Year 2

[bernerbrau]

I've got 2 hop beds from last year. One died off early and both had mite problems. I cut back one when it died off, and I waited until a couple weeks ago to cut back the other. Not sure what effect that's going to have.

Is now a good time to treat the beds and start watering? My understanding was I'd just need some fresh manure to replenish the nutrients and some mulch for weed control. I think there was a potassium deficiency last year too, so should I look for other soil treatment options?

 

[sweetcell]

if you're worried about the nutritional state of your soil, you can get some cheap soil testing kits from gardening centers and/or hardware stores. finding one that tests for potassium shouldn't be hard.

you can indeed start watering but don't over-do it. hops don't like siting in a lot of water, so water in accordance to your soil's drainage.