2016 Hop Growing Thread

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So, question:

My chinook plant has a LOT of growth at the bottom, it looks like a big bush at the bottom. Should I be pruning/trimming it, or letting it go? Its a first year (planted in April).

Thanks.
 
Rypcord said:
So, question:

My chinook plant has a LOT of growth at the bottom, it looks like a big bush at the bottom. Should I be pruning/trimming it, or letting it go? Its a first year (planted in April).

Thanks.
Click to expand...

On my chinook 1st year I cut everything back but 4 bines. I have been trying to cut back all new starts so the energy can go to the 4 bines. On my cascade and centennial I did not do this and they are bushy at the bottom. You can see from the pics I posted about a week back.

I would say trimming would be good :) but thats just me
 
BlackIce said:
On my chinook 1st year I cut everything back but 4 bines. I have been trying to cut back all new starts so the energy can go to the 4 bines. On my cascade and centennial I did not do this and they are bushy at the bottom. You can see from the pics I posted about a week back.

I would say trimming would be good :) but thats just me
Click to expand...

Some would recommend letting it all grow to establish a root system in the first year. Others say cut it back and prune. It's a hearty plant that is notorious for being next to impossible to kill once it is established. Either way, you'll have a plant that grows back every year stronger and more vigorous than the last year.

As your plant ages, it does being to be more important to trim and prune. Rhizomes and runners in spring can sprout new growth and begin competing with the main crown for nutrients. Culling initial growth in spring allows for more healthy and vigorous bines to grow once the weather breaks and the stored carbohydrates are used up. Continual pruning of growth at the crown helps limit the potential spread of disease.

Others have far more experience than I on this forum, this is just some of the info that I have read and follow from year to year.
 
The_Bishop said:
That setup is awesome, what are your uprights made of? Any construction tips?
Click to expand...

I used 1/2"x10' EMT conduit for the main structure, PVC for the cross members, and PVC caps at top. Each tower has six pieces of conduit, four whole, and two cut in half, making them 15 feet tall. I drilled 1 inch deep holes in the wood for the conduit to sit in. The wood base is 2x6 PT lumber. I got all fancy and made octagons, but a 3x3 or 4x4 square would work just as well. I also got galvanized cable and auger anchors to help keep them upright. They're pretty stable without plants, but now that the plants are to the top and beyond, they're a little wobbly.

It's still a work in progress, but I'm pleased with it so far.
 
My first year potted cascade plants are starting to produce cones. I'm pretty excited to have this many!

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This is my 2nd year Centennial - The right group of bines (2) just popped up about 3ft to the right of the main plant and looked strong, so I let them rip. The left side is 4 bines and is really doing well, with lots of cones coming in. They are up to the top of my 2nd floor, so ~ 18-20ft high.

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Cascade is starting to get some burrs. Too bad the height was cut off early. A couple more feet would have been nice. Probably won't get too much this year. First year plants are looking ok.
 
We've had really dry conditions this summer and I wasn't able to get to the plants to water them consistently. So the tallest vibes I have are only about 6 feet, but I think the root system is developing well since at least one plant had a bine break through the soil about 2 feet or so away from the base of the plant.

I'm a little disappointed, but they are first year plants. So, I wasn't really sure what I might get from them anyway.

Here are a couple pics.

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fuzzy2133 said:
Little white spider good or bad? No signs of leafs being eaten.
Click to expand...

Good! That spider will eat the little bugs that want to eat your plant. Like having your own little security squad.

There is a leaf-eating spider in Central America, if you saw one of those it would probably make you take a step back:

_46536160_spider_512.jpg
 
My first year potted cascade plants are doing well. Hopefully they'll be ready to harvest in a few weeks :)

A side question though... the cone petals are very spread apart right now. Will they compact together as the cone grows and turn into a denser cone or will they remain spread apart like they are now?

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After being in the ground almost 2 months, They're all over 12' and starting to produce small sidearms. #LateHops2016

Not sure why my attachments always show up sideways. Sorry.

image.jpg
 
My crown of Cascade has grown nicely but doesn't have any hops appearing yet.

Interestingly, my Glacier Rhizhomes started slow but have started producing hops.
 
KennyRedman said:
After being in the ground almost 2 months, They're all over 12' and starting to produce small sidearms. #LateHops2016

Not sure why my attachments always show up sideways. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Take the pic with the factory camera app. Many apps that access the camera will only read what the hardware claims is the top.
 
KennyRedman, how tall are your posts? I had a similar idea, but wanted to get 20 foot posts. I ordered them from Home Depot. They came in warped and twisted. They didn't like when I refused them, but I don't want four posts that aren't straight.
 
homebeerbrewer said:
KennyRedman, how tall are your posts? I had a similar idea, but wanted to get 20 foot posts. I ordered them from Home Depot. They came in warped and twisted. They didn't like when I refused them, but I don't want four posts that aren't straight.
Click to expand...
I bought 22 foot 6" red pine from a local hop farm and cut them down to 19'. They're in the ground about 3' and the cable is 15' tall
 
Finally got my neomexicanus into some decent pots. Might even get a few cones this year. Hopefully they go into the ground before next spring.

hops_2016.jpg
 
Yay! One of my plants is finally taller than me. Five out of six first year plants are surviving and finally starting to really grow. With more rain coming tonight, I'm getting more optimistic about them at least looking more substantial. Even if they still don't produce a large harvest.

The tallest plant is about 7 feet up the twine at this point. The others are pretty bushy, but still growing length as well.
 
Close-up of the cascade cones

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Here is the centennial. I totally underestimated the side arm tangle on these two root crowns. Going to have to separate them next season

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These two plants are both zeus.
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And they are starting to form burrs.
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These comet Bines in my other garden were attached to these little sunflower plants I have growing

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I'll take more pics when my hands aren't filthy.
But it's interesting to see different plants at different stages.
 

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I had a similar problem occur. Frost came in and killed the growing bine after I trimmed everything back. I have major side arm growth and no hop cones developing on second year plants. Upside is one rhizome I thought died came back. My first year I got a half ounce dried but didn't do anything with them.

signpost said:
We've had really dry conditions this summer and I wasn't able to get to the plants to water them consistently. So the tallest vibes I have are only about 6 feet, but I think the root system is developing well since at least one plant had a bine break through the soil about 2 feet or so away from the base of the plant.

I'm a little disappointed, but they are first year plants. So, I wasn't really sure what I might get from them anyway.

Here are a couple pics.
Click to expand...
 
How many side-arms should you have? Should you trim sidearms? I have 3 Chinook and 1 Cascade (all first year), and the Cascade has a TON of sidearms, the one Chinook has several, the other two barely any.

Should I be trimming side arms or no?
 
Rypcord said:
How many side-arms should you have? Should you trim sidearms? I have 3 Chinook and 1 Cascade (all first year), and the Cascade has a TON of sidearms, the one Chinook has several, the other two barely any.

Should I be trimming side arms or no?
Click to expand...

Only if you don't want any hop cones ;) That's where they grow from.

image.jpg
 
Last edited:
I got some good growth on my first year cascade up here in MN. Does anyone have an opinion regarding the fertilizer requirements that are posted by piedmont hops? This year I'm using a simple 5-5-5 happy frog but next year I will be using ground poultry feathers for high N and langbeinite for high K with little or no P added. What are your thoughts? Thanks
 
KennyRedman said:
One of the Chinooks passed 15' today. It totally grew 2' over the weekend.
Click to expand...

Just to let you know, it isn't a great idea to use that black stuff over hops. Nutrients & water are taken up by a shallow root system that grows out from the crown. That root system dies back yearly and regrows the next.
 
Been a long time since I've posted on this site, but wanted to upload some pics of my new hop garden. Installed a 4 legged arbor style trellis that's about 11' high in late April and got the rhizomes planted around Mother's Day (late but we had a cool spring with some late frosts). planted Cascade, Centennial, Fuggle & Nugget:






Mid-June, about 4 weeks after planting:





And this afternoon:









The cascade seems to be doing the best after a slow start, it reached the top of the trellis a couple of weeks ago, looks like I'm starting to get some small cones. The others look to have stalled out anywhere from 5'-7'; those got a lot bushier towards the base of the plant instead. Some look like they may also have a few small cones. Been fun watching them grow, hoping they all come back next year to actually get some hops to harvest.
 

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