# Why Don't My Hops Look Like This?



## braufrau (9/7/08)

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=55827

Maybe some expert hop growers can tell me why mine were just four little tendrils growing up the twine and not a rampant weedlike thing like this?


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## kirem (9/7/08)

braufrau said:


> http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=55827
> 
> Maybe some expert hop growers can tell me why mine were just four little tendrils growing up the twine and not a rampant weedlike thing like this?



could be a lot of reasons. How much water and nitrogen do yours get.

Probably most importantly how old/ how long has your rhizome been in the ground?


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## BoilerBoy (9/7/08)

braufrau said:


> http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=55827
> 
> Maybe some expert hop growers can tell me why mine were just four little tendrils growing up the twine and not a rampant weedlike thing like this?



braufrau,

How old are they and how big were the Rhizomes when you planted them, are they in the ground or pots?

Last year I got a tiny miserable nugget specimen for $25 that dissolved into nothing and never to be seen again! I then bought 2 big rhizomes a Tardiff de bogogne (spelling)and a hersbrucker off Rupert (Hopswest) with large established roots for around $35 each, both these took off and produced flowers in there first year.

The other thing is my wife who loves the garden always had difficulty getting healthy plants and if there is one thing we have found in the 20 years of trying "Its all in the soil!" 
We have clay soils like most in Adelaide and have systematically used a process or Gypsum, compost, cow manure chopped pea straw all mixed around and then a good layer of mulch on top and it changed everything.

Cheers,
BB


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## braufrau (9/7/08)

BoilerBoy said:


> braufrau,
> 
> How old are they and how big were the Rhizomes when you planted them, are they in the ground or pots?


OK. Just the first year.  Can't remember how big the rhizomes were, just a 15cm stick really.
And they got flowers in the first year.



> The other thing is my wife who loves the garden always had difficulty getting healthy plants and if there is one thing we have found in the 20 years of trying "Its all in the soil!"
> We have clay soils like most in Adelaide and have systematically used a process or Gypsum, compost, cow manure chopped pea straw all mixed around and then a good layer of mulch on top and it changed everything.



well I am in the hills so my soil is very different from plains soil, but it sounds like just keep whacking on the organic stuff.
Do you think I can put "raw" horse pooh on them now, on the assumption it will have broken down by the time they sprout?

I just put a bucket of chicken litter pea straw out of the bottom of the coop on them.

And if I'm sticking stuff like that on them, I can just whack right on top?? They'll grow through??

They should get more water this year now we have the well all set up.

Anyone strung them up to their eaves?


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## Frank (9/7/08)

braufrau said:


> well I am in the hills so my soil is very different from plains soil, but it sounds like just keep whacking on the organic stuff.
> Do you think I can put "raw" horse pooh on them now, on the assumption it will have broken down by the time they sprout?
> 
> I just put a bucket of chicken litter pea straw out of the bottom of the coop on them.
> ...


Hi Braufrau
Adelaide Hills have good fertile soil to start with. Adding raw "horse exhaust" will be ok, the nitrogen levels is not too high. Straight chicken manure is very high in Nitrogen and could potentially burn (depends how much other straw etc is mixed into it). Have you got a compost heap? Ideally all manure should be composted before adding to your garden. All lawn clippings, raked leaves etc, all in together. 
Leave a dish where the Bines will push from and place the manure in a circle around it, all the nutrients will leach to the rootzone, and also be transported by worms. This way the fresh shoot will not get burnt (from high N levels) when it starts to push. 
Another option is too make your own liquid fertiliser. Get half a bucket of manure (your choice of type), fill with water, leave for a day or two (mix every day). Pour liquid onto your plants, refill bucket and pour onto garden again.

I am hoping to come and see you this weekend, I will give you a call before hand. 
Thanks


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## RobB (9/7/08)

Be careful when adding raw manures to young plants as you can burn them. It would be better if you could compost your horse and chook manure with some straw first.

If the horse manure is just the droppings, then it's not to bad. If it's the manure plus straw from a mucked out stable, then you definitely want to compost it first. The straw from a stable will soak up a lot of horse urine and this can burn your plants with a big hit of ammonia.

Chook manure is the strongest of the animal manures and should definitely be allowed to rot before adding to a tender plant. You should be OK if your chicken litter/straw mix is quite old.

Cheers,

Rob


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## Mantis (18/7/08)

Agree with above as too composting manure of all kinds except maybe sheep poop with is usable straight on the garden. 
I am new to growing hops and have one rhizome in the ground, so hey, my information is not good.


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