2019 Hop Plantations

[SwagBiker]

A soil pH that low would have a lot of plants reeling! How long since you added the lime and how much?
Remember a big pH shift will set the plants back until they acclimatize.
Imagine yourself moving to Greenland, it'd be a while before you ventured outside without a huge coat

If you're lime addition was recent, chances are the pH will increase but then drop over time.

I think it's something like 300g of lime per sqm to up the soil pH 1 point but don't take my word on that.
Check multiple internet gardening sites to be sure.
You're looking for a final pH around 6 to 7

If you are still amending - aim for 6 because hops don't like alkalinity.

edit: I hope you are not relying on one of those cheap electronic testers, they are way off sometimes.
This one works very well and is easy to read.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/product/inoculo-soil-ph-test-kit/

Thanks for the advice. I put the garden lime on about three weeks ago now. The ph, as tested yesterday, is between 6 and 6.5. I’m just using a colour match swatch and indicator solution from a garden shop.
It seems that the vines that came up before ph correction have been permanently stunted but new growth is going well now.
On the varieties that have new growth of pruned the old bines and the new ones are happy. But my Victoria hasn’t had any new growth yet, so it’s relying on only a small sprout for any sunlight. We’ll see how it goes.

 

[bevan]

My cascade has decided to start popping some flowers (well I think they are) a bit early. Do I need to cut them off or is there something else I need to do? Or just leave them
Location is Riddells Creek Victoria.

 

[garage_life]

I've got burrs last week that have gone into full budding cones already on a few bines only.
Keep nutrients up and harvest and store as they mature, don't leave them too long. I usually supplement my organic fertilizer with "%hrive flower and fruit" @1/4 dose and potash as per recommended during flowering. Plenty of guides for harvesting and nutrients out there. I've never gotten to serious about pH etc and just run what I've bring with good soil / prep and been working so far. Chinook BNE

 

[bevan]

Thanks garage_life.

 

[bj2]

My cascade is sending out laterals already. Seems a bit early? I’m in Melbourne.

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

My cascade is sending out laterals already. Seems a bit early? I’m in Melbourne.

It is early, but every year is going to be different. First year plants are unpredictable.

I have burrs on my Centennial already, and Victoria and Chinook have thrown out laterals and close to producing burrs. I cut back my Cascade a few weeks ago and am now just training it up.

Commercially, many cutback the first growth (after first year) and train up the second growth.

 

[Jimmayo]

My second year hops is doing really well.. late start to the season here in Sydney due to the cold wet and rainy weather, albeit it has taken Like wild flower once they popped there head out in early October.

Evidence of a few pests on my chinook but nothing overly hindering.

My irrigation system I put together is doing wonders. Still trying to workout the best configuration timing wise, if any one has more experience on this topic im all ears. I’m currently setting the drip line to 10 mins evvery 12 hours in this 30+ weather, with a quick splash of extra water mid day to cool them down.

Starting to bud at the moment. Last year I waited too long to harvest and they had a browny tinge to the cones. I’m going to pick them nice and green this year.

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

My second year hops is doing really well.. late start to the season here in Sydney due to the cold wet and rainy weather, albeit it has taken Like wild flower once they popped there head out in early October.

Evidence of a few pests on my chinook but nothing overly hindering.

My irrigation system I put together is doing wonders. Still trying to workout the best configuration timing wise, if any one has more experience on this topic im all ears. I’m currently setting the drip line to 10 mins evvery 12 hours in this 30+ weather, with a quick splash of extra water mid day to cool them down.

Starting to bud at the moment. Last year I waited too long to harvest and they had a browny tinge to the cones. I’m going to pick them nice and green this year.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of brown on the hops. If the tips are just browning, they are probably ready to be picked.

Picking them early will not give the lupulin time to do its thing. Pick them late and you may notice onion/garlic aromas and flavours that are undersirable.

What's the drip line rating? My plants are in mounds and I'm giving them 14L per plant per day on average.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

There's nothing wrong with a bit of brown on the hops. If the tips are just browning, they are probably ready to be picked.

Picking them early will not give the lupulin time to do its thing. Pick them late and you may notice onion/garlic aromas and flavours that are undersirable.

What's the drip line rating? My plants are in mounds and I'm giving them 14L per plant per day on average.

14 litres a day is a huge amount of water, I thought tomatoes were a thirsty plant at 50 litres, but that's in its lifetime.

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

14 litres a day is a huge amount of water, I thought tomatoes were a thirsty plant at 50 litres, but that's in its lifetime.

That's one of the downsides of mounds, any excess water drains to ground level. I'm also watering a 1.5sqm area per plant. It's about 2000L per day for my field. On dry hot days, it's more. Keeping the soil moist can be a challenge. Most years I don't fire up the irrigation system until some point in December and I don't use much water after end of February. I have 45,000L of tank water at the beginning of the season and a dam to tap into when needed.

 

[fungrel]

Chinook has once again outdone itself. Rivals Cluster as being the best variety to grow in our region (Central Coast).

 

[koshari]

bloody vine sucker infestation again,

 

[koshari]

hope there is a bit of rain in this front, the poor hops are doing it tough

 

[bevan]

Question for you experienced hop growers, I’ve got a couple of big pots with second year hops (poor harvest this year) and am wanting to plant them in the ground. When is a good time to do this, before or after winter? Would it be worth pull them out of the pots and chucking them in fridge for winter?
Cheers Bevan

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Question for you experienced hop growers, I’ve got a couple of big pots with second year hops (poor harvest this year) and am wanting to plant them in the ground. When is a good time to do this, before or after winter? Would it be worth pull them out of the pots and chucking them in fridge for winter?
Cheers Bevan

Not much to gain by putting them in the fridge, a bit like putting yeast to sleep cold crashing. Prepare a bed where they are going to go plenty of compost some feed (manure) and transfer in a months time. Gives them time to settle in and get ready for spring. I am moving all my rhu arb in much the same way.

 

[splitice]

Has anyone successfully grown hops in pots with even a moderate yield? I've got some in 50L pots (biggest I could find). The only real spot I've got that gets sun isn't suitable for ground planting.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Has anyone successfully grown hops in pots with even a moderate yield? I've got some in 50L pots (biggest I could find). The only real spot I've got that gets sun isn't suitable for ground planting.

A 50 litre won't contain them, you need something like a cubic meter to possibly stop them escaping. In saying that you should still get a decent yield, but they will escape.

 

[splitice]

Thanks @wide eyed and legless I encourage them to try and escape. Maybe they will grow legs.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Thanks @wide eyed and legless I encourage them to try and escape. Maybe they will grow legs.

They will grow legs allright, they will be coming up al over the place like a mad womans ****, where did you get the rhizomes from? South eastern suburbs of Melbourne Garden World has a good variety.

 

[splitice]

where did you get the rhizomes from?

Yass via ebay in the end. I've got a lead on some one who sells them in pots and I plan to get a couple more later in the year.