first try at growing hops

[Brenn Gunn]

this is my first try at growing hops,, and have a simple question,, are these male or female? don't look much like the mature 'bracts'

 

[schoey]

They look like immature hops from a female plant to me. It's still a couple of months till harvest time so think you'll be fine.

 

[Brenn Gunn]

Thanks for the quick reply, schoey. That's put the shine on my day ,

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Any hop is a good hop

 

[adryargument]

Baby hopletties.
Look a bit shrivelled. More water? Been hot there?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Hops like to be damp but not wet. I found in summer they liked to drink lots of water.

 

[Droughtmaster]

female if thats look up in the top of the photo there hop flowers the rest look munted how were they grown / pot/garden were they fed at all ar was they just left trace ellements also can make a drastik efect what was the soil like hops like slightly acid soil almost like a rose all can have a effect

 

[hoppy2B]

Soils aint soils

Actually hops will grow well in highly alkaline soil. Research has shown that soil ph has no effect on yield.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

And a good regulare fertilizer. Powerfeed & seasol once a week with a little bit of trace elements. Especially if grown in pots.

 

[hoppy2B]

Is powerfeed a chemical fertilizer stu?

I prefer to use liquid manure rather than straight chemical fertilizer. Chemical fertilizer can be toxic. I mix a bit of chemical fertilizer with the liquid manure to boost it and I add a bit of seaweed and other goodies to it as well. The organics help to buffer the chemical fertilizer and they boost your microbes and contain trace elements and growth promoters as well.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Powerfeed is organic. Basically a fish emulsion made by seasol.

Best fertilizer is get an old drum, 1/2 fill with horse,chook,cow,sheep, blood n bone then throw in some fish guts or whole fish, seaweed. Then fill with water and let it ferment. Add some yeast slurry as well. Then once a week put a cupfull in a watering can and water well. The stinkier the better, but the yeast will help control the smell.

 

[Brenn Gunn]

Thanx for the replies, guys. I am an experienced gardener and a large part of my working life has been spent as such. I have formal qualifications ect,, These hops were planted as one of my 'experiments'. They are planted out in a raised bed , in the garden, in a good sandy loam. Next time i will increase the organic matter 'slightly' as i think that it might help to keep the roots a little cooler in this hotter climate. The plants are moderately mulched as I was worried about the possibility of rot in this humid environment. I have been treating them similar to a rose since i planted them , with side dressings of blood and bone and a complete fertilizer with trace elements, and weekly waterings of a soluble. One thing that I think that I have underestimated is there water requirements and after reading the initial posts,, i have doubled there daily watering allocation. I planted 2 different variety, Cluster and POR. I have been amazed at the Clusters growth rate , as the POR is only achieving half of that. The picture i posted in the original post is of the cluster, as it flowered first, the pictured that i have included in this post is of the same plant. Once again , thank you for your replies, and if all continues to go well, I will erect a 'proper trellis' and try a few more varieties next year. I would inparticular like to try growing the german perle variety, as it is my most favorite brewing hop. Has anyone in SEQ any experience with growing this variety?

 

[of mice and gods]

I grow a variety of hops in inner brisbane, however I have neglected my hops this year as I am about to move house but I would put the slowness of growth of your POR down to variety. As I have both first year rhizome cuttings of por and cluster going and am experiencing the opposite to you. POR seems super vigorous but the cluster is putting along (one of hoppy2b's infamous 'dwarf clusters' under observation)

Did you start from rhizome cuttings or advanced plants?

 

[of mice and gods]

Also to go back to your first post, to help you understand it better the hop cones (strobiles) that we use in brewing are the fruiting bodies, what your picture shows is the female inflorescence before pollination/maturation. Fortunately hops are able to form these fruiting bodies without the presence of the male plant.

But, If you ever come across a male I'm keen to start breeding trials

Al

 

[hoppy2B]

I thought it worth mentioning for those growing hops in tropical regions that it might be a good idea to water your plants through the winter dry period as hops are a winter rainfall area plant. Don't over do it but likewise don't let them dry out completely and expect them to burst into life in spring afterwards.

 

[hoppy2B]

Also to go back to your first post, to help you understand it better the hop cones (strobiles) that we use in brewing are the fruiting bodies, what your picture shows is the female inflorescence before pollination/maturation. Fortunately hops are able to form these fruiting bodies without the presence of the male plant.

But, If you ever come across a male I'm keen to start breeding trials

Al

I've seen male rhizome for sale on Ebay. Might get some myself.

 

[Yob]

That's actually half decent advice... (ed. 2 posts up that is, the post directly above not so much...)

@ omag, I've got some seeds of a popular variety, I plan to germinate them at the end of winter, if I get a male, I'll dig up the zome for you, PM for more info mate.

 

[Grainer]

my net objective… Hops growing.. apart from drinking Lotto beers LMAO

 

[hoppy2B]

That's actually half decent advice... (ed. 2 posts up that is, the post directly above not so much...)

@ omag, I've got some seeds of a popular variety, I plan to germinate them at the end of winter, if I get a male, I'll dig up the zome for you, PM for more info mate.

Asparagus need warm soil temps for germination,(25 to 30 degrees apparently). I suspect hops may be similar because they have a similar growth pattern, but if you have advice otherwise.

 

[Yob]

They germinate in the fridge so not at all alike sorry..