# Growing Hops From A Cutting



## O'Henry (19/11/09)

Is it possible to grow hops from a cutting? My friend killed his and mine has sent up too many shoots so figured I could give it a go, since I will probably cut it off anyway. Would I be best to cut it off near the root, dip in honey and plant in a fine soil mix? Or should I just wait till next year and give him some rhizome...


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## Fents (19/11/09)

yep way too easy. my mate took about 15+ cuttings from my 3 plants and every single one took off, just ask beerdingo on here thats where all his first lot came from and they are going nuts again this year.

dont know about honey though i think my mate used a "striking" liquid of some sort like a proper one you buy from a garden place.


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## HoppingMad (19/11/09)

Yep can be done. I've done it.

Simply trim off a leaf with some stem and place the stem in moistened potting mix. Got a Hallertau going for a mate last season doing this. I grew it indoors on a window sill in a controlled condition until it was established enough and ready to go. Take care not to overwater - they tend not to need water on them every day inside or they will rot and wither. 'Wet feet' as they say. As a precaution take a few trimmings to put in your window sill tub as I've found one in four survive this process (I'm a bit of a brown thumb).

Have heard of people using rooting enzyme to promote the root growth. Available at nurseries and hydroponic stores I believe but never used it, but that could give you better results than I have got. For hops it's all about getting a good root system in place.

Also one person on the 'Hop Plantations 2007' or '2008' thread who was growing their cuttings in glasses of water. They posted photos of them from memory. I reckon you could also grow them 'School Science Project Style' in wet cotton wool as well, but never tried this approach either.

Bear in mind that for the most vigorous growing hops, rhizomes are still the way to go, but taking cuttings is a less invasive way of sharing your hops around with brew buddies. Particularly if your own hops are only just establishing themselves (first year plantings) and you don't want to disturb their growth. 

Hopper.


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## pdilley (19/11/09)

I have two Cascade cuttings in a jar of water in the kitchen as I type. One is already pushed out roots the other is still yet to.

You cut the stem below the two leaves joint. Pull of those bottom two leaves, go up to the next join and pull off those two leaves, then there are about 2 or 3 more joints before the tip itself. Then you just fill a jar of water and just set them in it for weeks until the roots are about 1" or more in length then you can pot and grow out from there.

Had to do it as I ordered 9 rhizomes and the heat and insects have killed all but 2 which are struggling to shoot up out of the garden... won't tell you how much money went into prepping the garden bed for them.. Could have gotten 7 times over an order of Chinese hops 


Cheers,
BP


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## raven19 (19/11/09)

Brewer Pete said:


> You cut the stem below the two leaves joint. Pull of those bottom two leaves, go up to the next join and pull off those two leaves, then there are about 2 or 3 more joints before the tip itself. Then you just fill a jar of water and just set them in it for weeks until the roots are about 1" or more in length then you can pot and grow out from there.



BP - do you need to keep the bottom of the cutting in the dark, or sunlight on the whole lot is ok?

My cuttings died today.... 43 degrees outside wont help! F#$ksocks!!!!!


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## brando (19/11/09)

Saw that Don Burke suggests using honey as a sub for proper rooting gel/powder.


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## Mitternacht Brauer (19/11/09)

Over the last couple of years I have grown heaps by taking a cutting, dipping into the purple root hormone gel and planting in a pot . I have had very few not come on . 

This year I have bent an unwanted bine over a pot and using a sharp knife sliced one leaf and some stalk off .Dripped the gel over the cut and potted with the tip of the bine sticking up . Two weeks later it had grown enough to cut some more and go again . I plan to daisy chain this bine through a few more pots and see how they go.

Mitternacht Brauer


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## matho (19/11/09)

+1 for the purple rooting gel have had 100% success using it good stuff.


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## pdilley (19/11/09)

raven,

clear glass jar with water. was tempted to try root hormone but no longer bothering as they root for me without it in plain water without fail. will just grow as potted plants or indoors as it's really murder outside what with the earwig explosion and munch fest getting them weak just in time for the heat waves to finish them off  switching priorities to just developing rooting and rhizome and wait for proper harvests next year.

cheers,
Brewer Pete

EDIT: they sit on kitchen counter next to bottles and out in the open, sunlight through louvered window less than 2/3rds metre away.


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## fergi (19/11/09)

i would like to have a crack at growing my own hops, i live in SA so anyone got any ideas where i can buy some cuttings.
cheers
fergi


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## HoppingMad (20/11/09)

fergi said:


> i would like to have a crack at growing my own hops, i live in SA so anyone got any ideas where i can buy some cuttings.
> cheers
> fergi



No one sells cuttings Fergi, not that I've seen. Rhizomes yes, and there are still a couple still available on ebay. Rhizomes are the best way to get the most vigorous growth in your first year. Cuttings will take longer.

If you do want to try the cutting angle, you could talk to a local brewclub and see if someone would oblige, or maybe check the Hop Register in the articles section and see if someone will trim you off a shoot in your area.

Hopper.


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## RobW (20/11/09)

Try striking cuttings into a mixture of 75% sharp sand and 25% peat moss.
You can get it at the nursery labelled as striking mix or make it yourself.
I can't guarantee this will work with hops because I haven't tried it but it does for most other cuttings.
Striking compound/gel will definitely improve your strike rate too.


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## Spoonta (20/11/09)

yep grew a few from cuttings my self worked fine a good potting mix rotting powder and water took of realy well


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## troopa (20/11/09)

Do cuttings create rizomes over time or do they stay as a rooted mass?
Dunno just the way you guys are talking suggests that they dont form rhizomes over time

Tom


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## raven19 (20/11/09)

Troopa said:


> Do cuttings create rizomes over time or do they stay as a rooted mass?



Yes they do form a rhizome, it may take a year or so for the rhizome to grow to a good size though.


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## HoppingMad (20/11/09)

raven19 said:


> Yes they do form a rhizome, it may take a year or so for the rhizome to grow to a good size though.



Agreed. When you consider that a cutting might grow a small root system of no more than 8cm over the space of 2 months, versus a foot long established rhizome with sprouting shoots ready to pop their heads up, you are getting a more solid start with a Zome. 

I have also found that getting your cuttings going once transferred to outside from a window sill pot can be tricky in terms of getting them properly established, and the current hot weather going into summer will make it tougher going. Their smaller size means they are way more fragile. Rhizomes are a better option if you are wanting something that will get flowers/cones in march 2010 or 2011, as they have a head start.

Hopper.


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## matho (20/11/09)

this is a picture of a cutting i took about this time last year 
fairly good growth

edit: i got more flowers of this than the rhizome the cutting was taken from which was in its frist year
cheer's


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## Steve (20/11/09)

Brewer Pete said:


> raven,
> 
> clear glass jar with water. was tempted to try root hormone but no longer bothering as they root for me without it in plain water without fail. will just grow as potted plants or indoors as it's really murder outside what with the earwig explosion and munch fest getting them weak just in time for the heat waves to finish them off  switching priorities to just developing rooting and rhizome and wait for proper harvests next year.
> 
> ...



Yep - thats how I did mine a few years ago. Clear glass jar with plain water. When theres enought roots put them into pots. Keep them indoors for the year, transferred to a bigger pot and then plant out the following year.
Cheers
Steve

So youve got earwigs everywhere to BP?


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## Mitternacht Brauer (20/11/09)

Hi guys,
As I have said before I have grown heaps of hop plants from cuttings . This year I'm trying something new . 




If you look carefully I have taken a bine that was to be cut and instead nicked off one leaf and buried that nick in potting mix. A couple of days ago it had grown enough that I nicked it again and buried it in another pot. Each time I have been putting the purple root hormone on the nick . 

I have read that in the hop farms they would bury the bines after harvest and check them the following season to see if they had formed rhizomes. 

See how we go.

MB


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## Steve (20/11/09)

Mitternacht Brauer said:


> Hi guys,
> As I have said before I have grown heaps of hop plants from cuttings . This year I'm trying something new .
> 
> View attachment 33229
> ...



Clever - thanks for the tip!
Cheers
Steve


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## pdilley (20/11/09)

Steve said:


> So youve got earwigs everywhere to BP?



Decimated!

White Oil, Garlic and Soap sprays, nothing really helping. Especially since the sun toasted all the remaining weakened hop bines.

Chickens were not doing there job  I ended up going through the garden up turning tons of rocks, bricks, etc. and must have flushed over a hundred earwigs. Finally the chooks got wise and had a feast.

Need to get me some big rhizomes to make anything of it as the cuttings are too weak for a transplant. I've only got 2 cascade cuttings which are destined for only indoor plants for the time being. Just trying to make rhizomes now.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## HoppingMad (21/11/09)

matho said:


> View attachment 33228
> 
> 
> this is a picture of a cutting i took about this time last year
> ...



(Jaw hits floor). Geez Matho if your purple magic solution can do that to a cutting I've gotta get me some.


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## HoppingMad (21/11/09)

Instructions on taking cuttings

From a previous thread. Just stumbled on it.


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## altone (21/11/09)

Brewer Pete said:


> Decimated!
> 
> White Oil, Garlic and Soap sprays, nothing really helping. Especially since the sun toasted all the remaining weakened hop bines.
> 
> ...



You using earwig traps? 

I've got some takeaway containers complete with lids - holes cut in them - half full of used cooking oil.
The earwigs love it and drown in the oil. 
I have them spaced around my vegy patch and the in-ground hops.

Same sort of oil tubs I use on the legs of my hives to keep nasties out.


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## O'Henry (21/11/09)

Thanks for all the advice guys, esp on earwigs. Lost all my beans, root veg and fennel to them in the last month. Bastards. Will try the oil... Still in the air about taking the cutting. Maybe I should hang onto the shoot incase another one dies in the current weather.


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## matho (21/11/09)

this is what i use to take cuttings





i have four cascades going hopefully ready to transplant in a week or 2




i find the leaf size to be a toss up between growth and water loss, the bigger the leaf the fast the cutting grows roots but you have to be carefull of it getting dry.With larger leafs than these i cut of one.
i keep them near a northern facing window, keep them fairly wet for the first week or so and then start to open up the vents on the green house, as soon as i see roots coming out the bottom (2 - 3 weeks) i transplant them into larger pots and put them out side and water them like my other hops, maybe a bit more if needed.

cheer's matho


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