[quote=“Son of a Kraut”]Looking to cut back the roots this coming weekend. Any recommendations on how big of a radius I should leave? I picking up some horse manure this weekend to fill back in around them. I guess it’s time to get out the irrigation and run the twine up to the second story.
Looking forward to a sore Monday morning.[/quote]
A two foot radius will be plenty. That tap root from the original crown is probably 8-12 feet down depending on how old your original plant is, so you’re not going to hurt it any. Depending on the type of hop bed you’re using, those rhizomes will attempt to sprout pretty far from the original crown. I’ve heard people tell me they’ve seen them sprouting up to 15 feet away from the original plant. At any rate, 2 feet will be fine with an established plant.
Run that twine, suck up the back pain, and enjoy the hops upon their arrival my friend!
Hopefully I’ll have some nice pics soon, but my hops are starting to shoot up now and I’m pretty happy so far. These are 2nd year rhizomes that I have in pots because I’m not so sure I want to dedicate yard space and a trellis for them. I have about 6-8 healthy-looking shoots in the 4-10 inch range on one plant each of Mt Hood, Willamette and Cascade. I strung up 2 lines for each pot and I pretty much plan to let them grow unencumbered one more year to let the roots get good & healthy.
Hopefully the Japanese Beetles take it easy on me this year…
I installed my twine last night, selected two bines per hill and wrapped those on the twine, then trimmed back everything else. One of them os 6’ long already, but my most healthy hill has bines that are already 1/4" diameter. This one made bines as big around as a dime last year and produced a bounty. I think its Columbus but I am not for sure, it might be Centennial.
Wow, as big as a dime? Columbus are my absolute favorite variety for IPA’s. They have an awesome taste and aroma profile. Sadly, I wasn’t thinking and planted Cascade and Kent Goldings, and left out the Columbus… Next year!!!
Been at this a few years and my hops on are their fourth or fifth year. I have a inexpensive drip system from home depot that I can set on a timer. Does anyone have guidelines (other than keep it moist, but not too wet) that I can use during the different stages of growth, i.e. how many gallons per day/week, etc?
Hops grow up back of house, so it’s not like they get a ton of rain as the house protects them a bit.
Been at this a few years and my hops on are their fourth or fifth year. I have a inexpensive drip system from home depot that I can set on a timer. Does anyone have guidelines (other than keep it moist, but not too wet) that I can use during the different stages of growth, i.e. how many gallons per day/week, etc?
Hops grow up back of house, so it’s not like they get a ton of rain as the house protects them a bit.[/quote]
Man that’s a tough one. It really depends on the type of soil they’re planted in, so it would be hard to just spew out a random number for you. Here in Florida, the soil is so sandy that I have to mulch in a ton of potting soil to keep enough moisture for any extended period of time. Due to how well the soil drains here, I can pretty much give them a 2 gallon per hour trickle around the clock without any issues if I wanted to. I suspect your soil is much different and that would be WAY too much water for you. Anyone in his area have any advice?
Been at this a few years and my hops on are their fourth or fifth year. I have a inexpensive drip system from home depot that I can set on a timer. Does anyone have guidelines (other than keep it moist, but not too wet) that I can use during the different stages of growth, i.e. how many gallons per day/week, etc?
Hops grow up back of house, so it’s not like they get a ton of rain as the house protects them a bit.[/quote]
Good question. It’s gonna come down to trial-n-error.
Not enough water per day equals yellowish leaves with browning around the edges. This is an easy problem to fix-give it some more water.
Too much water per day could equal root rot-not easy to correct.
If these plants are as old as you say they are, at this point I don’t think irrigation is gonna be a problem…as long as they are in the ground and not potted. I took a few of my plants off of irrigation(6-8 years old) and they are having no issues.
Whatever you find yourself to work, simply double that volume of watering when you get cone development, this is when the plant starts to direct water to the cones and not so much the leaves hence your leaves start turning yellow at this point in the season.
I live just north of Yakima and I don’t know your climate/soil all that great so it’s a challenge to give you a staight answer but I hope this helps but whatever you’re doing just keep doing it if you’ve already gone four years with hops :cheers:
I was wondering if anyone had an idea what is going on with my 2nd year plants. I had them in a small pot last year. So far they produced about 4 shoots that grew to about a foot or so. I took the entire pot and mixed it with some quality compost and miracle grow potting soil into a box in the ground. Its been about 2 weeks and the leaves have started to curl up, almost like they are folding along the vein. They get plenty of sun and water. Is it possible the soil is too rich for them? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Not sure if I had the same experience but after I planted mine outside (were in pots to get them started) we had another round of cold weather roll in and the leaves looked wilted. As soon as we got a warm and sunny day they opened back up and looked great.
[quote=“Son of a Kraut”]Looking to cut back the roots this coming weekend. Any recommendations on how big of a radius I should leave? I picking up some horse manure this weekend to fill back in around them. I guess it’s time to get out the irrigation and run the twine up to the second story.
Looking forward to a sore Monday morning.[/quote]
Spent one of the first decent days of spring cutting back the roots on my four plants. Two Cents, a Cascade, and a Sterling. The Cents are beasts. Roots everywhere, but got them contained after a bit of work. Such a late start this year, but still hoping for good things. If the Sterling doesn’t do better this year, it’s coming out and I’m using that space for new Centennials.
If the Sterling doesn’t do better this year, it’s coming out and I’m using that space for new Centennials.[/quote]
I’ve grown Sterling for years, and it has never been a very good producer for me. I think the most I’ve harvested from it has been maybe 8 oz, probably more like 5. I use it for a single-hop pilsner ale (fermented cold with US-05).
I like Sterling’s herbal character, and now I have to figure out which other hops to pair it with. Any ideas?
But don’t get your hopes up for huge Sterling harvests. Not so good. Chinook, Zeus, and Cascade should give you some heavy bines!
[quote=“Shenanigans”]Building my hop trellis today in Minnesota! The snow has finally melted and the sun will be abundant this weekend. However, it is my first year growing and I currently have my hops growing in flower pots until I feel confident the warm weather is here to stay. Have other midwest hop growers planted their rhizomes in ground yet? I would love to plant mine but I am worried the ground may get cold again.
Cheers![/quote]
I’m also building a system to hold my hops (http://www.howbrewbeer.com/hops-growing … erhops.htm ). Keep us posted with photos of what you are doing. I’d like to see how your trellis turns out.
Just posted this in another thread, but not some might not see it. Hops are doing great this year. A year ago at this time my garden was not quite finished and hops were still in pots
I have a question for other hop growers. I currently have my hops and hop trellis planted in an area which the city might, or might not, ask me to move it. However, my neighbors think where the hops are planted might not pose an issue with the city but there is a chance I might be asked to move my trellis. Since it is my first year, my hops are going to need to establish a root system would it be detrimental to have to replant them later this year, or next year? My dilemma is trying to decide if I should replant them now to avoid any issues from the city or just take the risk and see if the city complains…
The reason I planted the hops where I did is because it has good drainage and optimal sun. My alternative spot still has sun but less of it than the current spot.
Please let me know if others have advice about whether I should play it safe and replant them or take the risk.
If it were me, i’d wait it out and get as much root growth as I could before i had to move them. I moved mine in their second year and so far they have been stunted but i expect that they will make a come back.
