure and the laterals. They threw lots of cones and the laterals showed tertiary branching. Did you notice much pink or reddish coloration on the vines or petioles? Also, they tended to have a bright slightly herbal aroma when young but tended to get really pungent/onion once they were beyond their prime. Salute!

 

[HopStalker]

@B-Hoppy Thanks. I’m not sure about the pink. Maybe there was a little at the one of the locations, but I think for the most part the bines were green with some brown/ woody parts near the ground. I’ll know for sure next year when the shoots come up in my hop garden When I found them the aroma was piney/ citrusy/ grassy, no catty/ onion, but they were definitely a little young.

 

[B-Hoppy]

I spoke to someone at Oregon State a few years ago who was looking for seeds from feral hops from across the US. If I can find his contact information, would it be ok to put him in touch with you if he's still working on that project?

 

[DarkCoder]

I spoke to someone at Oregon State a few years ago who was looking for seeds from feral hops from across the US. If I can find his contact information, would it be ok to put him in touch with you if he's still working on that project?

Or it can be sent to me in Canada !! I am looking for seeds for my experiment.

(some other people on the forum, from the US, would also be happy to get some of those seeds)


Btw, the seeds that I can see on the picture does not seems mature enough to germinate. You have to let the cones dry up almost entirely on the bine.

 

[HopStalker]

I know small white seeds are usually immature. Some of these are pretty big and I think when the husks dry out a little they’ll look darker. I peeled the husks off a few in the photo below with varying results (left to right: brown, light brown, green, husk on).

Given the low germination rate I’ve had in the past, the seeds are probably better off in someone else's hands. Ideally I’d like to trade for something unique that I can’t get around me (neomexicanus maybe?).

I definitely want go back and pick some more for the seeds in a few weeks (is that enough time to wait? it’s kind of a long drive). Hopefully, I’ll get enough to keep some, trade some, and give some away to a few people.

 

[DarkCoder]

The darker ones should germinate. 2 to 3 more weeks should be enough to have a lot of mature seeds.

 

[ffaoe]

Those are some awesome finds. I would be interested in seeds as well for my cross-breeding. The cross that I have the most of to offer in trade would be 1/4 unknown, 1/4 cascade, 1/2 brewer's gold.

 

[alane1]

dito here, I'd like some seeds and I have interesting things to trade, PM me if interested.

 

[Brizzo]

Man, I'm in ct- I have been hunting for wild hops and striking out all over the place

 

[HopStalker]

Man, I'm in ct- I have been hunting for wild hops and striking out all over the place

@Brizzo I've definitely had my share of misses in CT too. If you promise to be respectful, I'll share a couple of my spots. I don't want to ruin the spots (harvest or destroy all the rhizomes/ crowns). I want people who know about these hops to continue picking them and others who don't to find them in the future. PM me if you're interested.

 

[alane1]

After reading this thread I was inspired to return to the site of my original finding. I was surprised to see male flowers among the females and all the cones full of seeds.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441487436.877836.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441487463.887895.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441487480.447507.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441487497.454891.jpg

 

[CharlieJ]

Very cool find. I used to go mushroom hunting along the same trail(s) when I used to live down there. I bet when it was an operating railroad, Hops were transported on the train and a few may have fallen off.

 

[HopStalker]

I’m on fire this year. I just found this beast on the side of the road by accident. It’s a massive curtain/ tipi engulfing a telephone pole.

 

[alane1]

Nice find, have you noticed any continuity between the different wild hops? I hear everywhere that they're probably Late Clusters.

 

[ffaoe]

Another great find!
Are the bines you collected to create rhizomes for the spring?

 

[HopStalker]

@alane1 Most of the places seem similar. I’ve been thinking that they are Late Clusters too.

Three of the locations aren’t quite ready to pick (though I have picked some to play around with). I’m guessing these are the Late Clusters. They are still growing/ lengthening, seeds are immature, and are still too wet.

The hops in one location are already brown and dried up, but other than that they seem similar. Maybe it’s just an environmental difference, as they seem to get more hours of direct sun than the others.

Another spot had major pest damage, which seemed to cause some developmental issues. Many of the comes were like young hemlock cones (the size of raisins and dense), but the plant seemed different too - lighter green and less or no pink on the bines and petioles.

I can’t wait to see what they’re like in a controlled setting (my garden).

@ffaoe I’m not an expert, I’m just basing on previous wild harvests, but I believe those are rhizomes. They are the horizontal roots coming off a central vertical root, which extend for several feet before surfacing and turning into bines. The central vertical root (center of the crown?) is always impossible to pull out.

Based on some posts on post-harvest rhizome maintenance (including yours), I harvested some of the bines in case they put energy back into the rootstock. I’ve had success with this method in the past, but I haven’t seen any real growth from the bine. It usually just dries up. Maybe there will be new shoots off the first node of the old bine, but that’s all.

 

[ffaoe]

Collecting the runners (horizontal roots) as you did should definitely produce new plants next year.
Burying bines after harvest is something I've seen a few places and will hopefully work out. No harm in giving it a shot.

 

[B-Hoppy]

@ffaoe I’m not an expert, I’m just basing on previous wild harvests, but I believe those are rhizomes. They are the horizantal roots coming off a central vertical root, which extend for several feet before surfacing and turning into bines. The central vertical root (center of the crown?) is always impossible to pull out.

They sure look like it. Along the length of them you can see nodes at intervals every few inches where a few white buds are located. Just bury them in a shallow trench for now and you can dig them up next spring and plant where you have space. There should be a bunch of small fine white roots formed by then and you'll be off to the races!

 

[HopStalker]

Just bury them in a shallow trench for now and you can dig them up next spring and plant where you have space.

That’s basically what I have planned. Not sure about watering at this time of year though. Do they need special attention this fall or should rain take care of them?

 

[B-Hoppy]

If it's dry where you are you should probably make sure the area you plant them in is moist. I wouldn't fuss too much, my first 'find' was about this time of year when I was living on Canandaigua lake. We were renting so I dug a trench in the cornfield across the street and buried the rhizome there. Came back next spring to get it and there were a ton of roots formed and it took right off when I transplanted it. Hoppy Trails~

ps: don't be too concerned about maintaining the water, remember, they're just rhizomes and don't need anywhere near the amount of water an actively growing plant needs. Water once and you should be good.