Hop plants/rhizomes - growing report

[sifty]

Because I'm in the 'proper' hemisphere I'm doing late winter prep for spring growth. Birds were being raucous this AM, and things are warming up. Nearly got sunburnt today at the rugby.

Cut down the dead bines yesterday, bit of a mission but just snipped them with secateurs in sections and unwound them from the nylon rope I'd strung, pulling them down from ground level. Then had a bonfire in a brazier to get rid of them. Will give the bed a good weed and put some mulch down over this week hopefully...

 

[Leon103]

I have always said I would like to grow my own. The deal on essentially hops may he thr final push. Not sure where in the garden is best to grow them. Next spring I want to redevelop one section that might be good it gets the sun most of the day. Its on a slight bank, but I don't particularly have height structure to grow vertically. Couod I grow horizontally? In this section there is a 6ft fence, about 30 feet long. Was thinking attach wire horizontally across and let them grow. See if I can train them to grow in a s shape, along the wire.

Any thoughts?

 

[Little Rock Brewing]

I'm no expert by any means but these are my year 1 Chinook hops growing horizontally. Seem to be fine.

 

[Sandimas]

Came across this which is a nice guide to when to harvest hops. But generally - when the first few start to have a few brown scales is about right :

+1

It really is a short window to harvest them when they are at their best. The temptation is to harvest too early when they look good but they won't have the most oils at that point, as above wait for them to start to turn brown then get them in. Mine normally ripen around the 2nd week of Sept, I'll be watching them like a hawk from late Aug. Some of mine look almost ready now but have little oil content so far (rub them between your fingers and smell them).

I dry mine on big plastic trays led on the garage floor, normally warm enough to dry them in a few days in Sept, just remember to give them a turn every few hours if you can. The get a cheap vacuum packing machine off Amazon and bag them up.

 

[Leon103]

View attachment 73723
I'm no expert by any means but these are my year 1 Chinook hops growing horizontally. Seem to be fine. View attachment 73724

Thanks.

 

[sifty]

I've only done one harvest but yes it's important to wait till they're ready, which seems to happen all at once over a week or two period. Worked out a system where I throw sections down to my kids who pull individual hops off and separate into buckets by variety...

I do pay them. Luckily Fuggle and Cascade are very different looking cones...

 

[sifty]

Weeded the hop garden and was surprised there are shoots already sprouting. Late August and still getting frosts so hope that's not an issue. Only planted them in late Sept last year I think?

And spread some fertilized mulch to keep weeds at bay hopefully. Plot looking good, will plant chillies next to them again. Got some Carolina Reaper seeds I'll try to propagate...

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Weeded the hop garden and was surprised there are shoots already sprouting. Late August and still getting frosts so hope that's not an issue. Only planted them in late Sept last year I think?
View attachment 73870

And spread some fertilized mulch to keep weeds at bay hopefully. Plot looking good, will plant chillies next to them again. Got some Carolina Reaper seeds I'll try to propagate...
View attachment 73871

Mine are sprouting on the vine base but not leaved like yours. Hoping for better performance this year.

Going to the Dunedin Craft beer festival by any chance?

 

[sifty]

Sure am.
Friday session.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Sure am.
Friday session.

Damm I'm going on Saturday flying in Saturday am and then going to be in Dunedin until the following Thursday.
Leave some beer for me!

 

[Cwrw666]

Not long to go now. Prima Donna, cascade and challenger.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Weeded the hop garden and was surprised there are shoots already sprouting. Late August and still getting frosts so hope that's not an issue.

Not at all - they're temperate plants and traditionally a bit of frost on them was believed to be a good thing, although we now know it's a bit more complicated than that....

 

[SMP Brewery]

Not sure where I’m going to put them yet so I’m tucking them up in a big container for the winter.

 

[DocAnna]

My experimental Scottish hop was only planted this year, and there aren't any cones at all, or anything that looks like them. It's still in good leaf but I'm hoping for better next year. I’ll run the strings up in a narrower fan as well I think.

 

[Cwrw666]

Picking hops today. I'd have preferred to leave them a bit longer but after tomorrow we've got at least 10 days of rain forecast. Hands nice and sticky though which is a good sign.

 

[Sandimas]

I'd have preferred to leave them a bit longer but after tomorrow we've got at least 10 days of rain forecast. Hands nice and sticky though which is a good sign.

That's my dilemma, mine's aren't ready yet though, no stickiness and minimal smell so far.

Please post when you harvest, be good to see the variation around the country.

 

[Little Rock Brewing]

Weather gets worse here from Tuesday onwards.
Hoping mine will be ready by then. The 3 varieties I've got are all at slightly different stages of readyness.
I'll have a look at the weekend.

 

[Cwrw666]

So that's 6 trays of cascade so far and one of prima Donna. More to pick tomorrow.

 

[Little Rock Brewing]

Blimey I won't be lighting a fire. It's still 23 degrees C here!

 

[Cwrw666]

Blimey I won't be lighting a fire. It's still 23 degrees C here!

Not sure what it is here but you've got to dry them somehow. I could use a dehumidifier but that costs a bit to run and the woodburner will actually save us money as well have free hot water.