Greetings,
I have been getting in to home brew for the last 6 months or so. This spring I planted some hops rhizomes. They have sprouted at different rates. Two of them I had just about written off when they finally broke ground.
The first 2 however took off withing the first week in the dirt. They are about 5-6 feet tall now, but the leaves have some spot showing up. This being my first year I do not know if this is something to be worried about or not.
Maybe some of you can shed some light on this.
Are there insects (aphids, mites, whiteflies) on the underside of the leaves?
I cannot see any pests. But I notice it is primarily near the base of the plant. Perhaps it is a mildew. The leaves near the base are now mostly browns and drying up.
Cut them off. A common practice amongst hop growers is to trim the leaves off the bottom part of the plant to prevent this.
Might be spider mites. Look for tiny tiny things on the underside of the leaf.
Every week or two, check the bottoms of your leaves for pests or webs and spray bottoms with insecticides if necessary. If no insects, your plants are fine and don’t worry about the spots.
