just got my rhizomes ordered from freshops. cascade, centenial, ekg, mt hood and fuggels. probably going to order some tettnang and hallertauer from hoptech when they go up, but we'll see.

yippee hops!!!!

I reserved some Hallertau, Tettnang, Goldings, Fuggles, and Nugget at my semi-LHBS. They didn't get any in yet but hopefully soon. I have some great places along a corn/soy field but just into the wood line a few feet and set up some apparatus where I can raise them easily as they grow.

Perfect timing, Angler. I was recently getting curious about how well hops grow in the eastern PA region. Is this your first time trying to grow them or have you had success before?

First time dood. I've only been brewing since September. I think I got two each of the Hallertau and Tettnang and just one each of the rest in case they don't grow well. The climate around here doesn't seem much off from Bavaria. We have a lot of mold so I'm hoping that powdery mildew isn't a problem. There's a decent amount of aphids around but they don't scare me that much because the local ladybug population is out of control. I actually tie ladybug patterns around here to fish with.

Alright well good luck, man. Can't wait to hear the results. I definitely wanna try it out once I get a permanent place of residence (I'm currently finishing up school and then I don't know where I'm headed).

Aww, come on. I saw some nice brick buildings on the Lehigh campus that look like hops could climb.

Haha yeah. Most of those are already taken over by ivy though. Plus I wouldn't see more than the first year's crop (if that) because if everything goes well, I'll be out of that place in May.

i got my rhizomes a few days ago, but i'm not ready to plant them. probably next weekend. i got cascade, mt hood, chinook, and willamette for myself, and i got a few for my friend, too: sterling, cascade, fuggle, and nugget

still lookin in the mailbox

I just got mine the other day. Kent Goldings, Mt. Hood, Nugget, Sterling, Magnum, and Willamette. Instead of going with popular varieties (except for KG), I opted for hybrids that had more vigor and yield. I'm stoked... I've already got a huge vegetable garden in the back of my yard that gets full sun. There's a bed right next to it up against the south side of the garage that I've thus far only used for ornamental plants. I'll probably put the hops there and string them up the side of the garage. I need to condition the soil a bit, but it should be perfect. As much as I love to brew, I love growing things even more... It's sad that it took a global shortage for me to combine my two favorite hobbies, but I can't wait to get started.

Just got my Zeus rhizome last week(Great big root). Its gonna be great to have those Columbus type cones as fresh as can be for some kickass IPAs!! I can smell them now!!

Just a FYI don't wait too long to plant them once you get them, the sooner you plant them the better chance they have to grow instead of rotting.

Jeff

Got all mine planted last week. 22 hills total this year.
Been thinking of selling them at the local farmers market. Anybody ever seen/heard of people doing this? The GF is getting tired of the milk competing with the hops in the fridge

My hops just broke ground!!

Mime broke ground about a 1.5 weeks ago, but hail beat the leaves of my EKG, and last night heavy rains tore leaves off my sad little cascades. It is threatening hail and heavy rain tonight, so I think I will cover them with something and maybe they will survive April.

I tried growing two years ago, I was fiddlin' with one and tore it up but more came up after and they took off. They say you can almost watch them grow, not far from th' truth. Fire ants ate mine up, ate th' bark right off. They were fifteen feet then. They died. That storm hit me last nite as I was cooling the wort and the lights went out. Had to rack in th' dark. Mean storm,
mean,mean,mean. Oh and it flooded the first few feet of my living room.
Matt

Just got mine yeasterday, Zeus, Willamette, Cascade, Sterling, and Centennial. I'm hoping to be able to plant them in a week or two. We still have a couple feet of snow on the ground, but its going to be warm this next week. We have a storm thats supposed to hit here today, up to 20" of new snow, but it hasn't hit yet.

Doug

I got happy too soon mabey , storms here too, think I'll be coverin' mine up too.

I lost a couple leaves here and there last night, but the stems are still intact.

Just got through coverin' mine up, storm is just starting, tornato warning, aint gonna be nice.
My hops are bout 1.5" now 4 on one 3 on the other, little hop shoots. My brother said he's
been weeding those 'evil wild hops' out of his garden, they eat the shoots though. Told him to send me some, that wont happen, wishfull thinking.
Matt

Just picked up Cascade, Mt. Hood, and Willamette yesterday from the LHBS. Never grown hops before but they said at the store that you can start them in a large pot and then transfer them once they've started to take off. Wondering if that might be a good idea...reading what some of you have said about damage to the shoots when they're young from storms. Plus I'm in northwest Ohio (outside Toledo) and we've still got another couple weeks to go before the danger of a good frost/freeze is past. (And as it is, the ground is really, I mean really, saturated from rain and snow melt.)

Or should I just dig a couple good sized holes, stick 'em in there, and let them have at it?

do a google seach on hop growing this site. You'll find a bunch of stuff. Theres a hop growers forum somewhere out there thats great. Keep them in your fridge till you find the info.
Good luck
Matt

I was just wondering.....

I just planted my rhizomes on Sunday (Willamette and Centenial). I planted two rhizomes for each hole, I've read that each hole only needs one and I've read that two would be fine.

Would I get more hops if I planted each rhizome by itself?

Would it be too late to dig them up and re-plant?


Any advice would be appreciated.

I would only put one per hill. You're only going to use 2-3 of the best sprouts and cut back the rest. If you only planted on Sunday, I don't see why you couldn't move them.

Just planted my first hops on Sunday. One Hallertau Tradition and one Perle. This year is basically just a test to see if they grow well in my garden. The best sunny location in the garden has a massive tree and a couple small pear trees that I don't want to get rid of. So we'll see if they get enought sun where they are right now. If all goes well, then I will add some more next year. Possibly EKG and Saaz and Cascade.

Marcus-
if you're still threatened by frost, it is okay to plant them in a pot and then transfer later when it warms up outside. I have about 9 pots in the utility room because of a strong frost right now and they're already 3ft long. Those that are outide are only 6in long. The best idea is with a pot, make a false bottom so the sides can slide off easily, making it very easy to transfer.

Matt-
it's okay to plant two rhizomes per hill. I plant a minimum of three(usually 4-5 per hill depending on rhizome quality). You'll still get the same amount of hops but using not nearly as much ground space.

Depending on rhizome quality? What do you mean? I got mine mail order so didn't get to pick them out. I got one big fat one(Goldings) and one little skinny one(Tett), both had shoots on them but the big fat one is doing better than the other, in the ground. Should I try too get another Tett to plant or not worry.
Thanks
Matt

Quality meant how many shoots/root. Do the shoots look healthy? If I have a rhizome that has only one or two shoots, I'll pair it with a rhizome that has a bunch of shoots. Trying to equal out the number of shoots per hill so each is compairable in volume.

I wouldn't worry about it. Hops are a desert weed. Don't allow the roots to dry out and you'll be enjoying your own fresh-picked green monsters
Have fun with them, they're a blast....

Matt- I have a dumb question for ya, the two rhizomes that were planted together, they're the same hop variety right?

I have a dead pecan tree in my back yard. I'm thinking about cutting back the limbs and stringing wire up to the top. I can grow hops up them?

Hops grow EVERYWHERE. Last year, one of my Chinooks got into my shed and wrapped around my dirt bike and weed-eater....actually produced cones that never saw sunlight and the cones were a real bright yellow/green.

You can, but remember that it takes a couple of years before you get a decent crop. By that time the oak tree may be rotten and will fall down.

Save all that pecan wood for your smoker, you probably already new that though.

Just checked the tree... Finally showing some signs of life! I thought it was a goner. I guess a change in plans is warranted. Glad I hadn't gotten after it with the chain saw like I was planning last weekend!

Yep pecan or mesquite= mmm-mmm good.

Wonder why I read pecan and thought oak?

I finally got to plant my rhizomes yesterday. A few of them had small patches of mold on them I wonder if that will affect their viability? The nosy neighbors were spying on me while I was planting, I was going to go back in the house and make a few Power Skunk and Maui Wauwie signs but I figured that would be a long conversation and explanation session with some of PA's finest.

WApilot - Yeah, the hops are the same variety. I have two Willamette together and two Centennial. Do you think they will still grow o.k., I want to separate them but space is kind of tight.

Matt-
I think the hops will do great together. If space is tight, you got the right idea going.

Speaking of hop rhizomes . . .

I ordered some from my LHBS and got them yesterday. 2 of Cascade, Horizon, and Mt. Hood. HOWEVER, no Hallertau, the one I really wanted. Is there anyplace I can try to get Hallertau rhizomes or should I just try to snag a couple more Mt. Hoods and never know the difference?

-Cheers

Keystone Homebrew Supply had some, I ordered and received two Hallertau and two Tettnang. I don't know what they have left though.

Thanks Angler. They have American Tett on their website but no Hallertau. Mt. Hood & Liberty though.

However . . . Found them!
http://www.sanfranciscobrewcraft.com/product_p/hop505.htm

-Cheers

WApilot -

I ended up getting a little impatient and went ahead and planted all 3 rhizomes, after doing some reading and thinking. In the end I figured they're going to be in the ground year round anyways so a little on the chilly side won't hurt (heck you keep them in the fridge if they're not in dirt). Of course then the last couple days the lows have been in the high 20s but with the rhizomes under ~4-6" of dirt I'm sure they wouldn't freeze. Not too worried about it overall, and in the next day or so we should be looking at highs in the 60s-70s and lows in the mid 40s...and after that I don't see any more freezes around here. Should be fine because any shoots probably wouldn't show for another week or two at the earliest I'd think. We'll just have to wait and see. I keep staring out the window at the little patches of dirt...just waiting to see something. Lol.

Marcus-
Oh yeah, under 4-6in of soil, you got the right idea. They'll do just fine.
I know what you mean. I keep looking at them closely everyday. Check the moisture of the soil, sing to them(j/k).
Have fun with them.

Got a pot of Mt. Hood and one pot Saaz already growing from a buddy at work. He has a ton of them but doesnt brew...go figure.

Transplanted them and the both are ready to start training up onto a string. The warm weather we had lately in Oregon has been kind to them.

I purchased three Cascade rhizomes and will be planting those soon as well. I have also given rhizomes to friends that don't brew but really like to garden...trying to get a little hop co-op going. Hopefully I will have a nice harvest in a year or two.

Bud-
Hopefully you'll have a good harvest this season