# first try at growing hops



## Brenn Gunn (7/12/13)

this is my first try at growing hops,, and have a simple question,, are these male or female? don't look much like the mature 'bracts'


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## schoey (7/12/13)

They look like immature hops from a female plant to me. It's still a couple of months till harvest time so think you'll be fine.


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## Brenn Gunn (7/12/13)

Thanks for the quick reply, schoey. That's put the shine on my day ,


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## Ducatiboy stu (7/12/13)

Any hop is a good hop


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## adryargument (7/12/13)

Baby hopletties.
Look a bit shrivelled. More water? Been hot there?


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## Ducatiboy stu (7/12/13)

Hops like to be damp but not wet. I found in summer they liked to drink lots of water.


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## Droughtmaster (7/12/13)

female if thats look up in the top of the photo there hop flowers the rest look munted how were they grown / pot/garden were they fed at all ar was they just left trace ellements also can make a drastik efect what was the soil like hops like slightly acid soil almost like a rose all can have a effect


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## hoppy2B (8/12/13)

Soils aint soils

Actually hops will grow well in highly alkaline soil. Research has shown that soil ph has no effect on yield.


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## Ducatiboy stu (8/12/13)

And a good regulare fertilizer. Powerfeed & seasol once a week with a little bit of trace elements. Especially if grown in pots.


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## hoppy2B (8/12/13)

Is powerfeed a chemical fertilizer stu? 

I prefer to use liquid manure rather than straight chemical fertilizer. Chemical fertilizer can be toxic. I mix a bit of chemical fertilizer with the liquid manure to boost it and I add a bit of seaweed and other goodies to it as well. The organics help to buffer the chemical fertilizer and they boost your microbes and contain trace elements and growth promoters as well.


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## Ducatiboy stu (8/12/13)

Powerfeed is organic. Basically a fish emulsion made by seasol.

Best fertilizer is get an old drum, 1/2 fill with horse,chook,cow,sheep, blood n bone then throw in some fish guts or whole fish, seaweed. Then fill with water and let it ferment. Add some yeast slurry as well. Then once a week put a cupfull in a watering can and water well. The stinkier the better, but the yeast will help control the smell.


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## Brenn Gunn (13/12/13)

Thanx for the replies, guys. I am an experienced gardener and a large part of my working life has been spent as such. I have formal qualifications ect,, These hops were planted as one of my 'experiments'. They are planted out in a raised bed , in the garden, in a good sandy loam. Next time i will increase the organic matter 'slightly' as i think that it might help to keep the roots a little cooler in this hotter climate. The plants are moderately mulched as I was worried about the possibility of rot in this humid environment. I have been treating them similar to a rose since i planted them , with side dressings of blood and bone and a complete fertilizer with trace elements, and weekly waterings of a soluble. One thing that I think that I have underestimated is there water requirements and after reading the initial posts,, i have doubled there daily watering allocation. I planted 2 different variety, Cluster and POR. I have been amazed at the Clusters growth rate , as the POR is only achieving half of that. The picture i posted in the original post is of the cluster, as it flowered first, the pictured that i have included in this post is of the same plant. Once again , thank you for your replies, and if all continues to go well, I will erect a 'proper trellis' and try a few more varieties next year. I would inparticular like to try growing the german perle variety, as it is my most favorite brewing hop. Has anyone in SEQ any experience with growing this variety?


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## of mice and gods (13/12/13)

I grow a variety of hops in inner brisbane, however I have neglected my hops this year as I am about to move house but I would put the slowness of growth of your POR down to variety. As I have both first year rhizome cuttings of por and cluster going and am experiencing the opposite to you. POR seems super vigorous but the cluster is putting along (one of hoppy2b's infamous 'dwarf clusters' under observation)

Did you start from rhizome cuttings or advanced plants?


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## of mice and gods (13/12/13)

Also to go back to your first post, to help you understand it better the hop cones (strobiles) that we use in brewing are the fruiting bodies, what your picture shows is the female inflorescence before pollination/maturation. Fortunately hops are able to form these fruiting bodies without the presence of the male plant.

But, If you ever come across a male I'm keen to start breeding trials 

Al


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## hoppy2B (13/12/13)

I thought it worth mentioning for those growing hops in tropical regions that it might be a good idea to water your plants through the winter dry period as hops are a winter rainfall area plant. Don't over do it but likewise don't let them dry out completely and expect them to burst into life in spring afterwards.


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## hoppy2B (13/12/13)

of mice and gods said:


> Also to go back to your first post, to help you understand it better the hop cones (strobiles) that we use in brewing are the fruiting bodies, what your picture shows is the female inflorescence before pollination/maturation. Fortunately hops are able to form these fruiting bodies without the presence of the male plant.
> 
> But, If you ever come across a male I'm keen to start breeding trials
> 
> Al


I've seen male rhizome for sale on Ebay. Might get some myself.


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## Yob (13/12/13)

That's actually half decent advice... (ed. 2 posts up that is, the post directly above not so much...)

@ omag, I've got some seeds of a popular variety, I plan to germinate them at the end of winter, if I get a male, I'll dig up the zome for you, PM for more info mate.


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## Grainer (13/12/13)

my net objective… Hops growing.. apart from drinking Lotto beers LMAO


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## hoppy2B (13/12/13)

Yob said:


> That's actually half decent advice... (ed. 2 posts up that is, the post directly above not so much...)
> 
> @ omag, I've got some seeds of a popular variety, I plan to germinate them at the end of winter, if I get a male, I'll dig up the zome for you, PM for more info mate.


Asparagus need warm soil temps for germination,(25 to 30 degrees apparently). I suspect hops may be similar because they have a similar growth pattern, but if you have advice otherwise.


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## Yob (13/12/13)

They germinate in the fridge so not at all alike sorry..


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## hoppy2B (13/12/13)

Fair enough. They certainly like warm temps. I expect they'll be going mental next week with 40 degrees predicted here, given enough watering.


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## Yob (13/12/13)

Think about it a second., when do they sprout? After a period of cold (winter) as soon as it 'starts' to warm (spring).. Then slow until warmer...

Asparagus indeed... I mean really...


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## Ducatiboy stu (13/12/13)

hoppy2B said:


> I thought it worth mentioning for those growing hops in tropical regions that it might be a good idea to water your plants through the winter dry period as hops are a winter rainfall area plant. Don't over do it but likewise don't let them dry out completely and expect them to burst into life in spring afterwards.


Makes sense, especially when you you take into account that they are a cold climate plant. ( wet winters, shorter summer etc ). Be interesting to see if a more tropical climate affects the way and speed that they shoot and what difference soil temps make. Do they need a certain period of cold to become more productive like apples do ?


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## Brenn Gunn (13/12/13)

Do you think that there could be any advantage to digging up the rhizomes and refrigerating them until mid August, and then replanting them. Many bulbs in this part of seq need to be treated this way as they will rot if left in the ground over summer , but most of the colder climate bulbs need that period of "cold dormancy" to sprout and flower. Would this help to provide a longer growing season? An earlier flowering time,and possibly avoid heat related problems with hop plants?


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## Yob (13/12/13)

I think that is a great experiment to have, was thinking about it earlier.. Dig up and split a rhizome, fridge the cutting and plant out in spring next to the parent and note any differences come season..


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## Ducatiboy stu (13/12/13)

Further

How would the same rizhome ( from parent) react to different climatic conditions. Keeping in mind the growing medium


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## hoppy2B (13/12/13)

I get the impression from the, 'Show us your hops' thread that hops flower earlier in the more northern parts of Aus than they do down south. Temperature related most likely.


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## barls (14/12/13)

I believe they are sensitive to number of hours of sunshine from what I read


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Yob (14/12/13)

I have a few burr on the Chinook showing already


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## Droughtmaster (15/12/13)

hoppy2B said:


> Soils aint soils
> 
> Actually hops will grow well in highly alkaline soil. Research has shown that soil ph has no effect on yield.


ok love to see your research that has shown that my friend as the soil pH has a lot of effect on nutrient up take ect .
please provide the research that you talk about .


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## Droughtmaster (15/12/13)

i have a cascade and a red earth hop rhizome growing and there going for the sky , there in pots as i rent but hell there got side shoots everywhere guess the pH must be right









still waiting for the research that says they will grow in alkaline soil .


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## Yob (15/12/13)

Probably confused with asparagus...


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## Droughtmaster (15/12/13)

just shits me when ya try and help and some one that knows shit and relies on what they say is research says without posting that stuff or even a link like the good doctor smurto says where is ya research


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## Droughtmaster (15/12/13)

btw i am a horticulturist / greenkeeper,

but hell i know shit about hops aparently

just wish hoppy2b grows his hops in sand as thats pretty alkaline see how it goes like he says dont make much diference hahahah what ever research says//// its ppl like him that makes internet myths thrive.. sorry mate you dont know shit so dont tell me that i dont as i am way way way more experienced that you trust me


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## hoppy2B (15/12/13)

Actually Daftmouther, sand is normally acid because it has everything leached out of it including lime.


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## Droughtmaster (15/12/13)

what ever take a pH reading of sand ya dick stupid fuks like you per petuate fokelaw like i said where is the research u sound like u know what ur talking about but in reality your a dick like i said show me the reasearch u clamed to have .my hops are booming whatrs yours like in sand know it all ????????????????????????


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## Droughtmaster (16/12/13)

sory im just about crapped of of with know it all fuckwits on this forum . as far as i am concerned i make some of the best beer you will ever taste now i am getting into some heavy beer brewing for some distilling ,...

i am just getting pisssed with dickheads that know everything with the resurch has shown shit .........well show me that research else shut the **** up DH


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## Droughtmaster (16/12/13)

enough of this no more replies


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## hoppy2B (16/12/13)

Anyone who knows anything about the nomenclature of classification of different rock types will be all to familiar with the fact that rocks with a high silica content are classed as acid as apposed to basic rocks which are generally darker in colour. Futhermore sand is generally made up of quartz particles, and anyone who isn't an illiterate 'greenskeeper' or whatever claim to fame it is you are making, will be all too aware that quartz is silicon dioxide.
Its a little wrong to say a tomato is a vegetable, its very wrong to say sand is alkaline.


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## manticle (17/12/13)

Keep the personal attacks and name calling out of it. This can and should be resolved with articulate discussion including providing research and back up data (from both sides). Neither internet myths nor calling each other dicks or daft is welcome.

Take a breath, sort it out.
Cheers.


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## of mice and gods (20/12/13)

Come on guys, let's just play nice.


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## malt_shovel (18/1/14)

First time growing hops, and I am noticing the hop flowers at the top of the plants appear to grow bigger (more mature) than those towards the base of the bine.

Is this a function of the amount of light / heat experienced by the plant at the top vs. the base, or is it something that the plant does for a specific reason unrelated to this where the more vigorous / mature flowering happens at the top of the plant?

If it isn't related to temp / light variations (I suspect this as the top and base get almost the exact same light conditions in my angled setup), then was thinking of having some sort of collapsible trellis system to encourage long bine length in the confines of a small backyard garden. 

Cheers


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## unclebarrel (18/1/14)

Hey malt_shovel, 
I don't have an answer for you but have seen the same thing on mine. No burrs as yet though.
The lateral bines are probably 400mm long up at the extremities, but down lower on the plant they are much much shorter, some even just tiny leaves.
A lot of guys use a collapsable trellis system, I have done a variation myself. Vertical lines, then diagonal down to a fence, when they reach the fence I will cut the line and drop the plant back to the base of the original line and I am hoping the bine will climb back up itself. 
Mine are first year plants too, doing well.
I am looking forward to a few flowers soon !


UB


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