Hops outside the growing zone.

[wynnum1]

With some plants like garlic they need time to acclimatise to your area and if can get locally have better results and if you get rid of the hops too quickly may not have given a chance .

 

[A.B.]

I get what you're saying but I can grow garlic no worries (and just about anything else except for tropicals), and the hops had 4 years chance! I'll see if there's any remnants of the rhizomes in spring and see if I can get them to flower up.

 

[Rocker1986]

I had them in Brisbane over the just gone warm season and ended up with 40g dry off a Hallertau plant. I was pretty happy with that given I didn't really know what to expect off it. It was only in a pot on a 2ish metre high mesh framework thingy, but over winter I'm going to move it into a large raised garden bed and build a higher trellis. Same deal with the Fuggles plant although I didn't bother harvesting from it this season. So yeah it can work outside the usual areas.

 

[CheekyPanda]

Cheers guys,

Just wondering what your thoughts are regarding hop yard set-up. As I only plan to do a pilot run this year with a few varieties I was thinking of employing the teepee technique as seen in the following link as opposed to a full on trellis system.

http://cabrew.org/wp-content/uploads/1011046_10152000784368056_1874381974_n.jpg

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great.

Tim

 

[Brownsworthy]

A bloke I know who grows hops in New Lambton uses 2 1.5" poles spaced about 1.5m apart they stick about 5 feet out of the ground he then has 2 poles with a larger diameter and around 3m long that slot over the top with cord strung between
He has holes up the poles stuck in the ground so he can adjust height and also makes it easy to take down for harvesting.

Cheers

 

[CheekyPanda]

http://www.farmersweekly.co.za/article.aspx?id=38537&h=SABHopFarmsputsthebitterintobeer

In the past, when farmers were growing earlier locally-bred hop varieties, they used large electric lights to extend the effective daylight length for maximum production. Five 1 000W lights mounted 18m above ground level would provide enough light for only 4ha of hops.

“The main variety grown at that time was the Southern Brewer. Its productivity would increase by 30% when supplemented with artificial light,” recalls Laurie.

Perhaps I could get a few of these

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10W-LED-Grow-Light-Water-resistant-Durable-Energy-Saving-for-Outdoor-Indoor-SN-/162058293716?hash=item25bb6d51d4:g:i9QAAOSwubRXKHiL

and place a few at the top of the poles and jimmy up a solar/battery so they run for an hour or two at the end of each day?

 

[wynnum1]

Maybe you can use the street lights

 

[Brownsworthy]

http://www.farmersweekly.co.za/article.aspx?id=38537&h=SABHopFarmsputsthebitterintobeer

In the past, when farmers were growing earlier locally-bred hop varieties, they used large electric lights to extend the effective daylight length for maximum production. Five 1 000W lights mounted 18m above ground level would provide enough light for only 4ha of hops.
“The main variety grown at that time was the Southern Brewer. Its productivity would increase by 30% when supplemented with artificial light,” recalls Laurie.

Perhaps I could get a few of these

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10W-LED-Grow-Light-Water-resistant-Durable-Energy-Saving-for-Outdoor-Indoor-SN-/162058293716?hash=item25bb6d51d4:g:i9QAAOSwubRXKHiL

and place a few at the top of the poles and jimmy up a solar/battery so they run for an hour or two at the end of each day?

I suppose every little bit helps but I reckon you'd be getting plenty of sunshine through the growing period up Gloucester I think the biggest battle would be keeping the water up to them when it gets hot.

 

[Stu Brew]

Have a look at this......

http://www.hydrohopfarms.com/

 

[CheekyPanda]

Have a look at this......

http://www.hydrohopfarms.com/

Wow, just wow. The time lapse video is amazing.

I can't even imagine what the initial startup cost would be in somethiing like that.

I wonder how improved the yield is or is it just higher alpha content etc..

 

[Stu Brew]

There are a few people to talk to here, send Belgravebrewer a pm on set ups..

If you have access to good water, you're in a good place, they'll do fine of you can keep up the water to them...

Aus chinook, Columbus, Victoria...

If icon ever get my male I'm after, a breeding program is on the cards.. That shit really excites me big time..

Hey Yob......try the new owners of Hopswest. They offered me a male rhizome mate not sure on the price as they seem a little pricey but probably the only place ive heard of selling them in Australia atm

 

[Yob]

Hey Yob......try the new owners of Hopswest. They offered me a male rhizome mate not sure on the price as they seem a little pricey but probably the only place ive heard of selling them in Australia atm

what varieties?

Ive got a whole bunch of seeds so I want to germinate and go from there, I don't care if my yard is the first trials rows if it means we can get one of our very own B)

 

[Stu Brew]

Wow, just wow. The time lapse video is amazing.

I can't even imagine what the initial startup cost would be in somethiing like that.

I wonder how improved the yield is or is it just higher alpha content etc..

Probably not heaps. Farming in the US is well subsidized in comparison to here. I actually have one of the owners as a mate on FB......going to pick their brains at some point!!

Extremely interesting idea. I think probably the point would be to speed up the growth. Plants expend a lot of their energy pushing roots into the ground. With anything hydroponic you're essentially letting the plant grow faster because its not expending so much energy pushing roots down looking for nutrients and water. Because the growing system is providing them. I'd be very keen to go check out a few places like that in the US at some point. Its bloody interesting stuff!

 

[Stu Brew]

what varieties?

Ive got a whole bunch of seeds so I want to germinate and go from there, I don't care if my yard is the first trials rows if it means we can get one of our very own B)

IIRC it was 'red earth' one of their own breed. Just make sure with the seeds that anything non performing goes in the bin! You'll potentially get about 3-10 plants out of 100 that actually perform well. Then its a matter of picking any that perform and then crop well......time consuming but anything from seed will be different to both the parents.

Plenty of people have lucked out with self seeded varieties. Ill keep an ear out for anything male for you!

 

[CheekyPanda]

Growing from seed and testing new varieties really interests me. I'm not sure if its the green thumb in me or the opportunity to name something.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

, I don't care if my yard is the first trials rows if it means we can get one of our very own B)

Good to see you taking one for team AHB Yob

 

[CheekyPanda]

Not sure if this has been posted before but here is link to whole heap of info on growing.

https://docs.google.com/folderview?usp=sharing&id=0B7aNkuU_q8iEREdBMkxWcFI2THM