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Anyone Else Growing Hops This Year?


PhilboBaggins

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  • 1 month later...

On Saturday I got the first of my larger garden bed things built, with a trellis on it as well (about 3.5 metres tall), and transferred my Hallertau plant into it. I had nine 65L bags of potting mix, and the rest of the soil came from a turkey mound on the other side of the yard, which contained some good shit. The plant had sprouted some shoots while it was still in the pot, so not sure whether to chop these off or just leave them be. Looking forward to hopefully getting some better growth and yield this season. The mesh is over it to stop things digging it up.

 

13442361_10210154215600457_6822395567598460439_n.jpg?oh=12b0255630160106960134c2493b9fd3&oe=57DA75D9

 

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Cheers

 

Kelsey

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Not sure how many would be selling crowns. Most of the time they're sold as rhizomes. I got mine last year for about $15 I think. I've changed my mind about my Fuggles plant now though, I'm gonna leave it in the pot, and buy a Cascade rhizome and stick that in the second big garden bed. Saves transferring and I will use more Cascade anyway.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well my hops planters and trellises are all in place now. We built the second one yesterday, and SWMBO helped me fill it with the soil. I had 15 bags of potting mix (65L ones), and we also dumped in 12 wheelbarrow loads of dirt from the turkey mound on the other side of the yard. The first one I only had 9 bags, so there was a lot more barrow loads of turkey mound soil in that one. The lines on this one were more difficult to push down and we gave up after a while. I'll sort these out in the next week or two though, no urgency yet.

 

We also had to build the corner legs for the second planter box as the stupid clowns didn't include them in the box. I could have gone back and exchanged it but I really couldn't be arsed dragging it in and out of the van and then again with a replacement. Just bought some hardwood and made the legs ourselves. Probably looks nicer anyway. lol

 

On the left is my second year Hallertau plant which I transferred over from the pot a few weeks ago. Hoping for a better crop from that one this year.

 

On the right is yesterday's build, which contains an approx. 6 inch long Cascade rhizome. It will be interesting to see what I get off that next year, given it's gone straight into a large soil area with a higher trellis.

 

I left the Fuggles plant in its pot, and moved it to another spot in the yard. I figure I'll probably use more Cascade, plus it saves a transfer next year.

 

And now time to go throw a bit of chook poo on them and hose it in a bit!

 

13716250_10210397351878712_3130865882548117288_n.jpg?oh=f97cd7566081e8d1ffcd17b94aecac83&oe=57EE53E2

 

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Cheers

 

Kelsey

 

 

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Looking good there mate. Wish I had the room to do something similar. Are you going Organic with the chook poo or not fussed?? Hops are Nitrogen animals so anything high in N like a water soluble is what I typically use in my veggie patch for veggies that love N.
Cheers mate! Yeah, it's nice having the room, and that part of the yard gets a lot of sun all year round, but especially in the warmer months with the longer days.

 

Not worried about organic/non-organic. I know it's beneficial to have organic matter in the soil hence the chook poo, although there is probably plenty of it in the potting mix and the stuff I dug out of the turkey mound as well. Organic fertilisers I don't bother with though, they have to be broken down into inorganic compounds before the plants can even use them. May as well save the time and throw inorganic fertiliser on there straight away.

 

I have some fertiliser high in N, which I will use later when they start to grow properly. No use putting it on in the dormant phase. I also have some other fertiliser called Maxibloom that I'll use when I start to see flowering. I tried this on the Hallertau plant last season and it increased the final harvest of the season by about 4 times compared to previous harvests over the season. Will definitely be using that again and probably buying more too.

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

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Cheers mate! Yeah' date=' it's nice having the room, and that part of the yard gets a lot of sun all year round, but especially in the warmer months with the longer days.

 

Not worried about organic/non-organic. I know it's beneficial to have organic matter in the soil hence the chook poo, although there is probably plenty of it in the potting mix and the stuff I dug out of the turkey mound as well. Organic fertilisers I don't bother with though, they have to be broken down into inorganic compounds before the plants can even use them. May as well save the time and throw inorganic fertiliser on there straight away.

 

I have some fertiliser high in N, which I will use later when they start to grow properly. No use putting it on in the dormant phase. I also have some other fertiliser called Maxibloom that I'll use when I start to see flowering. I tried this on the Hallertau plant last season and it increased the final harvest of the season by about 4 times compared to previous harvests over the season. Will definitely be using that again and probably buying more too.

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey [/quote']

 

Yep.. Wouldn't be doing it any different. If you don't get a decent haul out of it then it aint your fertilising schedule..

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Yeah, last year I just had them in pots and I didn't expect much given they were first year plants. I sort of used it as a practice run to work out fertilising and watering schedules and whatnot.

 

After I started using the Maxibloom on the Hallertau plant I noticed a lot more burrs forming and the resultant cones looked better and they were also bigger for the most part too. I expect that one will produce more this year being a second year plant and also having more room to grow in that planter box, as well as a taller trellis. It's a lot bigger than the pot it was in last year.

 

The Cascade is a first year plant being grown from a rhizome so I don't expect a huge yield from it, but at least it can build a foundation for next season.

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

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Hi Kelsey. Those are some serious, heavy-duty, and nice raised beds! I like!

 

I have not tried growing hops but a friend has some hop plants growing wild on his property, an old variety, probably Cluster, and I'll try using some this fall. Maybe that will get me interested in growing some myself. smile

 

If you want free nitrogen I can think of two sources: used coffee grinds (just work them into the top layer of soil) and diluted human urine. Not sure if you drink coffee, but I know you pee. lol Dilute urine 1:10 and apply to root zone every two weeks (but dilute 1:20 for transplants and seedlings). Works great....Kind of completes the circle: use hops to make beer, drink beer to make urine, use urine to grow hops. whistlingwink

 

Cheers! -Christina.

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Hi Kelsey. Those are some serious' date=' heavy-duty, and nice raised beds! I like!

 

I have not tried growing hops but a friend has some hop plants growing wild on his property, an old variety, probably Cluster, and I'll try using some this fall. Maybe that will get me interested in growing some myself. [img']smile[/img]

 

If you want free nitrogen I can think of two sources: used coffee grinds (just work them into the top layer of soil) and diluted human urine. Not sure if you drink coffee, but I know you pee. lol Dilute urine 1:10 and apply to root zone every two weeks (but dilute 1:20 for transplants and seedlings). Works great....Kind of completes the circle: use hops to make beer, drink beer to make urine, use urine to grow hops. whistlingwink

 

Cheers! -Christina.

 

Hahahaaha. Adds new meaning to the saying "getting on the p*ss". I'll take my chances with the chemical urea source rather than peeing on my veggies.. biggrin

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Thanks Christina! I thought this season after my 'practice' run last year I'd put them into larger homes, and give them more height to climb too. This way they can just stay there without being disturbed for however long.

 

lollol That's not a bad idea, I suspect the things may be used as pee troughs in the wee hours of the morning on occasions... lol

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Some more signs of life from my Fuggles plant today. These little shoots had just been existing as small buds for the last month and a half or so, but over the weekend they've grown up a bit. Must have been the warmer days we had last week up until yesterday. Not much difference in the Hallertau plant although it was slow to get moving last year (when it did it went crazy), and the Cascade hasn't shot through yet but it's only been in there for a week or so.

 

This is the Fuggles shoots

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Galaxy is under a strict licence so good luck bro...

 

As is a lot of other hops like Amerillo and KIwi hops,

 

You best bet is to get a spade and get digging out on some licenced hop fields late at night!

 

Good luck Mate

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Galaxy is under a strict licence so good luck bro...

 

As is a lot of other hops like Amerillo and KIwi hops' date='

 

You best bet is to get a spade and get digging out on some licenced hop fields late at night!

 

Good luck Mate[/quote']

 

Wow ok had no idea at all as I am still very new to this..

 

OTTO. Not 100% sure but keen on using some I can use in pale ales and so on

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The American ones are usually available as rhizomes these days. You already have Cascade of course, but I believe I've seen Centennial, Chinook, Columbus and others being grown by home brewers. They all work well in pale ales.

 

I've got a plant (variety) from 3 big brewing regions of the US, UK and Germany - Cascade, Fuggle and Hallertau respectively. The Cascade is a first year, only planted the rhizome a few weeks back, but the other two are second year plants and are throwing up shoots already.

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Ive got Nugget...not proud! what do you do with that shiot! - may go nuts this year im guesing

I will make some 10 litre extract experiments with nugget... did a pilsner nugget smash...CRAP!

Ill use it for bttering IPAs I guess

 

Mount hood + I like but slow last year... made lagers lagers with pellets this year realy like it!

 

Perle + I like grows well should be a bumper crop

 

East Kent Goldings....... a massive + of its chops

 

Cascade...... a massive + off its chops

 

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The American ones are usually available as rhizomes these days. You already have Cascade of course' date=' but I believe I've seen Centennial, Chinook, Columbus and others being grown by home brewers. They all work well in pale ales.

 

I've got a plant (variety) from 3 big brewing regions of the US, UK and Germany - Cascade, Fuggle and Hallertau respectively. The Cascade is a first year, only planted the rhizome a few weeks back, but the other two are second year plants and are throwing up shoots already.[/quote']

 

 

Yeah cool . Thanks for your advice... Might look at some other varieties as I live in half an acre

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My Hallertau plant has started shooting again already. In this photo, the largest plant at the left was already there, it shot up in about April or so when I cut the old bines down. The small leaves at the top of that, next to the steel line in the soil, the two smaller ones on the right side and a brand new one right near the top that's hard to really see there, are the new shoots. They've also been having a bit of rain the last day or two as well.

 

Similar things are happening in the Fuggle pot, but no pics as yet.

 

13876583_10210543793579663_4222686144955154614_n.jpg?oh=50a333dc18f5ea7f40da07126e4eaec1&oe=58142EF6

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

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