2011 Hop Plantations, Show Us Your Hops!

[kalbarluke]

These little buggers were found eating the leaves and flowers of one of the cascade plants yesterday:

They are a bit hard to see, but there were lots of small caterpillars that we collected and put into a glass.
Has anybody used any sort of pesticide or know of any "safe" ones that can be used? It would be a shame to get this far only to see them destroyed.

 

[kymba]

These little buggers were found eating the leaves and flowers of one of the cascade plants yesterday:
View attachment 51469
They are a bit hard to see, but there were lots of small caterpillars that we collected and put into a glass.
Has anybody used any sort of pesticide or know of any "safe" ones that can be used? It would be a shame to get this far only to see them destroyed.

try annette's chilli spray http://www.annettemcfarlane.com/Doityourself.htm

 

[drsmurto]

Are the hops growing faster than the bugs can eat them?

If so, why spray?

The likelihood of killing good bugs along with the ones you don't want are too high in my opinion with most commerical pesticides since they are non specific.

If you want to spray something get yourself some pyrethrum concentrate and mix that up with some chilli, garlic (boiled in water for 5 misn and then strained) and vegetable oil and spray that all over the plants at dusk.

Mine are covered in ladybugs which are keeping the spidermite population down.

 

[Tony]

Tony is your POR first year too?
that last photo looks like a mutant hop flower cannibalising leaves. om nom nom

Na 2nd year........ its much stronger this year too..... I may look into some more elaborate supports for it next year..... its just choking itsself on the lattice

 

[felten]

These little buggers were found eating the leaves and flowers of one of the cascade plants yesterday:
View attachment 51469
They are a bit hard to see, but there were lots of small caterpillars that we collected and put into a glass.
Has anybody used any sort of pesticide or know of any "safe" ones that can be used? It would be a shame to get this far only to see them destroyed.

dipel?

 

[XavierZ]

dipel?

I'm using Yates Dipel cause I have big 'pillars eating the leaving and tiny 'pillars eating the hops.
Works a treat and safe around animals.

 

[hoppy2B]

What can I spray to get rid of rabbits? :unsure:

 

[felten]

buckshot

 

[hoppy2B]

buckshot

Felten you're a genius.

 

[gunbrew]

3rd year Chinook in Sydney.
Has lots of spurs on it now and a few small hop cones.

 

[Jace89]

Wow gunbrew that is impressive! Can't wait to see what the harvest off that is like!

 

[Lillywhite]

Just baggied 128gms of dried Hersbrucker, still more growing on bine. That's my best harvest, 3rd year.

 

[Deebo]

Any hop experts able to tell me if this looks ready to pick?
Felt papery to me..

Was turning a bit brown so was worried may be getting past prime picking?

 

[drsmurto]

Any hop experts able to tell me if this looks ready to pick?
Felt papery to me..

Was turning a bit brown so was worried may be getting past prime picking?
View attachment 51498
View attachment 51499
View attachment 51500

They look ready to me Deebo. Papery is good, plenty of lupilin and just a touch of brown on the tips. Without actually being able to give them a loving squeeze myself I'd say harvest away but only pick those that look and feel the same as these. Nothing wrong with picking in several stages.

 

[drsmurto]

Took some pics of my plantation just before sunset last night. Not the best quality but given the size of the plants I don't think that really matters :icon_chickcheers:

Chinook #1

Chinook #2&3

Close-up of chinook

Cascade - will be moving this in winter to the other side of the chinook to give it more space to climb and more sun.

Victoria - the 2 single bines to the right are 2 rhizomes i cut off from the mother rhizome to expand my favourite hop (and also prove how viable rhizome cuttings are)

Plenty of cones forming on them all, they all seem happy. The only challenge is keeping the chinook from swamping the cascade and attempting to infest the gum tree next to it.

Down to my last 200g of hops from last season so am more than happy now with the yields i am getting. Even traded 400g to a local brewer who wanted to brew an organic beer but struggled to find organic hops. Several bottles of natural, organic cider (Natural Selection Theory) now chilling in the fridge :icon_drool2:

Cheers
DrSmurto

 

[Fish13]

my hallertau

 

[Malted]

My 8 month old nephew helping me pick some fresh Chinook hops. Never too young to learn eh?
They are on a flagpole arrangement and I have lowered them to be able to pick them.

I think I picked them too early. They are brown on the edges but that is probably scortching from some extreme heat as oppossed to actually being ripe.

 

[felten]

if you rub the lupulin between your fingers and it smells good then you should be fine

 

[Yob]

Chinook Buds flowers developing :icon_chickcheers:

 

[Yob]

These little buggers were found eating the leaves and flowers of one of the cascade plants yesterday:
View attachment 51469
They are a bit hard to see, but there were lots of small caterpillars that we collected and put into a glass.
Has anybody used any sort of pesticide or know of any "safe" ones that can be used? It would be a shame to get this far only to see them destroyed.

SWMBO is an avid gardener and was researching pest control, and came up with the following.

Collect said pest and grind up into a paste, add water and spray back on affected plant, she said it wasnt always 100% effective but was a good starting point and at least make you feel better.. dunno the science behind it but sounds cool anyway.

take that buggies :lol:

Molasses Spray
Dissolve one tablespoon of molasses into a litre of warm water.
Add one teaspoon of Sunlight dish washing liquid or other pure liquid soap

Spray regularly over the leaves of all plants attacked by caterpillars and other chewing pests. Caterpillars would rather starve than eat leaves sprayed with this mixture. It has also been used with success by some gardeners as a possum repellent and for the treatment of soil affected by root knot nematodes by doubling the concentration of molasses.

Chilli Spray
Small hot chillies (40-50)
2 litres of water
5 grams of pure soap flakes dissolved in hot water or a few drops of liquid soap
Puree the chillies and one litre of water together in a blender. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and add the soap and the other litre of water. Spray this mixture undiluted on to plants.

This spray is a favourite with warm climate gardeners who have chillies in abundance almost year round. If you do not have a chilli bush you can substitute chilli powder or paste. Chilli spray is particularly effective against ants, aphids and other soft-bodied insects.

Garlic Spray
Three large cloves of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
One teaspoon of liquid soap
One litre of water
Combine the garlic and vegetable oil and leave to soak overnight. Strain and add to the litre of water along with the liquid soap. Spray regularly. Garlic in known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties, but it is its insect repellent qualities that most gardeners admire.

quoted from HERE