1st year Cascades

So…one of my Cascades, in its first year, has really been doing well. While I know that first year plants don’t always yield much, if any, usable hops, based on this growth is it possible that I could get a little yield?

I got a couple of ounces off of my first year cascades. You won’t get a lot, but you’ll get something.

So excited to come home from vacation and find my Cascades producing. I know it won’t be much, but I can at least toss them into something and say part of the brew was “home grown”.

That’s why I’m growing them for the “homegrown” statement when somebody tries the beer. I read in terms of price growing hops isn’t the most cost effective all things considered, so it’s really just another addition the the hobby. My hops are slowly coming along, nowhere near what you have. My Nugget is doing pretty good grew up the runners, however my Sterlings grew several shoots and since they are first year I didn’t trim and nothing wants to grow up, it looks like a little hop bush. Oh well always next year.

All of my hops have been picked (Cascades and Centennials) so my next question is how long to let the bines up? I didn’t chop them back. Should I wait to do that? I know some people cut them back to about 2 feet, but wasn’t sure when to do that.

Thanks.

As long as the plants look healthy with green leaves you can leave them up with the benefit of them still accumulating energy from photosynthesis. This energy will be translocated down to the crown and used next year. They usually start to look pretty ratty after the first frost so many folks cut them back at that time. You really can’t screw it up, haha!

Thanks!