does anyone grow own hops?

[jamiek86]

is there anyone here who grows their own hops and knows where to get cuttings? probably too late for this year but next year I'll be keen i know they climb and my raised garden beds have a frame above them be perfect

[Red devil 44]

I would like to grow my own too, I think Otto grows hops 

[Titan]

https://www.whitehousenursery.com.au/hops/display/749-victoria-hops

[jamiek86]

44 minutes ago, Titan said:

https://www.whitehousenursery.com.au/hops/display/749-victoria-hops

awesome thanks

[Aussiekraut]

1 hour ago, Red devil 44 said:

I would like to grow my own too, I think Otto grows hops 

I remember him mentioning it at some point and it seems to work for him but I'm not sure SEQ is the best place for growing hops. I'm trying to convince the in-laws in Tassie to grow some for me but so far, it's a no go  Where would you even get seedlings or seeds from? 

[Red devil 44]

1 minute ago, Aussiekraut said:

I remember him mentioning it at some point and it seems to work for him but I'm not sure SEQ is the best place for growing hops. I'm trying to convince the in-laws in Tassie to grow some for me but so far, it's a no go  Where would you even get seedlings or seeds from? 

Yeah not sure mate, do the hops prefer a cooler climate for growth ?

[Aussiekraut]

1 minute ago, Red devil 44 said:

Yeah not sure mate, do the hops prefer a cooler climate for growth ?

Yeah, apparently, they prefer a more temperate climate. Then again, we could give the hops a Queensland kick 

[Malter White]

@Maurice79 grows hops rather successfully I believe and he's in the Adelaide Hills if my memory serves me correctly. Adelaide doesn't have an ideal climate for hop growing but Maurice must have the right skills and nous to do so. He'd be my go-to man if I was ever to try growing them. I doubt I would though. Some people have green thumbs, my thumbs are coated in ROUNDUP.  

[jamiek86]

11 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

@Maurice79 grows hops rather successfully I believe and he's in the Adelaide Hills if my memory serves me correctly. Adelaide doesn't have an ideal climate for hop growing but Maurice must have the right skills and nous to do so. He'd be my go-to man if I was ever to try growing them. I doubt I would though. Some people have green thumbs, my thumbs are coated in ROUNDUP.  

your a killer? I though I was a green thumb after getting 15 kick ass lettuce and 10 massive zucchini then the zucchini died ripped it out yesterday but no giving up getting more tomorrow.

[Popo the Reprobate]

You can usually pick up some rhizomes if you keep an eye on some of the other Australian brewing forums. You can also pick them up from online nurseries, Gumtree and eBay.

Buy in winter(ish) and plant once the ground starts to warm up in spring.

I've had them growing the last 3 years but they always get belted by a few scorchers during summer. I have moved them this year - hopefully to a more productive spot.

[Maurice79]

Yes we have been growing hops for the last 4 years in the Adelaide hills.  We have had a good run harvesting around 5kg of dried hops from the 2020 harvest.  You really need to be between latitude 35 & 55 as they are mostly depending on day length, the longer the better and a cold winter. 

There is a good guide here: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/712717/hops-guide-for-new-growers.pdf

You will need Rhizomes and to plant them at the end of winter/start of spring when they are dug up, split and become available. 

 

[Red devil 44]

I can grow spring onions & garlic chives, that I use in cooking, but I’ve tried beetroot, watermelon & carrots and no luck.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

You need to be in a spot that gets long hours of daylight in the summer and doesn't get too hot. Thats why a place like tassie is good. Mine got smashed by the 45+ temps on jan 1 and jan 4 at the start of this year in Sydney's west. We got two 42c days in Sydney last weekend and it burnt the new growth and has stopped the growth in its tracks. I'm hoping it gets side shoots and keeps going and I get some hops off it this year. 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Greeny1525229549

[Otto Von Blotto]

I have grown them in Brisbane, this last winter I didn't really do anything with them after the usual autumn die off, and they haven't sprouted again so they're probably dead. Over my holidays I'll be resurrecting the planter box, then gradually topping up the soil as I can afford, and getting new ones next winter. I'll probably keep them in the fridge then plant them around October, any earlier and they flower too soon. It's full of weeds at the moment and soil level is practically ground level.

The plants themselves grow perfectly fine here, the difference is that they don't produce as many flowers or cones as they do down south, although I have helped them along a bit using maxibloom on them when the burrs begin appearing. I think the relatively warm winters and shorter daylight hours up here are the main reasons for this. Normally I dig them up in winter, cut off a couple of rhizomes and keep them in the fridge until spring, to simulate a cold winter. I started doing this after noticing that they all produced more flowers in their first year than any subsequent years. 

You can't get seeds, they're usually sold as rhizomes which are basically just a piece of root system with buds on them. Plant them in soil about an inch under the surface, keep up the water and they emerge a few weeks later usually. I find frequent shallow watering works well when they're young, but once they start climbing up the lines a decent drink once a week or so works well enough. 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Otto Von Blotto

[jamiek86]

@Otto Von Blotto where I live its hot dry heat constantly hits low 40s for weeks on end towards mid/end summer will be interesting if can get a good yield