Hop Growing 2011 time

[scuppeteer]

Should I cut the bines right back after harvesting? if so, by how much? and if not now, when?

Are they full height or dwarf?

For full height, leave a couple of feet of bine and then cut this right back in December/January. You will be able to tell when it has died off completely as it snaps quite easily. It won't really matter if you don't do it until the new shoots start to grow in the spring, just looks a bit untidy thats all.

Never had much to do with dwarf but again leave a small amount of bine and deal with as above.

[jmc]

Yes use them as a late aroma hop it's ur only option if you use them wet ! But they'll be great ! A pale beer is they best if you are only going to manage one beer with the cascade hops as it really showcases the flavour/aroma

I picked about 2/3 of a 2 gal bucket of cascade hops on Saturday, so about 6L.
Ok for 1 plant for 1st year I suppose?

I used 160g (about 1/2) as aroma hops in Saturdays AG.
Really looking forward to results

[fatcontro11er]

yes thats pretty good as i didnt get that much in the first year !!!!

[L2wis]

Hi all, I'm glad some of us had some hop success.

Does anyone have a handy link our some information on root care for next year? Or is it simply a matter of cutting them back to ground level and waiting for next years shoots to arrive.

I remember something about burying a lateral none and it will turn into rhyzome?

[boingy]

Just leave the rhizome in the ground, mark it's position with a cane and pile a load of compost or mulch on top. Rotted horse manure is best but anything that will rot down will work. Over the winter the worms will pull the compost down into the soil, improving it and providing fuel for next spring.

I've no idea on burying a lateral shoot. You can propagate some plants that way (Sage, for example) but I would have thought it will take a few seasons to develop a decent rhizome.

[mixbrewery]

With all this very mild weather both my fuggles and bramling x have begun to produce new growth for next year!
The old bines had already been cut back with a light mulch layer of dead leaves.

Anyone know what is best practice?

Should you just leave the plants to shoot, but this will be killed off when the frost and snow eventually arrives.
or
Do you break off the new buds to conserve food/energy for next years growth.

[scuppeteer]

Quite normal. Leave well alone. If/when we get cold weather they will become more dormant and you will find the new shoots won't grow anyway until they're supposed to. Only trim them back in the Spring when they actually start to grow, I usually leave them until I've got at least a foot or 2 and select the tallest to carry on.