Home Grown Hops

[vertigo]

Hi gents and ladies,

I would love to start growing some hop plants, but I can't find any resouces that will provide me with plants, or sends. I hope that someone here could supply me with some plants, or sends to get started. If someone out there is willing to supply me with these goodies, I need a costing done. If your close to where I live I could come in and finnish the transaction straight away.

 

[~MikE]

winter is the time for buying rhizomes

 

[dj1984]

And when the time comes for rhizomes everyone is looking

 

[HoppingMad]

Words of wisdom above. You need a rhizome (a root stock cutting) to grow the plant or the plant itself.

The only place you'd find a hop plant now would be growing wild on the side of the road in SA! :lol: And you'd be taking your chances with what type it would be. Have heard that there are some around Lebothal (a remnant of when large tracts of the area had hop plantations) but there's much easier ways to get them - besides you'd want to know what variety you've got so you can brew the right beer with 'em.

The best advice is to start looking from may onwards and keep your eyes peeled on this site. It's too hot right now for anyone to be cutting roots off their hops to sell. March/April/May is when everyone's harvesting hop cones and no one will want to harm their yield by cutting off roots (besides you have to plant in winter- if you do it now they die). I got mine from Gryphon Brewing (one of the sponsors) - A columbus rhizome and a couple of goldings. Also got a Hersbrucker from Lochrockingbeats - an AHB member here who sells his stuff on ebay.

Ebay has them when in season but don't get suckered into the high prices - many people paid up to $120 for one rhizome (particularly cascades) last year which is darn silly. If you're patient and watch ebay at the tail-end of winter you can pick them up for $25 or less when growers are clearing their excess stocks out. A big seller on ebay is Hopwest (or Hopswest).

Other places for them are Sandy from Hopco (do a search and you'll find their details), local brewclubs, home brew stores or other hop growers on AHB. There is also a hop growing collective in Tassie that sell up to 8 varieties of Rhizome if you do a google search you'll find it. With that one you have to get in early (I think before June) or you miss out for the year.

If you check the hop register in the 'articles' there's a list of members and what they have. I won't be sharing this year unfortunately as mine almost died in the heat and haven't flowered. They need as many feet in the ground as they can get so I can get fresh hops next season. I am planning to make some cuttings to distribute to AHB'ers in 2010.

Some varieties you simply won't find here as a rhizome due to quarantine restrictions - Saaz and Amarillo to name a couple. Tassie does have their own Saaz, but haven't seen them available as Rhizomes (and the flavour is different to European Saaz) and the Amarillo is still only available in the US. Am yet to see Galaxy about either as this is a relatively new hop, but believe they do grow commercially in Tassie.

Hopper.

 

[~MikE]

also, avoid paying for root cutting >.>

 

[vertigo]

HoppingMad, Was I by any chance talking you today. You almost said word for word the same thing.. Thanks, I'll wait for the right time to ask again.

 

[vertigo]

By the way side HoppingMad, if you could supply some hops my way...that would so good, beer wise that is! Card, or cash. I don't really care.

Edit: I so want that glass. I reckon that could, or would hold a keg.. Is that science? or cybro space.....

 

[HoppingMad]

By the way side HoppingMad, if you could supply some hops my way...that would so good, beer wise that is! Card, or cash. I don't really care.

Edit: I so want that glass. I reckon that could, or would hold a keg.. Is that science? or cybro space.....

Cheers on the avatar comment. Nothing like enjoying just one beer - as long as it's a big one!
Sadly I have no hop flowers. I have rhizomes in the ground and shoots but no hop flowers.

This Melbourne heatwave has stuffed all of them, and killed one of my zomes (a Golding). Next year will be a different story and will look to distribute some freebies but no joy here now. If you check the thread 2008 Hop Plantations you'll find this to be the case in my progressive posts - my hops were doing well till January, then pooof! Gone, hop vines withered away in the 40+ heat. Was looking forward to a harvest of a few flowers now, but no avail. Had to cut them down to bare earth and fortunately they have reshot up (all but the golding) but won't have hops this season. They got sunstruck bad, so I'm happy they're still alive & kickin' (most anyhow). Live and learn - next summer my hop family will be living under shadecloth!

As stated above - check the hop register in 'articles' on this site and someone may give you a free one come August (best time for planting and splitting up zomes at the root base with a shovel). Plenty of freebies came up on this site last year from brewers fed up with the ridiculous situation on ebay and I can't see this year being any different.

Once you get one then you can get into swaps and accumulate more (you have to grow it over a year, but the root gets bigger and you can divide it up in winter). That's the only freebie way I can see to get a bunch short of paying for some - it takes time. Otherwise dip in with some cash during the rhizome season and pick up a bunch from the places I've mentioned and you could get in on a swap later. If you check the 2008 Hop Plantations thread there is one guy who is growing a lot in SA who might be worth PM'ing.

Good luck - but like I said above, I have nada till 2010. Just added the post because looking for rhizomes drove me crazy last year and wanted to spare you and others reading the pain I went through. Searching for them on google drove me nuts! And chasing threads around AHB did my head in too. That said, if you are patient you will get them cheap on ebay - saw some going for around $9 in late october right at the end of the planting season.

Hopper.

 

[sijani]

Mate, I work for a company that makes shadecloth. If you ever feel like swapping some rhizomes (2010ish) for some nice heavy duty 84% u.v. block shadecloth give me a PM. I'm in Noble Park btw.

 

[HoppingMad]

Mate, I work for a company that makes shadecloth. If you ever feel like swapping some rhizomes (2010ish) for some nice heavy duty 84% u.v. block shadecloth give me a PM. I'm in Noble Park btw.

Cheers sijani! If you can wait till 2010 then no problemo! Reckon something will come up on this site free for you well before then, but check the 2008 Hop Plantations thread - you'll find if you delve into it you'll find a few guys were cutting shoots off to make extra plants for sharing etc.

Hopper.

 

[vertigo]

OK, I found somewhere that has cones (Pride of Ringwood) for sale. My next qeustion is the best way to start the little cone up. I'm going to grow the plant in a hydroponic state, until it can handle the big bad ass world of the garden. I don't really want to spray the plant, but if I need to what are the best types of chemicals to use for hops? If I could, I'd kick my wife out and plant the thing next to my bed. (Joking darling, but maybe sleep at your sisters house. Just in case.)

 

[unterberg]

OK, I found somewhere that has cones (Pride of Ringwood) for sale. My next qeustion is the best way to start the little cone up. I'm going to grow the plant in a hydroponic state, until it can handle the big bad ass world of the garden. I don't really want to spray the plant, but if I need to what are the best types of chemicals to use for hops? If I could, I'd kick my wife out and plant the thing next to my bed. (Joking darling, but maybe sleep at your sisters house. Just in case.)

It doesnt work that way mate. Those cones are female flowers and hence wont grow into a plant no matter what you do to it.
You need to get a rhizome to start your hops plantation.

 

[Jazzafish]

OK, I found somewhere that has cones (Pride of Ringwood) for sale. My next qeustion is the best way to start the little cone up. I'm going to grow the plant in a hydroponic state, until it can handle the big bad ass world of the garden. I don't really want to spray the plant, but if I need to what are the best types of chemicals to use for hops? If I could, I'd kick my wife out and plant the thing next to my bed. (Joking darling, but maybe sleep at your sisters house. Just in case.)

As they are female plants, and males are not available... there are no seeds. However, if your growing hydro, you may be able to find someone close to you willing to give you a cutting for the purpose of cloning?

 

[HoppingMad]

Linky with good hop info. Growing Hops and site to check for rhizomes

Check this sucker closer to winter and you'll find they sell a good range of rhizomes on sale. Only way to grow 'em short of grabbing a full plant.

Hopper.

 

[vertigo]

Thanks again, HoppingMad. I thought that most plants have a female and a male side. I must have my fact wrong again. I was under the impression that hop plants are both, how sadly misstaken I have been ;(

 

[vertigo]

Brewers, beer lovers, and masters.

I have never seen a plant, that is a hop plant. I love beer more now more than ever. Sweet smelling, it looked heathly, and the buds smelt good. Most of the crop was still being dried.

I love beer. OMG LOL