Hop growing advice, please.

[philjohnwilliams]

My fourth year centennials are coming up like crazy, and I think I would like to split them and put them in two separate pots. My question is can I just cut them down the middle, or is there some special procedure to follow to split them up?

 

[Yooper]

You should have a crown under there, and lots of rhizomes. You can cut rhizomes, like the ones you initially planted or a big chunk off of the crown. They are pretty resilient, and grow like weeds.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Hey fellow Hop Growers! So I started a root a few months ago now and I have a single vine about 4 feet tall now. We have had more rain here in south central PA then you can shake a mash paddle at and I am concerned about the powdery mildew. I understand that copper oxide is the stuff you want to use but I am not completely confident in the advice of a garden center person as to what to put on my plants that's safe for consumption. So from the folks that are using some means to control powdery mildew, what do you use?

Here's the details ...I am growing Fuggles to brew porters with. I get about 6 to 9 hours of direct sun, mostly late morning and afternoon. My property is next to farmland used primarily for soybean, wheat and corn. Chatting with the farmer the other day I picked up on him being upset...let me rephrase that.....he was really pissed that he had to apply fungicides as much as he has this year.

I would also be interested in how and what you used for fertilizer. I try to keep it as organic as I can so there is already a decent dose of compost in the surrounding soil and I am about to toss some more on top.

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge.

W

 

[thunderwagn]

If you don't have powdery mildew, then I wouldn't be applying anything. There are some preventatives and one of them being keeping the bottoms timmed up a couple of feet off the soil. Consistent watering also helps.
As far as something a bit more 'organic' milk can work very well for powdery mildew.
I use compost for the most part for fertilizer, but I have used whatever lawn fertilizer I have on hand (usually scotts). I've even used tomato tone and the likes. Hops aren't very picky or high maint aside from keeping them tame.

 

[Head First]

If you don't have powdery mildew, then I wouldn't be applying anything. There are some preventatives and one of them being keeping the bottoms timmed up a couple of feet off the soil. Consistent watering also helps.
As far as something a bit more 'organic' milk can work very well for powdery mildew.
I use compost for the most part for fertilizer, but I have used whatever lawn fertilizer I have on hand (usually scotts). I've even used tomato tone and the likes. Hops aren't very picky or high maint aside from keeping them tame.

With bottom leaves trimmed if lower leaves show any signs of infection just prune them off without touching any of the rest of the plant. Top dressing with good compost will help too. Powdery mildew spreads by contact, it splashes onto them from the soil.

 

[Hogarthe]

If you have farmers in the area ask them what they use. They should know as well as anyone what works for the infestations in your area, be it for hops or other plants.

 

[Ward Chillington]

keeping the bottoms timmed up a couple of feet off the soil.

Thanks Guys! As to the trimming....at what ;point do I start the trimming ? Like I said, I'm about 4 feet tall right now, no sign of PM and consistent watering?? It's going to rain again today so that would be another 36 hours WITHOUT rain...pretty consistent if you ask me! 8^)

 

[Head First]

Thanks Guys! As to the trimming....at what ;point do I start the trimming ? Like I said, I'm about 4 feet tall right now, no sign of PM and consistent watering?? It's going to rain again today so that would be another 36 hours WITHOUT rain...pretty consistent if you ask me! 8^)

If still in pots I would give them some compost for mulch and not worry to much about PM. If the bottom leaves start showing any pick them off.

Edit: Don't expect to much the first year, they will be establishing roots.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Thanks Head; I'll take that advice. I have them in pots that I cut the bottoms out of that I put in the ground so I can keep them in check but get the advantage of keeping to the roots from drying out too fast, temperature control , etc. And yes, I am not expecting a bumper crop this year.

What variety are you growing and why?

 

[Head First]

Thanks Head; I'll take that advice. I have them in pots that I cut the bottoms out of that I put in the ground so I can keep them in check but get the advantage of keeping to the roots from drying out too fast, temperature control , etc. And yes, I am not expecting a bumper crop this year.

What variety are you growing and why?

We have Centennial over the patio in front of the brewery for shade and hops. I picked this variety because of the dual purpose. Just put in 3 Cascade in the garden this spring and have plans for a couple more variety. Have a friend that doesn't brew but has some Goldings she picks for us and we give her some beer for them. Our bines grow very well and are very healthy but we do not get the bittering they are suppose to have. They do work well for late additions or dry hopping though.

 

[emdi]

Sulphur (sulfur) is for powdery mildew. Copper is for downy mildew. Both are relatively cheap. If you have vineyards or orchards anywhere in the area find out where they buy their pesticides.

 

[Ward Chillington]

So what's going on here? Leaf Miners??

 

[thunderwagn]

Doesn't look like leaf miner. Looks more like nutrient deficiency to me. Nitrogen.
Also make sure your soil drains properly if growing in containers.

 

[Head First]

Doesn't look like leaf miner. Looks more like nutrient deficiency to me. Nitrogen.
Also make sure your soil drains properly if growing in containers.

If just the lower leaves i would agree.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

plants will kill off part of its leaf structure when not getting enough nutrients or water, and usually the lower one go first

 

[Ward Chillington]

How'd your crop do? Mine was crap...too much rain....too little sun!

 

[Head First]

How'd your crop do? Mine as crap...too much rain....too little sun!

Didn't get any cascade but put up almost 5 lbs of centennial (left prob 10lbs on the vine) and this year they have much better aroma and bittering qualities. Also got best of class in fresh herbs and also dried herbs at the county fair with them. Timing for harvest is important. Used some from the sunny side so they were perfectly ripe for fair entry. The ones in the shady side were not ready for 2 or 3 more weeks.

 

[thunderwagn]

I feel a little guilty, but I finally ended up just letting a bunch of hops go. I simply couldn't do anymore. I dried, vacuum sealed and froze as much as I possibly could. I even have a pretty substantial amount ageing in paper bags. It feels a little wasteful, but what do ya do?

 

[Head First]

I feel a little guilty, but I finally ended up just letting a bunch of hops go. I simply couldn't do anymore. I dried, vacuum sealed and froze as much as I possibly could. I even have a pretty substantial amount ageing in paper bags. It feels a little wasteful, but what do ya do?

Exactly, we still have a couple of #s from last harvest in freezer, so just put up this year a little more than we used last year.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Ha brewers first world problems too much hops sounds like a dream to me.