Weird Growths

[mattrettig]

Hello HBTers! Question: what is this weird flowering stuff growing on my hop bines? Do I need to be concerned, and if so, what do I do about it? They're 6-year old Zeus vines that have been terrific growers and producers in years past. I was definitely a little lax this year with the pruning, and it has been a VERY wet season here in the Hudson Valley of NY. The vine is not as tall, nor productive, as it has been in past years. What say you?

 

[triethylborane]

Male hop flower. The plant is a hermaphrodite, its not optimal as male flowers don't produce what is needed for beer. It could be showing the male flowers out of stress, but not entirely sure on that. Obviously you want just female flowers, and those are what we cultivate, but whatever strain you have could have the hermaphrodite issue.

 

[kev211]

Im curious as well. I have some (not nearly as many) on my 2nd year columbus and I just chalked them up as hop cones that never really became full cones. Interested to see what the responses are

 

[B-Hoppy]

CTZ is notorious for this. Some years there may be little to no male bloom, but other years they look like the pics. Supposedly there is some sort of stress that induces this but from growing Zeus for over 10 years, it pretty much happens when it happens as I've had almost 100% cones in some of the hottest, driest summers? Wouldn't let it bother you, just nature showing her stuff!

 

[mattrettig]

Ok cool...do I need to worry about it pollenating ("pool sitting?" Really, autocorrrect?!) itself or anything? The female cones that are there won't be off-flavored or unusable or anything like that? Bespoiled by those boy cones?!?! De-flowered, if you will?

Far be it from me to keep the boy cones and girl cones apart. I mean, they're 6 years old now, starting to take an interest in one another. Maybe we should have a school dance for them...we'll hang streamers and serve punch...anyone want to come chaperon? They're so cute at this age!

 

[triethylborane]

No, the female cones will be fine. There is no issue really other than your yield as a result of the plant producing male racemes.

 

[mattrettig]

Right on, thanks! ����

 

[Senormac]

I get them too on my COG's ...... they have never hurt my cone production and I have never pruned them off.