2009 Hop Plantations

[big_dazza27]

Bought 2 rhizomes off ebay that were about 100mm long each, 1 Chinook, 1 Columbus about 2 months ago.

Both are about 3m high and the Columbus has about a dozen flowers!

 

[absinthe]

I've had a few leaf issues recently I thought I'd run past this forum.

I've had leaf discolouration of a couple of different types.

The brown on the outer edges of the bottom leaves has stopped, and I put that down to poor nutrition, possibly from watering with washing machine grey water once. It really knocked that plant for six and it only started recovering after some Seasol.

The newer leaves have a bit of yellow/brown happening in the middle of the leaf, as you can see on the leaves on the left above, or clearer here:

Any idea what that could be? I've watered regularly, with Seasol every couple of weeks, and mixed some extra Osmocote into the soil a week ago.

Finally, in the last few days I've noticed some black spots:

From what I've found in google searches it seems to be some kind of mould. What should I do?

Well, enough complaining. Life's still good, and beer's still great.

i dont see why gray water would hurt em as long as you are using detergents that have no phosphates and a low salt content.. you may have affected the ph and lowered the plants ability to get the nutrients, it could be from the salt in gray water, but it also looks like a potassium deficiency, give it some blood and bone with potash, if it is mold spray with one part milk in ten parts water it might help (thats what "the homebrewers garden" says anyway)

 

[barls]

heres mine this year. ill start with the monster my mt hood, and this is after i trimmed it back in the winter

then my wurtenburger

my chinook

my hallertau even though i thought i got rid of it.

 

[Kodos]

My Elsasser and Hallertau are having their best seasons yet. After several years of no success, I put a bit of work into soil and planting conditions, and built a couple of 3.5m poles. The bines (I've allowed four from each plant) grow up the back of the veggie patch (haven't gotten around to planting veggies this year - too busy tending to the hops )

I've stripped the foliage off the bottom couple of feet of both plants. Both have started growing lateral bines, the Elsasser much more vigorous than the Hallertau.

Most exciting is they've both started producing flowers!! This seems quite early but from searching the AHB it seems it's common for the main bines to flower first, followed by a second (more substantial) flowering on the laterals. Does this match others' experiences?

Here are the pics:
Elsasser on the left, Hallertau on the right:

Closer shot of the Elsasser looking lush:

close ups of the Elsasser cones (left) and the Hallertau (right). Sorry they're blurry, the bines were swinging in the breeze so my stupid camera couldn't get a decent pic.

 

[user 12491]

Cheers, yeah, that's what I thought too. Not so much anything bad in the water, but just removing good stuff from the soil.

I think the black spots may be mold. To answer Leigh, they were raised, but visible from the underside. From what I can see now, the spots have gone, leaving holes. Well at least they haven't spread.

My Saaz is now quite a bit taller than me. Awesome!

Might look into the blood & bone or potash thing. I've given them Seasol a few times and a bit of Osmocote but there could be some other goodies the plant is craving. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

i dont see why gray water would hurt em as long as you are using detergents that have no phosphates and a low salt content.. you may have affected the ph and lowered the plants ability to get the nutrients, it could be from the salt in gray water, but it also looks like a potassium deficiency, give it some blood and bone with potash, if it is mold spray with one part milk in ten parts water it might help (thats what "the homebrewers garden" says anyway)

 

[MarkBastard]

I think I can see the first signs of flowers too. Very small so it's hard to be sure, but they're a third type of leaf and only growing in the top half of the bines.

 

[jyo]

heres mine this year. ill start with the monster my mt hood, and this is after i trimmed it back in the winter

then my wurtenburger

my chinook

my hallertau even though i thought i got rid of it.

Nice hoppies, Barls. That dark ale on your water tank could also warrant a further inspection... :icon_drool2:

 

[blublurag]

I think I've got some flowers you beauty...

 

[Screwtop]

I think I've got some flowers you beauty...
View attachment 33572

Looks like a boy ??

Screwy

 

[jbirbeck]

Looks like a boy ??

Screwy

Look pretty similar to all of the flowers on my hops at early stages and I know mine that are flowering (chinook and Columbus) are female...but I've not seen a male plant yet.

 

[drsmurto]

My chinook is covered in baby flowers.

Can almost taste the next batch of Mt Torrens Pale Ale :icon_drool2:

 

[mckenry]

My chinook is covered in baby flowers.

Can almost taste the next batch of Mt Torrens Pale Ale :icon_drool2:

Same same only different
Can almost taste the next batch of mckenrys Pale Ale :icon_drool2:

 

[MarkBastard]

I bought three Rhizomes. Chinook, Tettnang, and POR. All in pots. All grown in a small courtyard that is south facing.

They have all grown incredibly.

The Chinook only threw off one bine but it was a crazy SOB. I accidently broke it at about 1.5 metres, but that didn't faze it one bit. Laterals grew from near the bottom and I now have 4 bines that are really laterals. All are around 3 metres now. Whoever said that once a bine is damaged it won't grow anymore is simply wrong. Whoever said laterals just grow a food is wrong.

I almost ripped all of these out in frustration and chucked them in the bin. Luckily I didn't.

All three of them are covered in little baby flowers from about a foot off the ground, right to the end of the bines.

I've got a hunch that whoever said you don't get anything off first year rhizomes was wrong too. I'm expecting a mighty harvest, and an early one at that. In Queensland. In pots. South facing. Broken bines. Never once have i fertilised them. I've used Seasol 3 times. I have incorporated ZERO anti-bug measures even though a few leaves had some holes in them.

All I can say to anyone thinking about giving hops a go is to just do it. Don't listen to any advice here about all these delicate little procedures and wisdoms passed down because most of it seems just like Chinese whispers. Bullcrap in other words.

Oh and don't be put off by words like 'hop twine'. I don't think hop twine even exists. Just use any string you want, or wire, or even thin bits of bamboo. There's really nothing to it.

 

[drsmurto]

I bought three Rhizomes. Chinook, Tettnang, and POR. All in pots. All grown in a small courtyard that is south facing.

They have all grown incredibly.

The Chinook only threw off one bine but it was a crazy SOB. I accidently broke it at about 1.5 metres, but that didn't faze it one bit. Laterals grew from near the bottom and I now have 4 bines that are really laterals. All are around 3 metres now. Whoever said that once a bine is damaged it won't grow anymore is simply wrong. Whoever said laterals just grow a food is wrong.

I almost ripped all of these out in frustration and chucked them in the bin. Luckily I didn't.

All three of them are covered in little baby flowers from about a foot off the ground, right to the end of the bines.

I've got a hunch that whoever said you don't get anything off first year rhizomes was wrong too. I'm expecting a mighty harvest, and an early one at that. In Queensland. In pots. South facing. Broken bines. Never once have i fertilised them. I've used Seasol 3 times. I have incorporated ZERO anti-bug measures even though a few leaves had some holes in them.

All I can say to anyone thinking about giving hops a go is to just do it. Don't listen to any advice here about all these delicate little procedures and wisdoms passed down because most of it seems just like Chinese whispers. Bullcrap in other words.

Oh and don't be put off by words like 'hop twine'. I don't think hop twine even exists. Just use any string you want, or wire, or even thin bits of bamboo. There's really nothing to it.

Not sure where this rant has come from, i assume it's built up frustration from several other heated threads floating around AHB at present. Lots of bad feeling floating around this board. Stress during the xmas countdown? Maybe we need a bulk buy on stress balls....... h34r:

Funny thing about hop flowers, a hundred or so sounds like a huge amount until you dry and weigh them. They are ~90% water. I picked 2 x 9L buckets of flowers off my chinook last year (2nd year plant) and when dried had the grand total of 60g. Enough for 1 keg of Mt Torrens Pale Ale.

The general idea of 1st year rhizomes, particularly those that are small is that any flowers you get in the 1st year is a bonus. Prior to the ebay hop market we bought rhizomes that were quite small, had a few shoots of them and some roots. The first year was all about root growth. The rhizomes now sold on ebay are the size of footballs so you should get a crop in the 1st year. Lots of people have been growing hops in QLD for a few years now.

I think what you will find in this thread is a lot of brewers in the same position as you, growing hops for the first time and giving us all a running commentary on how they are going. A few tidbits from people (myself included) who have grown hops for a few years now and have a small amount of experience.

Glad to hear your hops are growing well Mark. You will love the smell of fresh, home-grown chinook flowers when they hit boiling wort. Makes me week at the knees just thinking about it.

The text above i highlighted is confusing me. What exactly do you think seasol is if it isn't a fertiliser?

This year i have switched to liquid potash after reading a few of Peter Cundalls articles in Organic Gardener. It is supposed to promote flowering and help the plant better utilise nitrogen. Haven't noticed much difference in my hop plants but my tomatoes are flowering like crazy at the moment.

Cheers
DrSmurto

p.s. did i sell you the chinook and POR? Can't remember who i sold them to. If so, i am doubly pleased at your success.

 

[MarkBastard]

Yeah I don't know why I was so pissed last night hahaha, I hadn't been drinking so that doesn't explain it. Just a long day / week / month / year.

I was told you need to religiously fertilise and that seasol wasn't a fertiliser, but instead just a growth agent or something like that. I did read somewhere else not to do anything unless the bines look like they need it. I waited until their colour didn't seem as deep before giving them Seasol. The potting mix itself is full of fertiliser anyway.

I don't expect any more hop flowers than what is physically possible on the bines of course, but all of my bines have baby flowers from pretty much head to toe, and every 8cm or so (corresponding with leaf growth if you know what I mean). So if these are grow into full size flowers, pretty much all of each bine will be covered.

These were fairly small rhizomes, palm of the hand size at best. I also left them in the crisper in the mailing bag for months due to being married / honeymoon / lazy, and planted them 'a bit too late' according to some things I've read here.

I can't remember who I bought them off, but I got the three rhizomes for $50 + postage. I don't think it was you though? I can't wait to use the Chinook in particular. The way you have described it just makes me even more keen :icon_drool2:

 

[NickB]

Since moving my hops into a spot getting sun in the morning until maybe 1pm, my previously withered hops have sprung back to life, 2x Tettnang, 1xPOR, and 1x Chinook...However the Chinook have withered away an I have no growth. If I've killed these it will be the second year in a row I've killed the Chinook!

Cheers

 

[MarkBastard]

My setup is kinda weird. I think the hops get plenty of sun in the morning and evening, but are probably shielded from direct sun for 1-2 hours during the hottest part of the day.

Seems like this is fairly ideal as they seem to be loving it.

 

[Fourstar]

The text above i highlighted is confusing me. What exactly do you think seasol is if it isn't a fertiliser?

My understanding was seasol is the equivilant of a 'health tonic' and powerfeed was their fertiliser. Seasol AFAIK is a 'plant strengthener', reducing foilage sun damage, transplant issues, fungal/insect attacks etc.

 

[drsmurto]

My understanding was seasol is the equivilant of a 'health tonic' and powerfeed was their fertiliser. Seasol AFAIK is a 'plant strengthener', reducing foilage sun damage, transplant issues, fungal/insect attacks etc.

I always assumed seasol was an organic fertiliser whereas powerfeed wasnt.

Had a look and seasol contains bugger all N, P or K.

I learnt something today :icon_cheers:

 

[Simon W]

Looks like a boy ??

Screwy

Nah, definitely fem.

Male flowers look like the ones at the very top left and right of this drawing:
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hops--32-l.jpg