2nd year hops super thick!

This is the second year on my Cascade Hops and they are coming up thicker than expected. Is this normal? All the pictures I see on the net are thin green vines. Mine are thick purple Asparagus looking things.

I don't know if its normal or not but I hope so. I've got second year Chinook an Perle that both look that way. Except my Chinook are probably almost 2 feet tall already. All this sun here in the Chicago area the last few days has really made mine take off.

It's normal, and reflects the extensive root system these things develop season to season and thus the increased ability to reach and channel nutrients to the plant. Thick stems are a sign of good things happening...

Cheers!

Do you trim those at ground level or dig down and trim them at the crown?

Yeah that's normal. Wait until the 7th or 8th year, they'll be busting out all over the place even where you don't want them.


Enjoy,

ColeBeer78 said:

This is the second year on my Cascade Hops and they are coming up thicker than expected. Is this normal? All the pictures I see on the net are thin green vines. Mine are thick purple Asparagus looking things.

Click to expand...

I'd just let them grow at one-two years. Let them develop a good healthy root and crown structure, but I'm not a farmer.

Carlscan26 said:

Do you trim those at ground level or dig down and trim them at the crown?

Click to expand...

Mine spread over the winter and it seems the older groups are mostly the purple while the spreaders are the thin green bines. From my 4 rhizomes planted in spring 2011 I now have at least 11 distinct groupings.
Next year I'm either going to give away some rhizomes (or crowns depending on how hardy they are) or simply cut them out simply to keep them separate. That rule of 6' between rhizomes only works if you prune the roots to keep them from spreading apparently.

This is what mine look like so far

Mine are easily a foot off the ground already. Starting to climb my strings. They have grown a good 4-5" in the last 24 hours! Good thing I hung my stings yesterday.