Hops are up. What now?

[nathan_madness]

Living in Brisbane and I have decided to give growing hops a go for the first time.

I purchased an assortment of rhizomes from here and ebay (Saaz, Tettnang, Golding, Hersbrucker, Cluster and Cascade). I put them all in the ground about 3 weeks ago and they all have their little hoppy heads poking through the mulch/cow poo especially the Golding which has about 4 shoots all about 3" tall.

After loads of reading and searching for the best way to grow hops I am stuck. What should I do? Should I cut them back so that they shoot later after any frosts or should I use a grow bag and protect the little beauties?

 

[Yob]

They have probably started growing ON an American Timescape....

Sorry...

Cover them up mate, mulch

 

[hoppy2B]

If they're green they'll be photosynthesizing a little.

 

[Yob]

And? So that's a good thing at this time?

Fairly obvious statement with little to say about what to do about it... Par for the effing course for you though.. Feck sake

 

[nathan_madness]

Yeah the Goldings from you (hoppy2b) are green all the rest are whitish still. Should I just cover them all up or snip off the green ones or let them go for it?

 

[hoppy2B]

Yeah that sounds like Golding. I have rhizomes in buckets with damp cloth over them to keep them moist and the Golding grows the most of all the varieties. The roots grow also.

I wouldn't cut the shoots off. If they're photosynthesizing they will be making food to put into the rhizome for root growth.

Didn't wish to make a suggestion contradicting Yob as he tends to go off over anything. h34r:

 

[Yob]

I love you
:wub: <_< :wacko:

 

[nathan_madness]

Yeah, with all the reading of that I have done on here I have noticed that you two have had run ins in the past. Thanks for the info guys I will mulch the whitish ones and nurture the green ones.

 

[Yob]

naa mate, no run ins at all.. I just call it for what it's worth.. dunno what fertiliser he's smoking this week.. it's not the season to let them grow.. it's not gunna help them

B)

 

[tazman1967]

Leave them alone... I dont think you will get severe frosts in Brisbane :blink:
Good luck to keeping them watered in Summer, its a bitch.

 

[nathan_madness]

Ha ha ha that is the easy bit I have a dam, 2x 30,000l and 4x 5,000l rain water tanks. Our whole property is watered by computer so all i have done is set the drip feed hose along the bed and then programmed 45l per day to water that line (9 hops x 5L) easy as that. I also found two old steel painting trellises that I have put at either end with a guide wire between both and then attached a 6m length or deformed bar to each hop so that they can grow 6 meters tall and they have sun 8 hours a day in winter.

Sorry guys we use to own the biggest landscaping supplies in Brisbane and now I'm bored as shit. So anything to pass the time :beerbang:

 

[tazman1967]

Well, then the only thing that is going to put a spanner in your works is ..daylight hours.
In Vic/Tas , they get more daylight hours than Brisvegas.
Not a biggie, just means you wont get the crop yields that they get.
Hey, any crop is a good crop :blink:

 

[nathan_madness]

Hell yeah, that is my theory as long as I get 90g of flowers so that I can stuff it in my hop rocket i'll be a happy chappy!!!

 

[hoppy2B]

When temps reach 40 degrees you might want to consider multiplying the amount of water you mentioned above by 10. :blink:

 

[punkin]

Ha ha ha that is the easy bit I have a dam, 2x 30,000l and 4x 5,000l rain water tanks. Our whole property is watered by computer so all i have done is set the drip feed hose along the bed and then programmed 45l per day to water that line (9 hops x 5L) easy as that. I also found two old steel painting trellises that I have put at either end with a guide wire between both and then attached a 6m length or deformed bar to each hop so that they can grow 6 meters tall and they have sun 8 hours a day in winter.

Sorry guys we use to own the biggest landscaping supplies in Brisbane and now I'm bored as shit. So anything to pass the time :beerbang:

Some pictures please?

 

[Malted]

In the past I have often had some bines poke their heads up early but then they sit there and don't do anything. Early emergence may not mean anything significant; leave them be.

Your Goldings are likely to be a dwarf variety. h34r:

 

[pk.sax]

It's qld ffs, the winter is like a milder summer. I bet the hops would be alright. Come down here and freeze ur nuts off. Swap you in a heartbeat.

 

[brewologist]

I just got around to cutting last seasons (dead) growth off my bines. When I was digging around in my hop patch I noticed fresh buds starting to form on the root system.

I'm in central victoria so I'm gonna chuck some mulch on them. Don't want them getting frost bite

 

[Yob]

have you seen newguys bines from the last few years before his move and the dog incidents? The dude lives in Canadia... inches/feet of snow over the winter period..

they can handle it.. but yeah, mulch em

 

[Florian]

If they're green they'll be photosynthesizing a little.

I found this to be a pretty clear statement.

It obviously means they're 'producing' energy, with part of that most likely to be invested into their root system. Of course that's a good thing, even if the shoots are dying off later during winter.

I've got a few varieties as well that are sending shoots out at this time of the year. I always let them as it will only mean a stronger plant next season.


POR



Saaz


EDIT: Also, fairly unrelated: I never clicked this topic until today because every time I saw the title I thought to myself: "WTF, just buy some new ones, then."