"Tranny" Hops

[GilaMinumBeer]

Oh Brother, I dunno where to start with this one.

It's too soon to say for sure just yet but, it's becoming apparent that my Chinook is either a transvestite or a biological oddity hermaphrodite.

Oh Boy. Literally.

I have discussed this with Dave directly and he has informed me that , while the chances are slim (very slim), it is possible to get a male or hermaphrodite plant.

I'll post pictures as soon as I can.

Dave was extremely helpful and advised me to wait a while and see for sure. I also plan on sending Dave some photo's to examine.

My chinook is the only plant of 13 that have begun to bloom and the blooms are odd. That is, not the normal pairings but, more like a small cluster of grapes. But in this case the "grapes" are small green pearls.

Dave concedes that this does describe a male bloom structure.

So, what would you do?

Wait it out and risk pollenation of the remaining females and just deal with the seedy hops or dig it up and destroy it.

Dave has eluded to offering a refund or replacement but, the latter will have to wait until next season as all rhisome stocks have been sold out.

Now, the only real downside to having a male hop plant is the seed. There is some debate as to the quality of a seeded hop but, there is no scientific evidence that a seeded hop is incongruent to that of the seedless.

What to do?

 

[clemson55]

Move it somewhere far away from the others with a female of the same variety and start making your own hops. Pretty soon youll have all kinds of little hops running around. I'd probably just get rid of it though.

 

[McKBrew]

Just because it's not like all of the other hops doesn't mean it doesn't deserved to be loved. Still you might consider shipping it to California so it can form a legal relationship with another hop like it.

 

[mr x]

Rip it out immediately and remove it from the premises immediately or you'll be sorry.

 

[brewmeone]

Just because it's not like all of the other hops doesn't mean it doesn't deserved to be loved. Still you might consider shipping it to California so it can form a legal relationship with another hop like it.

Hahahaha.... so true. :fro:

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

After checking my records, I find that maybe not all is lost for a mature chinook next year.

I planted 2 standard sized rhisomes for this variety in the same mound. With any luck, both sprouted and I can trace the male bines to the ground and pull out that rhisome only.

 

[uglygoat]

pics with the embarrassed john, or this thread is useless

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Well, there it is. That's how you know you have a boy. If your hop put's out these in place of where the cones or sideshoots would normally form, it's a boy and a threat to the innocence of all the girls in the patch.

At this point I figure I have 3 options.

- Kill it. Dig it up, shred it, and compost it.

- Try to grow it indoors at work (Yeah, that's gonna be easy)

- Donate it to the local County Botanical Gardens. If they want it.

I like the third option the best. I am still waiting for a reply. I know they already have an unknown variety female that they have had in the garden now for 10 years. I figure maybe they'd be interested.

I just don't feel right killing it after nuturing it for so long.

 

[BeerCanuck]

So that's definitely a boy plant?
I have heard of saving some of the "boy / hermaphrodite pollen" and pollinating a small section of the hop plant to create hop seeds. I have also heard that if you pollinate with a hermaphrodite that you will get "feminized seed"

I finally found a local distributer of hop rhizomes in Ontario...a little late in the season for me...maybe next year.

Cheers
BeerCanuck

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

This plant has been donated to a local State operated Botanical Gardens.

Woot!:rockin:

 

[BRONCOBREW]

Here is my boy:

 

[day_trippr]

And a proud dad!

Drought up there?

Cheers!

 

[JRems]

I have a 2nd year Zeus. It is a true hermaprodite. It's made both cones and danglies. It only seems to be triggered when it gets really hot out. I guess it's just plant stress.

 

[BRONCOBREW]

I have a 2nd year Zeus. It is a true hermaprodite. It's made both cones and danglies. It only seems to be triggered when it gets really hot out. I guess it's just plant stress.

Had an EKG that did that....ended up with little hop plants from seed.
I pulled it and burned it.......

 

[BRONCOBREW]

The Cascade is Total Male.....huge danglies....
But alas, it is no more.........chopped it down.......

 

[B-Hoppy]

Better get the shovel out - once the head's chopped off a bunch more will pop up. The younger they are the easier the removal. Have fun!

 

[BRONCOBREW]

Better get the shovel out - once the head's chopped off a bunch more will pop up. The younger they are the easier the removal. Have fun!

That is how it got started in the first place....moved one of my Cascade plants and it came up in the same spot. .....probably use Round Up on it....