2017 Hop Plantations, Show Us Your Hop Garden!

[Rocker1986]

Cascade is really flowering up, surprised at it being a first year plant.

 

[doctr-dan]

Cascade is really flowering up, surprised at it being a first year plant.

OH MY GOD...... look at those buds ..."..

 

[Rocker1986]

It has started sprouting proper lateral shoots lower down the bines than where these cones are too, so should get another harvest at some point.

Originally when I saw burrs on the Cascade I didn't think I'd bother harvesting them because I figured they'd just be a small amount similar to the Hallertau, but that's certainly changed since!

My Hallertau plant has more bushy growth on it and it does have a handful of cones on it but nothing worth picking. Will wait for the proper flowering on that one.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Its interesting seeing the varied crop cycles of locations. I only have burs on 2nd year Chinook being the last to sprout too.
My 3rd year Cascade may just have the first sign of flowering. The rest will probably harvest in 2 to 3 months from now.

 

[Rocker1986]

Even the crop cycles of two different varieties right next to each other in the same garden is rather interesting. Very different so far. The Hallertau plant seems to have focused more on growth first; all 6 lines have at least 2 bines on them, with a few laterals starting to appear, and even some fresh bines poking up out of the soil. Not many flowers, a handful or two at best. The Cascade started a bit slow, but then it exploded with growth and shot these big, thick bines straight up the lines which then produced all the flowers seen in those photos. It has shot up another fresh bine in the last week which is already half way up the line and already has laterals on it too. Crazy growth.

Last season I took the last harvest from the Hallertau plant at the end of March I think it was. I'll be interested to see how much the Cascade flowers up on the lateral shoots when it gets to that stage too. These current flowers feel like they'll probably be ready to pick in about a week or two at this point.

 

[Matplat]

I think I definitely need different fertilizer, vertical growth has all but stopped, and current flower 'density' is nowhere near what you've got Rocker.... I'm starting to resign myself to the fact that this season is pretty much a bust, I was expecting more from second year plants.

 

[Mardoo]

Power feed for fruit and flowers. Foliage feed with liquid potash. That should get you there.

 

[drsmurto]

Power feed for fruit and flowers. Foliage feed with liquid potash. That should get you there.

Or dynamic lifter for a slower release version during the plant growth phase and granular potash when the plant switches over to burr/cone production. But that could just be me being lazy. I throw out handfuls of these things rather than standing there with a watering can. I think the commercial growers (small scale) use a product called Upsurge instead of potash.

 

[Benn]

First year Victoria just started Burring, her 2 sisters are about to pop as well.
Cascade & Chinook looking good.

 

[Matplat]

Righto... I'm going to bunnings this arvo.

 

[Rocker1986]

I have some interesting looking leaf behaviour on my Cascade plant at the moment. A few days ago I sprayed some weeds in the planter box with MCPA/Dicamba, and was very careful to avoid getting any on the hop leaves although I did manage to hit a leaf or two (literally all that got hit) with a bit of it. I wouldn't have thought this would cause any issues given the size of the plant now, but maybe it has? The new leaves for some reason stay rolled up, but as you can see in the photo the older growth leaves are flattened out like normal. There hasn't been any sign of existing growth wilting or anything like that which happens with weedkillers. Could this tiny amount of weedkiller that hit a couple of leaves be causing this or is it something else?

 

[drsmurto]

Just an FYI, if you are interested in getting your hops analysed this year, the Australian Wine Research Institute now offers the following analyses (prices ex GST);

Alpha and beta acids - $140
Hop oil profile - $220

I realise these prices aren't cheap but they are LC/GC methods and for those with any lab experience you'll understand why this is actually quite a good price.

If you are interested, PM me for contact details etc.

Yet to hear a price on water analysis and other brewing analyses (IBU etc). This one has been fast tracked to allow the craft hop farming industry access to local analysis this season (rapidly approaching).

Might be a good option to get a better idea of alpha acid even if it does vary season to season. I'll be getting my Chinook and Victoria analysed to see how close my guesstimate is as I use mine for bittering as well as late additions.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Rocker you are right, it is more likely to be what is known as herbicide drift, I doubt it is a lack of water, I had the same thing on a couple of my tomato plants, usually hot weather, lack of moisture and herbicides causes leaf roll.

 

[Rocker1986]

Definitely not a lack of water, they get watered each morning and the soil under is always moist (but not sopping wet). It hasn't slowed down its growth at all, the bine that photo was taken of and all the laterals that have sprouted are still powering on. The only difference is that the new leaves are rolled like that. Once it grows a bit more should they begin to unroll or do they just stay like that?

 

[Mardoo]

New one on me. Never seen that one before. I'd guess they'll unroll but…100% pure guessanium.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I had it on two tomato plants in a bed of eight, both on the outer edge one wasn't badly affected so I left it and it has now come good the other I pulled out and replaced it as I had a couple of spares I wouldn't be worrying about two or three leaves on that plant of yours.

 

[drsmurto]

I've had leaves roll up like that before on my cherry trees. It was caused by tiny bugs that seemed to curl the leaves up to nest. But this was always as the growing tips. .

 

[Rocker1986]

All the new growth on all the bines of this plant features these rolled up leaves, although some are worse than others. On one bine, all the leaves up to about 2m high are normal looking, and then the next ones up are rolled up, and so on all the way to the tip. I know they start out folded/rolled when they are just poking out, but these ones just stay like that and don't unfold/unroll as they get bigger. The herbicide itself only touched a couple of leaves way down the bottom of the plant somewhere, so it seems a bit of an over reaction and it also seems odd that it only affected the new growth and not the existing leaves, but anyway. I'll just leave it and keep watering etc. and see what happens. It doesn't appear to have affected the flowering though, only the leaves.

 

[Benn]

I have a question, I had a slow growing (compared to my other 3) but healthy first year Cascade that had a single bine of about 400mm tall. I was gently winding it onto a string when I tripped on something and accidentally stripped all the leaves and damaged the bine. This was around mid November. The bine promptly died and no more have emerged since.
I have continued to water & fertilise the area. I'm wondering if I've killed the plant or if the root system has just gone into some form of early dormancy and will re-shoot next season?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Have you scraped the soil away and had a look at the root Benn? If it has died it will have started to rot, if it still looks fresh then you should be OK, plants as with all other living things have a strong survival instinct.