2015 Hop Plantations, Show Us Your Hop Garden!

[Yob]

Sooo, work has begun on a few tweaks to the Hop Yard, getting rid of a few varieties (some gone already) adding others,

I spent a bit of time last week building up a 'mound' for my Victoria and mortaring it in, still need to compost it which I'll do this wekend but I was amazed to see a bine poking through already, pretty bloody keen Victoria... settle down..



A bit of building up to 'mound' status for the ones in the foreground yet



New mound



First bine through

 

[pilgrimspiss]

I'm weeding and composting at the moment, though I have noticed most of the crowns have tiny shoot heads starting on them. I'll try and get some photo's up. Looks pretty cool.

 

[LiquidGold]

Last year was my first attempt and I got caught out of time for proper soil prep and my hops ended up staying in way undersized 'temporary' pots all season. On top of that the positioning was not the best for all day sun so needless to say I decided that this year I would be more prepared.

I started by getting myself some bamboo



After a whole lot of brainstorming and overthinking the design of my trellis I went with a simple tipi per variety. So I put it up so I could visualise where each plant will go.



I then did my soil prep by adding lots of manure, homemade compost, organic extra, lime and gypsum to my terrible clay soil.



Yesterday I did the transplant since I had the time (although since doing it I've read August is supposedly the best time for transplanting). There were little buds or shoots already formed so I took it as a sign that it was good to have moved them into the ground.


Goldings

Next step will be setting up the lines on the bamboo which I plan on doing flagpole style with probably 4 or so lines per plant.

Looking forward to a good harvest!

 

[Dave70]

Will hops actually grow in winter? My pots and runners are ready to go but I have been ignoring the root balls since I cut back the bines.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Depends on how much frost you get in your area, it is a northern hemisphere plant so winter here is like spring over there, black plastic or a black mulch will warm the soil and encourage the bines to take off.
My greenhouse hydroponic experiment last year was a failure they took off quick smart but as soon as the shoots got out of the greenhouse the possums picked them off, plus the roots seemed to grow as much as the bine. I did manage to propagate the cuttings though.

 

[Dave70]

1 deg this morning, but no frost.
No possums either. Time to stop ignoring.

Interestingly, I went to move the big old pots they're in a little only to discover the roots have found their way out the drain holes into the ground below. Tenacious *******s.

 

[JB]

Sheesh, I better get a move on, I have to dig mine up to split & also prep the soil. Will aim for planting in August I reckon.

 

[DAC]

This will be my cascade's 2nd year/growth cycle in the garden.
Are there any benifit's from digging up & splitting other than to share around or just let them be ?
Thank.

 

[pilgrimspiss]

Yob, correct me if i'm wrong but should the thread be titled '2014' Hop plantations?

Cheers
Matty

 

[Yob]

I gave that some thought but the hops to come from this season's growth will be 2015 hops, we are using 2014 hops now...

DAC, just let em go mate, the more established they are the better you will fare

 

[RelaxedBrewer]

Yob, correct me if i'm wrong but should the thread be titled '2014' Hop plantations?

Cheers
Matty

Harvest in 2015

 

[pilgrimspiss]

I gave that some thought but the hops to come from this season's growth will be 2015 hops, we are using 2014 hops now...

DAC, just let em go mate, the more established they are the better you will fare

Yeh definitely a weird one Yob! Just the last thread we where posting in for last years crop was a '2013' thread!! I"m not going to think to much into it LOL. I'll drink a beer and forget it.

Here's a pic of my weeded hop garden........that the Mrs weeded while I drank beer and watched her work!! OH YEH!!!

..just need to chuck some cow **** over it now. Got plenty of rhizome to expand the crop, and have some small shoots out of the crown.

Cheers
Matty.

 

[leighaus]

first time hopper here, got a cascade and chinook rhizome planted... ill work out my string lines/ trellis etc in the future.. no rush for now...

Hoping they take off Mixed in a bit of fertilizer with some blood and bone after breaking up all the soil then covered with newspaper to keep things moist.

 

[The Judge]

Here she is.... in all her millimetres of glory!

 

[sp0rk]

My Hallertau has been moved to a spot that only gets about 2/3's of the day's light to make way for my chilli garden in the full light area
Still hoping it fairs better than it's abysmal performance last year
Will get some pics of the new spot in the next few days

 

[leighaus]

My little expletives of a puppy decided to destroy my rhizome garden... Despite the fence..

Grrr. Managed to salvage the hops, but they will have to sit in wet paper in the fridge for the next 4 days while I'm away now.,

Think they'll be alright ?

 

[Dave70]

Here she is.... in all her millimetres of glory!

Why are you cutting that shoot of with your Swiss army knife scissors?

 

[The Judge]

Those are probably the sharpest scissors I own :S

 

[Pilchard]

Anyone found a way to keep the possums off the bines? We have a lot of possums here.

 

[MartinOC]

Here's mine:



Well, maybe a teensie-weensie bit of light clearing & weeding required. As you can see, I have a dedicated hop-head (not!) in SWMBO helping-out with the project.

2015/2016 crop perhaps?