What's going on with my plant....

Hey guys, looking for some opinions here. I bought a single Centennial crown last year to try my hand at this. It grew about 4 ft and didn't produce. At the end of the season I cut it back, covered it with soil and mulch. It sprouted a couple of weeks ago, but it does not look healthy at all. Just curious if I should let it go, dig it up and replace it... give it something? I bought other crowns this year and they are doing well. I have them all in the same raised bed, fresh soil this year, water each day with an irrigation hose, and yesterday hit all the plants with a little Miracle Gro. I'm attaching two pics of the Centennial, and one of the Chinook plants thats next to it that I got this year.







Any thoughts, opinions would be appreciated.

Fixed your pictures. I'm curious as well, I just started trying to grow hops.

never mind you fixed em yourself.

I hope some other more experienced growers chime in, but it looks like possible symptoms of downy mildew. I also think you may be over watering. For second year growth, you shouldn't need to water everyday with the exception of very hot and dry weather. Do a search for hop disseases. Fresh hops has a good guide on this with pictures. I hope you get it figured out.

Any chance there was a broadleaf herbicide applied to your yard recently?

B-Hoppy said:

Any chance there was a broadleaf herbicide applied to your yard recently?

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No I haven't put anything down at this point. Did plenty of reading that it can vaporize and affect the hops so I skipped this year.

BBL_Brewer said:

I hope some other more experienced growers chime in, but it looks like possible symptoms of downy mildew. I also think you may be over watering. For second year growth, you shouldn't need to water everyday with the exception of very hot and dry weather. Do a search for hop disseases. Fresh hops has a good guide on this with pictures. I hope you get it figured out.

Click to expand...

Appreciate it. I'll check out the guide and cut back on the watering.

A few years ago we experienced about 7 inches of rain in the month of May. One plant showed symptoms very very similar to what you've got going shortly after that spell. I looked high and low and couldn't find any definitive answer so I dug it out. Trying to remove as much of the plant as possible, I dug down about 3 feet and found some roots that had turned into a slimy, stinky mess. I'm thinking that the excess moisture was a factor in creating a condition that caused whatever it was to affect the plant. Everything was burned immediately. Maybe overkill, but plants and soil born pests are hard to figure out without a lab. Fire is sometimes the solution. Nothing since, but then again I haven't seen that much rainfall since that time either. Good luck!

I'm on the fence for digging it up. At least at this point. The bines are strong and growing, just the leaves are pretty pathetic. I'm haven't convinced myself it's something in the soil or a pest just yet because I would think the other plants in the bed would show the same signs but they aren't. I would really like to get a harvest of Centennial this year. But I think if it doesn't produce anything I'll have to try with a new plant. Appreciate all the input from everyone though.

Just an update since it's been a while. The leaves eventually flattened back out and cones are starting to pop.

Good to hear! Glad things are turning better for ya