Hops

[Bribie G]

My hop growing experience on Bribie Island was woeful. Research I did at the time indicated that you shouldn't really be growing hops North of Port Macquarie, not so much because of temperatures (it gets pretty damn hot in Central Europe where most Euro hops are grown) but because of day length.

They grow best with long hot summer days then set flowers as the day length decreases sharply in Autumn, which is fine in Tasmania / Victoria, but once you get into the Subtropical areas where there isn't a lot of difference between day length throughout the year I guess the plants don't get the same "trigger" to flower.

Some people seem to have had a fair bit of success, Nick B used to grow them at Nanango for example. I'd guess the best varieties to try would be ones that succeed in California, maybe Willamette if you can get them, as those areas are further South than Cascadia. (= our North)

 

[Feldon]

I remember reading about CUB's former Hop Research Station on Whitehorse Road in suburban Ringwood in Melbourne back in the 1960s (where Pride of Ringwood hops were developed).

When street lighting went up in Whitehorse Road CUB had to relocate its research station because the night time lighting completing stuffed up the growing cycle of the hop plants. Just shows how sensitive they are to hours of light per day.

The OP says he lives in "a long gully", so perhaps the shortening of direct sunlight hours by seasonal shadowing might help mimic conditions in the more southern latitudes?

 

[WayneCP86]

Cheers, I'll give em a look

 

[WayneCP86]

Eh ill give it a go, i have a few things ive been told cant grow here due to climate or season times but grow then well. Im an avid bonsai enthusiast as well and was told my evergreens would die... 8 years on and still doing well. If it works great, if not still great, ill grow grapes instead haha

 

[Bribie G]

Ipswich is on a similar latitude to Northern Mexico, the Western Sahara and Saudi Arabia, that would probably explain why hop growing, whilst possible, isn't the most effective

 

[WayneCP86]

Yeah thats true, but if it literally comes down to sun light times, then Ill dig out my reptile enclosure artificial light set up

 

[WayneCP86]

Another quick question set guys.

If all works out and i get a usable harvest, Ill be drying them and vacuum sealing the individual usable lots. I use kit extracts at the moment, I haven't got the room for a full from scratch set. So how much do I add into each vacuum pack? From what I could find online it was 1 to 2 oz per set but I want to ckarify. Oh and its more flavor and aroma not bitterness.

Cheers

 

[Yob]

Save in 100g lots.

 

[Matplat]

I'm starting to think that buying hops at a good price is more satisfactory that growing them....

As such, you could buy some of my plants off me if you want, they are in pots atm and have been in them since august so have obviously got bines growing.

I've got two cluster, one victoria and one goldings that I would be willing to part with. Considering they are potted and have a seasons growth behind them what would a fair price be? $40 each?

 

[WayneCP86]

Cheers yob.

Matplat, I have these gardens set up ready for rhizomes. Im not sure what a fair price would be.

 

[Yob]

what would a fair price be? $40 each?

:blink:

Id feel pretty bad asking more than $20, tell him to bring replacement pots if they are precious to you is the path I'd tread

 

[Matplat]

I'm pretty sure I saw them on ebay last year for $20-25 per rhizome, so I added a bit to include pot, soil and growth....

 

[Yob]

yeah.. but that's ebay and if those chumps are happy to pay that for something that's given away (in a lot of cases) during winter then that's their own lookout...

 

[Matplat]

I have no desire for spare pots, just totalling up the cost.

I would think there is more value in the fact that you basically get to skip the first years effort for little reward?

Provided they are healthy, I don't see plants as something that loses value with age (like a car), or being 'second hand'....

 

[Matplat]

II can't find my invoice, but pretty sure I and a fair few others would have paid $23ish for a cascade rhizome from The Diggers Club..... (that plant i'm keeping hold of!)

 

[Yob]

and I don't see that they raise in value just because you were able to keep them alive..

no offence intended, sell them for what you like, if someone's happy to pay it, then win win, personally, I'd wait and get them for free in winter

 

[Matplat]

That's ok, none taken. It's not about just keeping them alive, it's about having progressed them to a more productive stage of life.

I ask you this, if you were given the option of buying a more advanced plant or a more junior plant, which would be your preference? The more advanced plant surely?

If you go to a nursery, bigger more advanced plants are always more expensive than smaller ones.

Wayne, let me know what you think, I feel I have justified my price reasonably well, but if you see things differently I'm happy to listen.

If $20 gets you a 15cm piece of root, surely an entire root system is worth more?

 

[WayneCP86]

Yeah all good Matplat. For my self I dont mind waiting, its more about the hobby and fun of doing it myself then the final product. If they grow well for me but produce un usable flowers then thats fin as they look pretty cool coverying my daughters shade house.

 

[mofox1]

II can't find my invoice, but pretty sure I and a fair few others would have paid $23ish for a cascade rhizome from The Diggers Club..... (that plant i'm keeping hold of!)

Diggers is a convenience price tho... I saw the same $40 refractometer you can get everywhere for sale there at $100 (and $115 at Cloudehill).

If you are looking to re-coup cost, it might be easier to sell as rhizomes. Bit more effort on your part, and also no idea if one years growth is suitable for splitting. Most likely Yob'll have an idea or three on this topic.

 

[Mardoo]

If they've had room to expand and have been fed well you can get a fair bit of rhizome from a first year. I could have gotten at least four and up to six solid rhizomes from the only first years I ever pulled out.