Heat and my hops

[solomonscommune]

Man, here in Maryland it’s been 100 degrees with the heat index everyday for like 2 weeks. My two cascade plants aren’t looking too hot.

They’ve also got another round of hops that I should have picked off.

Most of the hops on the plant right now look sun burnt/tan in color. With the holidays, family in town etc and it being so friggen hot, I just never got the chance to get them. If they are indeed just sun burnt and not actually dried out, I could still use them in a beer for bittering correct?

I’m going to pick some this morning and see what the inside of them looks like. They don’t look pretty on the outside, but maybe I can at least get a batch out of them, hate to see them go to waste.

[solomonscommune]

I think these hops may be a better product than the first batch. The smell as I was up on the ladder picking overhead was unbelievable!
I think by letting them go a bit longer on the vine really lets the lupulin be right where it should. In the past I always harvested when I saw the littlest bit of brown but I think after seeing what I did today I’m going to let them go just a bit longer from now on. Of course I’m not letting them dry totally up. The cones are still somewhat tight and such, just a bit more brown and smelling like heaven!

[shizzy]

During hot spells I check on plants daily or even twice daily to make sure they have enough water. I’ve got things in large pots that will dry out while I am at work.

[flytyer1]

We are having similar weather here in SE WI. I’ve taken a 5gallon bucket drilled a hole at the base and have been putting 5 gallons of water on each plant twice a day. First year plants are growing at a rate of 6" to a foot a day now. I also have about 3" inches of mulch around the base of each. I don’t know if this helps you but I have read that until established they are a fairly high maintenance plant.