2015 Hop Plantations, Show Us Your Hop Garden!

[wide eyed and legless]

soil. Any advice on soil composition for hop plants
When you spread that compost over your proposed bed make sure to put sprinkle some dolomite or lime on just to raise the Ph to a good level (around 6-7) for your plants. Dolomite is preferable.

 

[Yob]

Been meaning to replant mine,just can't seem to get the time..

That really is a stunning looking compost, we've got chickens now so looking forward to adding their crap to my compost heap.. Plenty of it on my shiny feckin deck to collect... *******s..

 

[seehuusen]

Spoke to a couple of people about a way to handle rhizomes for us qlders, and the general consensus was that the fridge would simulate the colder months perfectly and give better growth the following season.
6 to 8 weeks at that 5C mark would allow me to simulate the ground temperature at the relative latitude, similar to those growing in Vic/Taz areas.

Also, just so that other people can draw from this, to store them in the fridge, pop them in the veggie section.
The rhizomes should be wrapped in wet news paper and into a shopping bag to keep some of that moisture. I have it on good authority that this has stored viable rhizomes for up to 2 years!

I'm not sure if it is necessary to do it each year, but I guess next year I'll be able to split up my rhizomes and leave some in the ground and some in the fridge and compare that

Cheers for everyone's input, much appreciated :super:

edit: just added some clarification to my text...

 

[Matplat]

Spoke to a couple of people about a way to handle rhizomes for us qlders, and the general consensus was that the fridge would simulate the colder months perfectly and give better growth the following season.
6 to 8 weeks at that 5C mark would simulate the ground temperature at the relative latitude for those living in Vic/Taz areas.

Also, just so that other people can draw from this, to store them in the fridge, pop them in the veggie section.
The rhizomes should be wrapped in wet news paper and into a shopping bag to keep some of that moisture. I have it on good authority that this has stored viable rhizomes for up to 2 years!

I'm not sure if it is necessary to do it each year, but I guess next year I'll be able to split up my rhizomes and leave some in the ground and some in the fridge and compare that

Cheers for everyone's input, much appreciated :super:

edit: just added some clarification to my text...

As a complete novice, I have no basis for this next statement but, I cannot see how removing rhizomes and forcing them to grow a new root system would ever be beneficial for crop yields?

Quite happy to be corrected....

Cheers, Matt

 

[seehuusen]

My rhizomes grew from what resembled no more than a pencil beginning of last season, to having a massive root system, shoots and new rhizomes (approximately the size of a football).
I have not cut/trimmed any of the roots, but rather just shook most of the dirt off them, the whole bunch will go back into the ground in a couple of months.

Pulling them out or not, those I spoke to had good results chucking them in the fridge to simulate the winter period.
I know that many bulb types, like tulips for instance, needs this treatment too if you want to grow them up here.
In them, it creates a trigger (release of enzymes?) to grow vigorously once spring hits.

It might also be different for you, as you would get the occasional frosty night out your way (which we never do, living on the coast)...

I'm still learning, I guess there are many ways to skin a cat.
I'm also happy to be corrected

edit: lazy typing, missed a word haha

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Here is an old thread about the effects of latitude on growing hops, I would like to see some scientific evidence of any benefits of digging up rhizomes and storing them in the fridge, not a believer in making more work than necessary, as for bulbs there are 2 types 'Tender' and 'Hardy' the hardy stay in the soil over winter and the tender taken indoors for protection.

Some Info Re The Effect Of Latitude When Growing Hops - General ...

 

[seehuusen]

Thanks for the link, looks like a good bit of information Will have to grab a cold one and read through it...
As I mentioned previously, after next season, I'll be able to split and do a comparison, half in the fridge while leaving the other half, that'd be pretty interesting to see (and perhaps monitor over a couple of seasons to see if there is a decline in production for either)

Cheers WEAL :beerbang:

 

[hoppy2B]

I grow tulips, the cold kicks them into growth. They grow because it is cold. They don't wait till it gets warm in spring after the cold until they start growing, that is just incorrect.

 

[drsmurto]

Well, as the thread title asks, here it is! Reckon it will be ready for a brew next weekend?

Pretty excited, thanks to Hoppy2b for the rhizomes to make it happen. When the time comes i will put one post between each pair of pots and run a cord from each pot up to the shared post.

The rhizomes had a fair few shoots on them some of which were pretty long (5cm), also the soil that i prepared the day before was seriously warm when i planted them and the forecast at least for the next week is reasonably warm. What happens if shoots break the surface already? Growing season starts early?

Cheers, Matt

Assuming the pots contain the same variety of rhizomes, all good. If they are different rhizomes then 2 metres minimum gap, 3+ if you can. Otherwise you'll spend the growing season trying, in vain, to keep them apart. You won't be able to differentiate the cones of different varieties.

I've got Victoria and Chinook planted 5 metres apart and by the end of the season they meet up despite my best efforts. They may not be classified as weeds but they have many of the traits.

 

[Matplat]

Assuming the pots contain the same variety of rhizomes, all good. If they are different rhizomes then 2 metres minimum gap, 3+ if you can. Otherwise you'll spend the growing season trying, in vain, to keep them apart. You won't be able to differentiate the cones of different varieties.

I've got Victoria and Chinook planted 5 metres apart and by the end of the season they meet up despite my best efforts. They may not be classified as weeds but they have many of the traits.

Thanks for the advice Dr, there are 3 varities in pairs of pots, I am planning on putting a single post in the middle (and a bit behind) each pair which will support the twine from both of the pots so each variety will grow towards its mate and away from its foreign neighbour.

Do you think this will prevent the problem?

Cheers, Matt

 

[drsmurto]

Thanks for the advice Dr, there are 3 varities in pairs of pots, I am planning on putting a single post in the middle (and a bit behind) each pair which will support the twine from both of the pots so each variety will grow towards its mate and away from its foreign neighbour.

Do you think this will prevent the problem?

Cheers, Matt

The bines will grow up but all the cones are formed on side shoots which you will have to manually train up and away from each other. They'll become entangled in a big mess. So it depends on how much of your time you want to spend each day during the vigorous growing season (where bines can grow 30cm in a single day), making sure the different varieties are kept apart.

This is what 3 (Chinook) rhizomes results in and this was taken at the end of January, the growing season continues in to March for my plants. By the time I remove the net on the nectarine tree in the left of the picture, the hops have climbed all the way to the top of the net and need to be cut out.

 

[Matplat]

I think there is a plant in that photo, but all I can really see is a load of hoppy pale ales :lol:

Point taken, il try and spread them out a bit more. However given the location that I have available, and the amount of daylight hours I have it is a balance against the surrounding shade....

Cheers, Matt

 

[Matplat]

So just went out to water the plants for their weekly feed, and this is what i saw, it looks suspiciously like a hop bine?

If it is, should i let the season start early or snip it off?

Cheers, Matt

 

[Drew]

My vote is that it definitely looks like a hop bine.

Not sure what you should do about it though...

 

[hoppy2B]

So just went out to water the plants for their weekly feed, and this is what i saw, it looks suspiciously like a hop bine?

If it is, should i let the season start early or snip it off?

Cheers, Matt

Looking good Matlap, that is definitely a hop shoot. A lot of people say to cover them up or chop them off but I like to leave them as is.

While hops grow faster in warm weather they generally don't start growing until the days are long enough for their liking, which varies with each variety. They seem to use the shoots on the surface to sense day length.

 

[Matplat]

Awsome, I guess that it is thanks to the unseasonably warm weather we have been enjoying...

I reckon I will leave it as is.... Don't see how it can do any harm

 

[The Judge]

I cut mine last year and suffered a lag in subsequent bine growth. While everyone else was posting and boasting great bines mine were yet to break the surface! In hindsight I'd have left the shoots and let it grow as it wanted to grow.

 

[goatus]

Time to dig up your zomes if you havent already east coastians =P

Antarctic Vortex: This colossal conveyor belt of cold will chill eastern Australia to the bone

Winter is coming...

 

[Matplat]

Surely that is a good thing??? Like an outdoor fridge...

 

[goatus]

Frost / Snow = dead zomes I believe.

..but im from perth, so I may be talking bollocks. *applies sunscreen to hop bines*