2008 Hop Plantations

[Goofinder]

It would seem that at least here in Adelaide if you don't have a means of shading hops on hot days your doomed for heart break.

Came to the the same conclusion about tomatoes years back, despite recommendations of "full sun"

I don't think they quite understand just what 'full sun' means here in SA. Mine that are shaded a bit are coping much better than the one that gets the sun all day.

 

[Smashin]

My 2nd year Hersbrucker & Tardif de bourgogne were going along beautifully in the mild December weather until the first 40C'+ day hit 2 weeks back.

Both had 4 bines each and spread out horizontally and vertically to about 3m high.

The Hersbrucker has been loaded with cones many nearly ready just before the first hot day and then all the leaves shrivelled and died, I managed to salvage about 300g (dried) and now this week its been totally hammered.

The Tardif de bourgogne doesn't seem to flower very much and though first out of the ground this season and lots of bine growth it lost everything in the heat.

Anyone had any success with Tardif de bourgogne?

It would seem that at least here in Adelaide if you don't have a means of shading hops on hot days your doomed for heart break.

Came to the the same conclusion about tomatoes years back, despite recommendations of "full sun"

Cheers,
BB

The Tardif de bourgogne rhizome i bought this season turned out to be nothing more than a rotten piece of %$#%, along with the other rhizomes (bar one) from the same guy. $140 down the drain with only a midget columbus to show for it. Sorry slight off topic. Although while low yeilding they are aparently a great aroma hop.

 

[BoilerBoy]

Although while low yeilding they are aparently a great aroma hop.

Yes, the 2 or 3 cones I've managed to get seem to have a reasonable level of aroma (green that is)
but I suspect it is a low yielding variety which I may consider replacing if it doesn't improve.

I have taken some cuttings off it prior to the heat wave and they are surviving ok, but I just don't know at this stage if I'd recommend them?

BB

 

[~MikE]

**** YEAH!!! my cascade looks like it will be giving me cones this year, if nothing more than a handful.

 

[NRB]

I've lost half my Vienna Gold due to the heat. I watered it well during the heat wave, but the top rung couldn't handle the afternoon sun despite being told to put in "full sun". I've got it on a veranda that faces West.

In future years I think I'm going to grow it under a shade cloth. Thankfully I recently managed to get a small harvest out of the now dead run.

 

[Bizier]

Finally some action..All first year but may actually get a decent amount from the Goldings and the Hersbruker.

Great work Smashin looking good.

I have rhiziome envy, though I am guessing by the intense vigour of my Cluster ad a couple of others, that the rhizome will also be sizeable. That said, I will definitely leave mine where they are for another season and try to multiply via cuttings or layering.

One Q.
Does anyone know the recommended months to bury and dig up the big prunings for cloning?

 

[samhighley]

I planted a chinook rhizome in November last year, and it seems to have completely disappeared.

There has been no activity so I dug it up this morning to see what was going on with it, and it has completely gone.

Weird.

 

[Bizier]

I planted a chinook rhizome in November last year, and it seems to have completely disappeared.

There has been no activity so I dug it up this morning to see what was going on with it, and it has completely gone.

Weird.

*queue X Files music*

 

[beersatan]

I planted a chinook rhizome in November last year, and it seems to have completely disappeared.

There has been no activity so I dug it up this morning to see what was going on with it, and it has completely gone.

Weird.

That is weird. Usually the hop fairy at least leaves a dollar!

Any of your neighbours growing hops now?

 

[BoilerBoy]

I planted a chinook rhizome in November last year, and it seems to have completely disappeared.

There has been no activity so I dug it up this morning to see what was going on with it, and it has completely gone.

Weird.

Happened to me with a nugget, POR and 2 Chinook rhizomes, despite the reputation of being hardy plants they are quite vunerable when first planted, particularly to rot depending on conditions.

Cheers,
BB

 

[Frank]

I planted a chinook rhizome in November last year, and it seems to have completely disappeared.
There has been no activity so I dug it up this morning to see what was going on with it, and it has completely gone.
Weird.

Some people have been swapping Hop roots, not Rhizomes. Different structures of the plant. I was given a few last year that were only roots. So no hope in them growing. Although I did plant a couple of small rhizomes, 5-10mm total size, that did rot away, others have taken off fine.
Not saying that is definitely your case Sammy, but everyone should be aware of the right part of the plant needed, especially if you are paying for it.
Rhizomes, are more fibrous structures than roots. If you are unsure, check out a Ginger rhizome, Hops look similar but thinner. You can also see the budding sites (shoot initials), similar to what you would know as 'eyes' on potato. Roots are very thin, whitish and flexible.

 

[crusher]

G'day fellas, hope this hasn't been covered already. I put in a chinook rhizome in early November & has been growing well & this week the buds have transformed from the hair like heads ( pic1) to the magical looking hop cones(pic2). Could anyone give me a rough estimate on maturing time from that tranformation as I am going away for 3 weeks in March & I am panicking they will be ready for picking while I am away. Any help appreciated. Thanks Todd.

 

[Brad Sofield]

Hi guys I don't suppose you would have any contacts here in WA with regards to getting hop rhizomes?
PS DR Gonzo good to see that all of your horticultural efforts go to the hop vines- by the look of your lawn anyway. Well done.

Thanks

 

[KHB]

G'day fellas, hope this hasn't been covered already. I put in a chinook rhizome in early November & has been growing well & this week the buds have transformed from the hair like heads ( pic1) to the magical looking hop cones(pic2). Could anyone give me a rough estimate on maturing time from that tranformation as I am going away for 3 weeks in March & I am panicking they will be ready for picking while I am away. Any help appreciated. Thanks Todd.

:icon_drool2: :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2:

KHB

 

[Smashin]

Hi guys I don't suppose you would have any contacts here in WA with regards to getting hop rhizomes?
PS DR Gonzo good to see that all of your horticultural efforts go to the hop vines- by the look of your lawn anyway. Well done.

Thanks

pm me and i'll give you the addy for the main dude in WA, didn't want to post with out his permission, even though I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Note that this isn't the season, give it 4-6month and they will be ripe for the pickings.

 

[anc001]

Here in the Riverland the weather has been like adelaide, only add about 4 degrees each day and no sea breezes.
My first year pride of Boston has 3 bines that have gone up to about 6 foot then across in various directions another 4-6, the first side branches that came off at 6 foot have headed off towards the north and are growing bigger than the "main" vine they came from, so much for controlling where she goes!
I was unprepared for this much success. I'm a stay at home gardener so she gets watered atleast 4 times a day, and fed every couple of days, there are somewhere between 500-1000 cones forming, quite a shock considering what I was told about first year flowering.

This was until the heat wave though, and some of the thinner newer vine section have browned and wilted, leaves have gone crispy.
I was bragging for weeks how hardy hops are in the sun, after the beetroots, herbs, cucumbers, eggplants, chillies tomatos all wilted one after the other as the days got hotter and the sun got harsher over the last 3 weeks.
So i've run a length of 50% shade cloth across the top of the veggie garden (runs the width of my backyard about 10-15m), and despite 46oC yesterday and 48 a few days before, damage has stopped and recovery has begun.
At first I thought the issue was just water, roots drying out or something, so I set up my mashtun to gravity drip drip drip all day and mos of the night, but the crisping continued so I'm convinced its the effect of the full sun radiating and burning the leaves. Does this fit with your experiences in Adelaide and Melbourne folks?

The tip about infrequent deep watering has been noted, will try to exercise restraint from time to time, though I'm only renting and having a shallow root mass sounds like a good thing if I'm moving again soon.

 

[Quintrex]

The tip about infrequent deep watering has been noted, will try to exercise restraint from time to time, though I'm only renting and having a shallow root mass sounds like a good thing if I'm moving again soon.

About the only way you can kill a hop is overwatering it in the first year. IF the root ball doesn't get to dry out in between waterings it can become waterlogged and go mouldy.

I know how hard it is to restrain, but the term killing with kindness comes to mind.

It's funny I kinda agree partly with the scorching, but my second year goldings didn't get touched much even though it seems slightly more exposed than my cascade(1st year) which was massive which absolutely got punished.

 

[Mantis]

My chinook has survived 6 days of 40plus temps but it is growing under the grape vines and gets shade from about noon onwards. I planted it here on purpose because I know what the sun can do to plants in this part of the country, and its not pretty.
I grow my tomatoes under shade cloth and people marvel at the crops I get.

 

[Bretto77]

Moving house, dug up my POR rhizome 4 weeks ago, cut the bines back to about a metre and wrapped it in wet newspaper, carried it in the hot car for an hour. Planted it at the new place and it died off, thought I'd lost it but yesterday noticed a new bine about 50mm long emerging from the ground about 100mm from where I planted the rhizome. Looks healthy, decided on moving the POR first as a trial. Will now transplant the others, some are just about finished flowering, a Wurty growing in a pot seems to be doing much better at the new place too, maybe it likes the new position.

Hi Screwtop,
I noticed that your growing hops in QLD and just wondering how you find the climate affects things. I'm in Boonah and keen to plant. I'm told that spring is the best time to plant and that Cascade is a good high yeild variety to grow. Would love your thoughts and what you have found works for you.

Regards
Bretto

 

[drsmurto]

Picked my 1st crop of Chinook for the season - only 20g dried but its probably 20% at best of what is still there.

Planning on using it in a simple APA with a clean bittering hop but was wondering what AA people estimate homegrown chinook as. A 20 min flavour addition of something that is normally relatively high in AA makes a decent IBU contribution. Was planning on setting it as 10%.

All of my hops are doing very well. They get the full brunt of the afternoon sun and during this heatwave are getting a deep drink every night. Before this it was every 2nd night.

My Pride of Wally is doing OK, a few leaves are going brown but it has some cones developing. The Pride of Boston sitting right next to it (i think its a close relation) is also loving life.

The cascade has taken off in this weather.

Next year i WILL build a permanent structure for them to grow vertically (i said that last year).

All off my hops have been mulched continuously with fresh lawn clippings so the ground seems to be retaining some moisture plus as it composts it is providing a natural source of nutrients.