2009 Hop Plantations

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Stick a pole in the corner of that yard and string from the fence back to the pole horizontally, they'll grow along it.
 
Thanks M^B.

I might have to do that. Only problem is it is the neighbours driveway the other side of the fence and that corner is close to the street (we live on a corner block).

Not sure what the neighbours might think I'm growing. Not to worry.

Also, they are all different varieties so I was hoping to keep them separate to some degree.
 
If you have a T-Bar etc set up at the top of the pole you can grow them back towards themselves as well, or at least keep the strings sufficiently separated.

You could also set up three poles and two cross rods to mimic the fence and then string onto that.
 
Plants that are over fertilised suffer and produced a similar look to plants that suffer minor salt damage; that is leaf margin burning. In other words the outer edge of the leaf turns yellow and browns off. And in extreme cases the entire plant wilts and dies. This is not the case from what I can see in the photo. Can you send a pic of the dyeing tip and a clear pic of the top surface of some of the leaves? Can't promise anything but I'll try.


Sorry I missed this one, unfortunatly there aren't many leaves left :( , But I'll post one up when I get home. I don't think it will make it though, all the leaves on the top half are gone, the top of the stem is brown. I'm tempted to plant another one, but fear I've missed out on that train.
 
Hops are loving the Adelaide heatwave, i swear they are growing in front of my eyes!

Not sure why people are putting up shade sails, ever see shadecloth on a hop farm?

If you keep the water up they will love it! I'm only watering them ever 2nd day despite the temps hitting 38-39 and they look as happy as pigs in shit.

Agree with you on one hand Smurts - Hops do love the sun. That's why places like tassie do well as they get more hours of sunlight in a day apparently.

But your rhizomes are older and established yeah?

If your plants are establishing themselves as new rhizomes, then a ton of sunlight and the hottest kind and be tough on them, particularly if your initial zome was a small stick and not covered in heaps of healthy shoots.

Found out the hard way with my first year plantings in 2008. Lots of them withering on the hop string, and my smallest rhizome, an EKG passing away.

Hopper.
 
Give them a spray with some soapy water - thats usually enough to deter most pests from sticking around


I have something eating my leaves as well so set up a fat/beer trap and sprayed with soapy water to cover my bases. How often should I spray?
 
So, has anyone got any suggestions as to what I should do when my hop bines get to the top of the fence (about 11 foot high)...

You could try an adjustable trellis.

The idea is that you run your string/wire from the base of your plant, up through an eyelet (at the top of a pole a couple of metres tall) with enough extra to handle the entire hop bine length. Tie off the end of the string loosely. As the bine approaches the eyelet, let out a bit more string. You could loop the trailing bine around something like a hose.

Here's some more info, mainly relating to container growing in this BYO article.


Andrew
 
Some pics of mine:

Left to right: Cascade, Chinook, Goldings, Hallertau, Hersbrucker, Pride of Ringwood, Tettnang
P1000525.JPG


Hallertau
P1000526.JPG


Hersbrucker
P1000527.JPG


Pride of Ringwood (I think)
P1000531.JPG
 
We seem to have these mangy red coloured flying bugs hanging around at the moment, they wont bugger off and have already eaten one hop plant, (goodbye POR)
and the cluster plant was very badly stripped of leaves, and is just hanging in. Wish i knew of something to spray around the plant to keep them at bay.
 
So, has anyone got any suggestions as to what I should do when my hop bines get to the top of the fence (about 11 foot high). I reckon one might get there by the weekend.
View attachment 33141

I saw your photos the other day and thought 'jeez, that structure's not gonna be tall enough'. I've got my bines climbing up rope attached to the tops of stakes, and this weekend I had to make the stakes taller, and the rope longer, cos my Saaz was close to the top already.

For you, I'd suggest attaching nice tall stakes to the fence, tie more rope onto the end of that you have, and tie that to the top. Oh, and hope your neighbours don't mind!

Cheers.
 
Thanks for the replies on my "height" problem. I reckon I might try the adjustable trellis. Thanks for that APD.

Is it OK if the trailing bine sits on the ground? The BYO article suggests that it would be OK. I might put a few nails into the sleepers and hang it in loops or something.

I also have an option of running some string horizontally back to the pergola, basically where I took the photo from.
 
I learnt a very hard lesson last week.

Leaves had some small holes, couldnt see what had eaten them. Decides to fertilise and keep the water up. Two week later leaves turning brown ........ found large green catterpillars!!!!!

Keep an eye on your hops lads! I didnt keep a keen enough eye and have lost a shit load of yield in the process.

Cheers
Plyers
 
HB79 - they are looking a little sick still! Not ideal at all, maybe stop watering them and put them in part shade.

Trimming the top off the bine may encourage new growth and shoots? However it does look a little sick imo.

Is the soil wet when poking your finger into the soil?

I would expect a darker green colour for the stalk and leaves.


I trimmed the tip off of my Chinook last night as the first bine had reached the top of the trellis, and put it into a pot to see if it will grow as a cutting for someone next season... fingers crossed.
 
It is indeed looking quite sick, Every morning I poke my finger into the soil and it's dry, so I water it. I tried not watering for a few days at first but the soil got way too bone dry. I'll move it into the shade. Do you think the fence could be throwing off some extreme heat, causeing it's demise, it's a colorbond fence.
 
I learnt a very hard lesson last week.

Leaves had some small holes, couldnt see what had eaten them. Decides to fertilise and keep the water up. Two week later leaves turning brown ........ found large green catterpillars!!!!!

Keep an eye on your hops lads! I didnt keep a keen enough eye and have lost a shit load of yield in the process.

Cheers
Plyers

Finding some holes in mine. Either catterpillars or spider mites. Gotta make up some of that organic spray that I think someone here mentioned in the Hop Plantations 2008 or 2007 thread. Can't find the recipe though. Found something similar on the web that could go ok in a spray bottle:

Soak four garlic cloves for several days in one litre of cold water and then blend. This will kill ants, caterpillars and cabbage worms. A stronger brew can be made by using hot water and adding several red peppers, ground up, and adding two tablespoons of pure soap to help the spray stick. Use spray when solution has cooled.

Anyone using something with garlic/chilli that is keeping all the hop eating nasties at bay?

Hopper.
 
Anyone using something with garlic/chilli that is keeping all the hop eating nasties at bay?
Hi Hopping Mad,

I had a hallertauer plant that seemed to be going strong, but then the leaves started getting eaten badly. I found a caterpiller even after trying two types of caterpiller spray. i also had earwigs and reckon i had spidermites too. So i thought i'd try some chilli/garlic. I also heard that a soap/oil mix was the go.

I mixed the lot together. Garlic, chilli, soap and oil.
The leaves all went black and fell off. The plant looked much HB79s, but darker.

Long story short. My mix didn't work and seemed to kill the bines. Good news is that 3 shoots have just surfaced about 3-4 weeks later.

Now i'm pretty sure i've got spidermites on my Chinook as it's got a slight web under the leaves. It's discolouring and getting some holes.

Let me know how you go HoppingMad

Cheers,
Al
 
OK, well the death of all three above ground shoots on my Chinook pissed me off, so I gently tipped the soil off it to give it an inspection.

A lot of the root system had begun to perish and go all soft/rotted however there were another three white shoots coming off it so i re-planted it a little shallower and left them poking their heads out in the sun (ie the body of the rhizome is slightly exposed now.

The rhizome itself was also looking a little sad in places, strange its been bloody hot and i only gave it a few litres every arfternoon for the first week and a half.

Odds the other shoots will spring to life and establish themselves? Not worried about a harvest this year, just want a healthy plant for next year onwards.

Beers. :beer:
 
Just a progress report.
This chinook has been in the ground 2 months.
2 of the 8 bines have reached the top of my frame and are just looping around the top.
Have watered every 2nd day or so usually at about 6am in the morning.
A couple of holes in leaves here and there from pests.
Will give the garlic mix a go as suggested.
Can see small hops growing on the bine.
Cheers

IMG00612.jpg
 

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