Why aren't my hops growing?

[And1129]

I've tried growing hops a few times now without success. A couple years ago, I planted two Willamette rhizomes, and now this year, about a month ago, I planted three cascade rhizomes. Of the Willamette that I planted a few years ago, one never grew more than 2 feet high and the other never got past 6 inches. The one that grew to about 2 feet died and has never come back, but the one that grew about 6 inches comes back year after year, but never grows more than 6 inches or so off the ground. It doesn't look like any pests are bothering them. I'm worried about the cascades i planted this year as they've sent shoots up, but since the shoots have emerged, haven't grown more than 2 or 3 inches above the soil in the three weeks or so since the shoots have emerged. Then, I actually found some potted hop plants which already had a foot or so of growth and look healthy and bought two plants, a nugget and a centennial, and I put those in the ground about two weeks ago. They were healthy and vibrant when i bought them, but now they're still alive but they aren't doing anything, not growing or climbing the trelis that i've set up for them. It has been hot here in San Jose, CA lately, but they're getting plenty of direct sun during the day. Even if i don't get any cones, i'd love to see my hops growing this summer... Help?

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Keep the ground moist(not wet) and they should take off just fine if they are getting enough sun.

You may also want to hit them up with a bit of fertilizer, like maybe a quarter or half dose of Miracle Gro since they are still young you dont want to burn them with too much fertilizer..depends on your soil really..you could always go to a HD/Lowes and buy some bags of compost/manure, mix it up and put on top of your plants to help feed them throughout the year.

 

[koozie]

That's rough sorry to hear. Do you have them planted in the ground or in pots? Are they getting enough water? And if they are does your soil have good enough drainage? If it's too clay like with poor drainage it will rot the roots. If it isn't getting much water and it's hot death is certain

 

[funnycreature]

There are some very nice tips and blog posts on http://www.greatlakeshops.com/ about how to grow hops. You can also go to each of the hops variety pages to get specific info. Pay attention to the need for water, nutrients and pH. Here's what I found:

Willamette

Growers being asked to produce a Golding should consider trials of this top cultivar from Europe. It grows well in our Michigan trials and is higher alpha than English Goldings. Tolerant of more neutral pH and heavier soils if crowns are raised. Two years to establish. Responds to additional bone meal and balanced calcium/ phosphorus levels. Some resistance to mildews.

Alpha acids: 4.0-6.0%
Maturity: Early-/ Mid-August through Early September
Yield: High 1600-2200 lbs/acre
Storage stability: 60-65% of alpha acids remaining
Aroma: Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, fruity, floral, little earthy
Grower notes: An older commercial variety. Crown buds form relatively high, so they need winter protection by hilling the rows in fall or mulching. A “workhorse” hop, but has to be sourced carefully- there is a lot of virus infected rhizome stock being distributed from older yards of Willamette. Of the Fuggle types, Willamette is the slowest to break winter dormancy. Needs warm temperatures to really get going – does less than optimum in areas with lake effect cooling or if spaced too tightly. Tolerant of a wider range of pH and soil types than most hops.

And Cascade:

Released in 1972, the Cascade was the first commercially accepted American-bred aroma hop with a relatively low bittering value. It is one of the most popular hops for craft brewing and is great for dry hopping. The Cascade is a cross between the Fuggle X Russian hop Serebrianka. The compact medium sized cone has a slight square shape to it and has a moderate amount of yellow lupulin that develops in unique tight balls in the cone. It has 24-30” sidearms and is good for picking, drying and baling. Will grow in hot areas and tolerates alkaline soils.

Alpha acids: 4.5 - 7.0
Maturity: Mid-season- First 3 weeks of August
Yield: 1400-2000 lbs/acre
Storage stability: Poor, less than 60-65% alpha acids remaining (refrigerate)
Aroma: Medium with floral and grapefruit-citrus tones
Grower notes: notably finer plant bines – more bines with a smaller diameter, creates a lot of late season growth near ground, which can harbor mites. Shows notable resistance to mildews. Raised rows recommended.

Hope that helps and gets you started!