Hop plants/rhizomes - growing report

[Gerryjo]

Prima Donna dwarf in its second year just strung up last week and seems to be doing nicely although there's been something nibbling on the leaves and I haven't sprayed it yet.

 

[GerritT]

Two weeks difference.

 

[Richie_asg1]

I planted my seedlings in a 6" raised bed I made and had filled it with the contents of the compost bin. They took off! - reached 20 feet in the first year.
Unfortunately they were all male plants so I have tried to pull them up, and mostly succeeded, but some have come back this year.
So planting them in the ground is best - and feed well with at least a year old home made compost as they seem to do well in that - the roots ripped right through it. No other feeding needed, just kept the soil damp with a 2" layer of straw on the top (which had my strawberries in). I also had bean netting up and grew them alongside french beans, but they soon reached the top of that and were looking for more support so attached string up to the house and they reached the top windows.

If anyone has any female root rhizomes to sell I would be interested in one and can propagate from that.
Thanks.

 

[chrissyr63]

Mine are taking off well now - have them in pots and they are 6 feet tall and thickening out at the base.

Have noticed some b lack flies and ants on them any suggestions on how to get rid - or do hops grow fast enough to handle this?

 

[terrym]

Have noticed some black flies and ants on them any suggestions on how to get rid - or do hops grow fast enough to handle this?

The ants might well be after the blackfly.
If you want to get rid of blackfly, spray with soapy water (not detergent).
Sooner or later ladybird nymphs may well colonise your plants to feed on the aphids. They look like tiny armadillos!

 

[dan125]

I'm not hopeful of a good crop this year anymore - I'm growing my hop plant against a fence and just found out that my neighbour has been spraying weedkiller on the shoots that have come up on his side.
Best bit about it is - I gave him the weedkiller

 

[terrym]

I'm not hopeful of a good crop this year anymore - I'm growing my hop plant against a fence and just found out that my neighbour has been spraying weedkiller on the shoots that have come up on his side.
Best bit about it is - I gave him the weedkiller

If they survive dig them up and put the rhizomes in large pots in the same place

 

[dan125]

If they survive dig them up and put the rhizomes in large pots in the same place

Good idea - thanks Terry. So far just a couple of yellowing leaves but I fear the worse

 

[chrissyr63]

Funnily enough I just saw a ladybird in the garden! Tried to put it on the plant but it flew away.
Are they usually out this early?

 

[Richie_asg1]

We've had a lot of ladybirds out already in the first warm spell in April. I hope this is down to me planting border plants that they particularly like, and providing nesting sites for overwintering. I collected a few of the old rosebay willow herb stems last spring and tied them in short bunches and left them around the garden in flower pots and in the backs of borders. The stems are hollow so follows what you can buy as bug houses for £££.
Also flowers that hoverflies like are good for them too - we have a lot of those too each year. I grow a lot of lettuce and broad beans - but seldom get greenfly - just a lot of well fed ladybirds!

So I advise don't spray them - build up your natural predators instead.

 

[BeerCat]

Moved mine to a greener area and its already been nibbled.

 

[Dutto]

Moved mine to a greener area and its already been nibbled.

If it's being nibbled by rabbits I find that laying down a small bit of lead can have rapid results!

The ones I use (4.5mm diameter x 0.36g weight) seem to do the trick!

 

[Gerryjo]

Mine are really taking off so have strung up some twine to the tree to see how it goes.As can be seen something has been having a nibble but not my rabbits.

 

[BeerCat]

If it's being nibbled by rabbits I find that laying down a small bit of lead can have rapid results!

The ones I use (4.5mm diameter x 0.36g weight) seem to do the trick!

Shoot them I cannot for they are bugs and I am only armed with spanners!

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

The ants might well be after the blackfly.
If you want to get rid of blackfly, spray with soapy water (not detergent).
Sooner or later ladybird nymphs may well colonise your plants to feed on the aphids. They look like tiny armadillos!

You will probably find the ants are farming the aphids. The ants will protect them from predators in return for the honey dew they excrete. Kill the aphids and the ants should disappear too.

 

[chrissyr63]

Well mine have reached the top of the 8 ft arch I attached them to. I don't really want them to go much higher (one is supposed to a dwarf anyway) so can I manage the grow by cutting off the top shoots and just let the newer lower ones continue to grow up and thicken out the arch?
And do I need to thin out all the growth at the bottom of the plants?
Still have loads of blackfly but have noticed more ladybirds on the plants - they will need good appetites the amount of bf!

When do I get my cones forming?

 

[prog99]

Well mine have reached the top of the 8 ft arch I attached them to. I don't really want them to go much higher (one is supposed to a dwarf anyway) so can I manage the grow by cutting off the top shoots and just let the newer lower ones continue to grow up and thicken out the arch?

I ignored mine last year and they started growing back down the supports. This year I'm not sure what to do, they have outgrown the supports much earlier.

 

[terrym]

Well mine have reached the top of the 8 ft arch I attached them to. I don't really want them to go much higher (one is supposed to a dwarf anyway) so can I manage the grow by cutting off the top shoots and just let the newer lower ones continue to grow up and thicken out the arch?
And do I need to thin out all the growth at the bottom of the plants?
Still have loads of blackfly but have noticed more ladybirds on the plants - they will need good appetites the amount of bf!

When do I get my cones forming?

My two 2 year old 'dwarf' Prima Donna's in pots are currently about 2.7m long and the tips are still growing. There is a lot of secondary growth They are supposed to be 2-3m long. I have trained them up, across and now they are going back across a pergola. I seem to remember that last year they stopped growing at the end of July so this years growth may exceed 3m. I have three main bines on both but one bine broke off at about 1.6m (as it turned the corner) but that hasn't stopped it producing secondary growth. I understand you are supposed to cut off growth at the bottom of the bines and I have done that to about 300mm up plus I've cut off any new shoots.
Last year burrs started to form in early July and this carried on until August but the later burrs did not produce very good hop cones.

 

[chrissyr63]

From top of the pot to the apex of the arch is 2.5m so if they continue over each other they should have about 3m - not sure what the fuggles will do then.

Wanted to leave them to themselves this first year and then train a bit more next.

How are people feeding - I was just going to use liquid tomato food every 5 days or so - any of the other stuff better (miracle gro etc)?

 

[terrym]

How are people feeding - I was just going to use liquid tomato food every 5 days or so - any of the other stuff better (miracle gro etc)?

I alternate Miracle Gro with Tomato Feed every week. I was advised by my rhizome supplier to stop feeding when the burrs start to form which is what I will do this year.