Hop Growing 2016

[BenB]

My hops plants are pretty much brown bread. I think they got Vermicullum wilt. The leaves went dry and brown and papery. Then most of them fell off. The leaves that are left look decidedly unhealthy. The soil was kept moist all the time so it wasn't lack of water. And I fed them regularly. A similar thing happened to my tomato plants and also my French beans. I believe these are all susceptible to it. Shame really because my wife's decided she doesn't like hops growing up the side of the house so this will be the one and only attempt! Hohum.

[timmydog]

The soil was kept moist all the time so it wasn't lack of water.

When you say moist, how moist do you mean? Roots need to be able to get some oxygen, so drying out a bit is good for them, and hops like soil with good drainage, so that they're not waterlogged.

Just a thought,

Tim


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[timmydog]

Well, it looks like the Flyer x OP that I've got at the front of the house is a male.



TBH, I was hoping for more of a dwarf plant anyway, so it's not a great loss if it's male

I'll get rid of it at the end of the season and replace it with one of the other Flyer x OPs that I've got around the back, which are at the North of the house and in smaller pots. Haven't spotted any signs of flowers on those yet, but I'm keeping my eye on them. They also look more like they might have more dwarfishness to them.

Tim

[BenB]

The soil was kept moist all the time so it wasn't lack of water.

When you say moist, how moist do you mean? Roots need to be able to get some oxygen, so drying out a bit is good for them, and hops like soil with good drainage, so that they're not waterlogged.

Just a thought,

Tim


Sent from my MI 2S using Tapatalk

True. To be honest- they're in pots and so drainage shouldn't be too much of an issue. Lots of drainage holes and the soil is fairly open structured. The fact the tomatoes and french beans have done the same makes me think it's a disease. I know the allotments at the end of the garden had major issues last year with all their tomatoes dying back due to wilt.

The main leaves have all fallen off now- the side shoots are growing so lets hope they survive and make some flipping cones! I suspect even I get some they might be lacking flavour...

[AdrianTrace]

Some cones on my First Gold - it's the first year back growing, so I didn't go too tall this year:

[tourer]

My east kent are going great guns with loads hops. I also have a perle but thats not good, plenty of hops but appears to be much later maturing than the Kent. My brew shed looks more like the hanging gardens of Babylon.

[AnthonyUK]

My Fuggles will be ready soon.







I knew these would come in handy at some point

[Hanglow]

My plant only has those little burrs, but it's only in its first year. Can I expect anything from it do you think? It has a lot of them

[AnthonyUK]

I had enough hops in the 1st year for a small batch.

[windrider]

Just got back from holiday and my First Gold has cones and I’m pretty sure they are nearly ready to pick. They sound papery when squeezed and I can see the yellow lupulin glands.

I was planning on using them in a wet hop beer recipe which I was hoping to do this weekend coming. Do you think they will be okay left until then? How quickly do the cones turn ‘brown’? I was thinking I could always pick them mid-week and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until brew day?

How can I estimate how many grams I’ll harvest (trying to plan a recipe out)?

[AnthonyUK]

I've left mine for another week due to the wet weather we've had and they have continued to grow as some of the cones are well over 1 1/2" now but don't smell hoppy yet.

[windrider]

I harvested and brewed with my First Gold hops this weekend I managed to get 350 grams of cones from the plant, not too bad for the first year?

Brewed a simple British golden ale and bittered with challenger. Needed about 450 grams for the recipe so I substituted some challenger to make up for the shortfall. Chucked the fresh hops in at flame out they smelt really good.

(picking was interesting...especially seeing i hate spiders!!!)

[AnthonyUK]

Still getting bigger.

[tourer]

Picked mine monday and managed 340g dry weight for my East Kent and 350g semi dry weight for my Perle thanks to the nice weather, all now in the freezer. I've had to pick them early as i wont be here for some time. Woke up yesterday covered in bites i presume flea bites as the local cats and foxes hang around under the shed porch in bad weather where i grow my hops.

[Wonkydonkey]

Still getting bigger.

Either you got small hands or that's one big Fat Cone