Hops anyone?

[gestyr]

Here is a link to my latest hops photos. They are really looking good this year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8551959@N04/sets/72157621446988251/show/with/3727297499/

Does anyone else have hops pics that they want to share?
:D

[MootsLnbKing]

here are some pics of mine. northern brewer and cascade 2 years old
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/sk1nny27/hops6.jpg
northern brewer:
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/sk1nny27/hops4.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/sk1nny27/Copyofhops3.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/sk1nny27/hops7.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/sk1nny27/hops2.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m275/sk1nny27/hops1.jpg

[gestyr]

Looks good.

Are they growing on a fence?

[MootsLnbKing]

no their on a trellis type thing i made. but definatly not tall enough. I don't think u can see the cascades but the northernbrewer are the ones with the cones the cascades still look like flowers. Next year i'll rig somting different. Their in my garden u can see the onions and Brussel sprouts in the back.

[gestyr]

I just run jute twine down from some convenient trees to a stake marking where my plants are.

[MootsLnbKing]

Yeah i noticed that they look great how old are they,and how do u trim them up.

[gestyr]

They are 2 and 3 years old. I really don't trim them. I just let them go. I got about 2 lbs last year and am looking for a lot more this year

[MootsLnbKing]

Wow 2 pounds how many plants?

[gestyr]

8 plants but 4 of them were first year so i didn't get much at all off of them

[MootsLnbKing]

How do u know when to harvest them.

[gestyr]

Well you look for a few things. The very tips of the leaves of the cones (technically brachts) start to turn brown. You also look for the lupulin glands to be bright yellow and sticky. When you take a cone in your hand it will feel papery and if you squeeze it it will uncompress back into its original state. Also you will get lupulin on your hand and you hand will smell like hops. Those are the indications I go by.

[MootsLnbKing]

But some of the cone branches look more mature than others. Do i cut them down individually or do i wait for the whole plant to mature.

[gestyr]

you could try to harvest all at once but then you are getting hops that are varying from too ripe to ripe to not ripe. I harvest 2 to 3 times a year depending on what is ripe.

[chazwicke]

Both of your hops look good. I'll try to post some of mine. They have been in the ground since 94. They are very prolific this year.

[B_rad1969]

I planted 3 rhisomes(sp?) this year. I have about 6 strong vines that are getting flowers on them. I bet there is a few hundred flowers that have came out. The flowers just started last week. I have been putting miracle grow on them weekly. Do they need to be trimmed any? I heard at the bottom to get them off the ground. I don't want to kill the vine though.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40666674@N02/

[MootsLnbKing]

I trimmed mine up alittle bit but not too much just the leaves and the stems that the bugs got. I also trimmed the off shoots that were entangling my other vines. But i don't nknow when to harvest them? Mine are budding like crazy.

[gestyr]

In a nutshell:

http://www.freshops.com/hop-growing/hop-gardening/#harvest

[corkybstewart]

Most of mine look like death warmed over this year, but I expected that. I moved my whole hop garden, cut a bunch of new rhizomes and started over. I left a couple in their old spots just in case I killed everything I transplanted, and they are doing great. But between drought, 100+ temps, an amazing infestation of 1/2" long grasshoppers, and now a couple of hailstorms I'm surprised I have any hops at all.

[gestyr]

Most of mine look like death warmed over this year, but I expected that. I moved my whole hop garden, cut a bunch of new rhizomes and started over. I left a couple in their old spots just in case I killed everything I transplanted, and they are doing great. But between drought, 100+ temps, an amazing infestation of 1/2" long grasshoppers, and now a couple of hailstorms I'm surprised I have any hops at all.


Sounds like a series of plagues. Maybe you should consider releasing your Hebrew work force. :eek:

[corkybstewart]

You been peeking in my barn?

[gestyr]

Let my people go!

[vance71975]

Ill look stupid and ask this here, do the hop vines stay like say a grape vine does or do they die off and regrow every year? im thinking of planting some next season.

[gestyr]

They die off every year. Some people even use them to make christmas wreaths.

[vance71975]

They die off every year. Some people even use them to make christmas wreaths.

thanks for the info!

[gestyr]

Always glad to help. :D

[BikeNBrew]

Harvest time for Fuggles- had some really big ones this year- a good 2" long.