Are your hops up yet?

[TazManiac]

Hi Guys.

Just noticed that all 4 of my new hop plants have started to break the surface of the mulch the last couple of days. We have had a lot of rain over the past few weeks and a really nice warm day the other day and I think they think it is later in the year. Is there anything I should be careful of (frost, too much rain, cold weather, etc)?

Has anyone else seen shoots yet?

Which way do they like to twist themselves around the rope in Australia?

How many shoots should I train up ropes from each rhizome? How do you choose which ones? Do you run them up separate ropes for each bine or all from one rhizome up one rope? When do you train them to the ropes?

Thanks guys,

Aaron

[bhami]

Hi Aaron,

A couple of mine are just starting to come up, so hopefully the rest will follow soon. Most of what I have read suggests that you pick the 3 strongest bines and let them grow cutting back the rest, some people suggest that you cut the earliest few bines back as they say they don't yield as well, but I am not sure about this? They grow around the strings clockwise (looking from above), this is the same as in the northern hemisphere so don't assume that they grow around in a different direction (If anyone has a copy of Homegrown Hops by David Beach then there is a misprint on this topic so don't believe what it says in the book, in my opinion this book is a bit shit). But it wouldn't matter too much anyway as the hops would soon tell you which direction they want to grow if you get it wrong. In the first year I would send them all up the one string, but in future years the hops will expand so you will be able to add more strings to increase the amount of light that gets on the plant and increase production (assuming you have planted them in the ground). If you are planting them in the ground make sure you plant different varieties far apart otherwise they will soon merge and you will not be able to tell which is which. If you have them in pots just use one string per pot, or you can use two but make sure the strings are heading in different directions to maximise light exposure. But don't angle the string too much or the bines will find it hard to wrap around them, aim for around a 15 degree maximum angle.

Cheers
Ben

[TazManiac]

Once again a very informative post Ben. Thanks for taking the time.

[Tazzapete]

Hi Aaron,
Make sure you put Chicken wire around them to keep the dogs off them.
Once they are a metre or so tall the dogs wont go near them...to prickly.
Best of luck with them. They both produced good crops for me last year. This year should be a bigger crop. Expect bines to get to 14 to 15 feet in the ols scale. They both grew to about 14 ft tall for me last year. You have fully developed risomes so that put you ahead of people that are planting their offshoot "sticks"
Please post some pics of them when you can ?
Cheers

[TazManiac]

Hey Pete. Thanks again mate.

They are around the side of the house so Rosie cannot get anywhere near them (unless she wishes to be electrocuted a few times, she wears a perimeter collar now).

I will take some photos as soon as I have a shift at work that allows photos to be taken after-wards and it isn't dark. Not a whole lot happening at the moment though.

I have a trellis system set up to a height of 4.5 metres (14ft 9in) in anticipation. The neighbours have all commented on the monstrosity.

They are in good hands.

Aaron.

[Tazzapete]

Cool,
My Cascade, POR and Chinook are going into big half wine barrels next w/end. My house is 2 storey and the back faces North.
All are already got shoots coming off them atm.
Cheers

[bhami]

Just wondering how everyone's hops are going now.

About 2/3rds of mine are now up but as few are still to make an appearance.

I was down in Tassie last w'end to visit my brother and we happened to drive through Bushy Park. I couldn't see any of the commercial hops growing just yet. It would look impressive there when all the hops are growing, might have to make a return visit sometime during summer months.

Cheers
Ben

[TazManiac]

You were only about 15 minutes from us when you were at Bushy Park. It does look awesome during summer.

Mine are all up now (Cascade, Goldings and Hallertau). I have trimmed the first shoots and the second are up and going. Just waiting for them to get big enough to train onto the twine.

[bhami]

Strange how yours are up and the ones at Bushy Park aren't. Wonder why that is?

Cheers
Ben

[TazManiac]

Could it be to do with watering? Mine are getting a fair amount of water at the moment with all the rain and extra watering after I installed a drip irrigation system.

[bhami]

Not sure.

That could be it. Or maybe it is slightly warmer near your house or something like that. I know hops react to day length (that is how they know when to flower) but the ones at Bushy Park would be getting a full days light so I don't think it can be related to light (unless yours are under a bright light at stages during the evening). Or maybe it is something to do with the soil?

Different varieties also grow at slightly different times of the season. But there is some overlap between your varieties and the ones at bushy park so that can't be it.

It is all a bit of a mystery.

Cheers
Ben

[darkman]

Hi Guys,

About 4 varieties are up and growing, Hallertau being the first. The rest are either still under soil or just showing there tips waiting for more favourable weather conditions. My Cascade has had it's tips exposed for over a month now but still hasn't started to grow.

Cheers

Darko

[Tazzapete]

My Cascade, POR and Chinook all have new sprouts up...
My back of the house faces North..going to be a greenhouse..LOL.
Hope all your hops are up and about guys.
Cheers

[bhami]

I think I have 2 more that are still to come up, but the rest are sprouting. Now I have to work out how I am going to move them to our new house in November, might have to cut them back .

Cheers
Ben