Growing Hops??

[Tony]

Apologies if I've missed this, I did read through this but with 5 pages and a few things 'off-topic' - or nearly off I could easily have switched off at the bit I wanted.

I now have 4 shoots coming off the rhizome and I understand that the plant will keep producing more shoots. How many of these should I keep, should I cut back - and if so, at ground level? When should this be done, I figured that I'd get 4 - 6 good shoots up and trained and then cut back.... is that sounding right?

Cheers all :

 

[bolty]

If it is 1st year, I would let it go as best it can. It will help the plant to establish. :thumb:

I have had to trim back my second year Fuggles as it had put out ~20 shoots and was going to be ridiculous to try and train!

 

[jonewer]

Apologies if I've missed this, I did read through this but with 5 pages and a few things 'off-topic' - or nearly off I could easily have switched off at the bit I wanted.

I now have 4 shoots coming off the rhizome and I understand that the plant will keep producing more shoots. How many of these should I keep, should I cut back - and if so, at ground level? When should this be done, I figured that I'd get 4 - 6 good shoots up and trained and then cut back.... is that sounding right?

Cheers all :

The bumf I got with my hops from aplus says max of 8 shoots per plant. I think its finding an optimum balance of number of bines vs. strength of each bine.

 

[Tony]

Thanks folks .. yes, it is first year so I'll leave alone for the time being!
:

 

[jonewer]

Well, the admiral is certainly on the go! Not much happening with the other three....

update - Admiral is steaming ahead! signs of life on the other 3. I'm well chuffed! :party:

 

[bolty]

Just thought I would resurrect this thread with some update piccies of my second year fuggles I took during my brewday:

Looking a lot bushier than last year with WAY more burrs on it.

 

[aneray]

Nice one Bolty, there really looking good now mate.

I was just speaking to a friend this evening about this thread ( he travels the country working the land) and he mentioned an old landlord and friend from many moons ago who is in Kent at the moment working on an apple farm. He is due back in Cornwall this weekend, so I think a quick phonecall will be made to bring some back from the home of hops.

Until you bumped this thread, I really never thought about growing my own. I have a south facing front garden with bugger all growing in the border. I am sure I could train a few plants around the side of the lounge window and upwards.

I think tomorrow I will be picking up a couple of bags of free horse poo from a farm just up the road to start me off.

 

[shocker]

Bump ! Its getting around to hop ordering time - willingham nurseries are putting everyone on a waiting list ,Aplus seem to have done a bunk ,Im off to try the others now.... :thumb:

 

[thear25]

Hi Guys,

Seeing as this thread has been brought back up I thought I'd write my first post and ask if anyone has or has had any experience growing hops from seeds?

My secret Santa present this year was a Beer Hops Growing Kit http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0038W0C8M/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 so I'm going to give it a butchers and rather than wasting the first couple of attempts I was hoping someone out there might have dabbled before?

Cheers,
Chris

 

[matthew]

I ordered some plants from essentially hops and the service was fast and spot on they are really helpfull, and have a good choice of plants. Im about to put another order in already, would reccomend them. :thumb:

 

[shocker]

Link ? Please ?

 

[evanvine]

Hi Guys,

Seeing as this thread has been brought back up I thought I'd write my first post and ask if anyone has or has had any experience growing hops from seeds?

My secret Santa present this year was a Beer Hops Growing Kit http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0038W0C8M/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 so I'm going to give it a butchers and rather than wasting the first couple of attempts I was hoping someone out there might have dabbled before?

Cheers,
Chris

Welcome to the Forum.
As I see it, the draw back from growing from seed, rather than rhyzome or cutting, is that you will not know the gendre of the plant untill it fruits.
Male hops are virtually useless for brewing, they are very much smaller and have little or no lupolin.

 

[screamlead]

I ordered some plants from essentially hops and the service was fast and spot on they are really helpfull, and have a good choice of plants. Im about to put another order in already, would reccomend them. :thumb:

Did you get some recently? if so when and whats ready for sale - i was going to use Willingham nurseries but the stuff they had is gone and they are just taking orders for next year now by the look of it.

 

[shocker]

There are things you can do to up the chance of a seed coming up female , to "feminise" them , one being using banana skins in a bag in the fridge , with the seeds in it , as the skins give off ethylene gas which brings out the seeds feminine side ......I will leave you to research that one....or PM me if you dont have any luck , Chris

Checked out Essentially and they have a nice selection of plants , pricey , but they DO have one of the yank "C"'s ! However , the P&P is a fiver for even one plant (harsh !) so a multibuy would be better value.

http://www.essentiallyhops.co.uk/acatalog/Hops.html

 

[matthew]

www.essentiallyhops.co.uk
Then go to hops on the left side, they have - Fuggle, Northdown, redsells eastwell-ekg, omega, bramblingcross, w.g.v, East kent goldings, pheonix, target, yeoman, challenger, progress, cascade and prima donna all £7.95 exept the last two which are £8.95 I ordered 4 and recieved them within a few days put another order in already, they are a good size too. Hope this helps :thumb:

 

[shearclass]

I planted my plant last year and it didn't grow much. I think i planted it around april/may time, and slugs started to eat it almost immediately.

It is growing again now, and has about 7 shoots growing. Do i need to trim some of these down so that a few can flourish, or is it not important.

I can;t see myself urinating or defacating on them, will have to get some fertiliser.

 

[evanvine]

As it is the hop plant's first full season, I would only let 3 grow.
Cut the rest off at ground level.
In future seasons, the recommended number is 6, but me being me (3rd full season) am growing 8!

 

[oldstout]

:lol: :lol:

Just thought I would resurrect this thread with some update piccies of my second year fuggles I took during my brewday:

Looking a lot bushier than last year with WAY more burrs on it.

That reminds me...........


I must get the lawnmower serviced :lol: :lol:

:thumb:

:

 

[evanvine]

Very nice pics, when were they taken, 2011?

 

[shearclass]

THanks Evanvine, will get chopping tomorrow.