Hop Growing 2014

[SiHoltye]

Interesting. Malt Miller supplied................US.........?

[seymour]

Interesting. Malt Miller supplied................US.........?

What was it, the 2012 crop? I would ask Malt Miller for as many details as possible. You could be right, most Chinook is grown in the US, but our growers are much more fastidious about rooting-out the males. Hops are typically sold by weight, and growers long ago learned the cones swell in size when they are pollinated and set viable seeds, but there is no more usable resin, so the desirable brewing properties decline, so most US buyers demand unfertilized crops (just like weed). I'm not sure why the same trend never occured in the UK. Anyone know?

But back to the original point: it would be much more interesting to me, in terms of unique hybrid possibilities, if your seeds' fathers were naturalized to the UK, or Germany, or New Zealand, for instance. This is really fun stuff, right? You've got 8 truly unique hops plants there, which have never before existed on the face of the earth.

[Evanvine]

You've got 8 truly unique hops plants there, which have never before existed on the face of the earth.

Just a shame they're not varieties of Goldings!

[boingy]

You've got 8 truly unique hops plants there, which have never before existed on the face of the earth.

Or some weird-ass dandelions.

In an reversal of last year, my Cascade is off and running but the Prima Dona is barely above ground. But on a brighter note, the black cherry just along from the Prima Dona is actually flowering. That might not sound very impressive but this is the third season since I rescued it from the "almost dead and virtually free" plant section of a local nursery. It was a twig about a foot tall, tiny root ball, expected to fail. Last year it was a slightly taller twig with just 5 or 6 leaves. This year, if every flower turns into a cherry we could have... wait for it... wait for it.... about a dozen cherries!

[SiHoltye]

Actually I'm wrong. Searching back through my emails they were from Hop and Grape in Feb 2012. I'll pop them off an email.

[Eadweard]

I'm not sure why the same trend never occured in the UK. Anyone know?

When hop cones are fertilised they close up and become less susceptible to mildew, a big problem in damp England. Also hop growers here seem quite happy with their crop weighing more, even if the seeds have no brewing value.

[scuppeteer]

I'm growing Chinook from seed taken from single 100g vac pack. I have eight plants in their second year and am surprised about the variation in bine colour and leaf shape. I thought they'd look the same being the same variety, any thoughts

Very fine looking plants. But the pots they are in are now too small. If you remove them you will see the roots extend round most of the exterior and they have very little space to carry on growing. If you have the room they ideally need to go in the ground, failing that then pots 3 or 4 times the size.

[naturals]

[quote="barneey"]Good News for me, after planting well over 200 sorachi ace hop seed I finally have ONE plant growing.

[img]http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd4 ... G_0168.jpg[/img] [/quote]

Nice! I'll have to try this. Did you buy seeds or just harvest them from a vacuum pack? Is there any way of ensuring they grow into Sorachi Ace and don't cross pollinate (I don't have a garden so would germinate indoors - would this help?).

[seymour]

Last year I started a thread called Reminder about hops seeds: now is the time, which will answer all those questions and provide some illustrated tips as well.

[barneey]

Good News for me, after planting well over 200 sorachi ace hop seed I finally have ONE plant growing.

Nice! I'll have to try this. Did you buy seeds or just harvest them from a vacuum pack? Is there any way of ensuring they grow into Sorachi Ace and don't cross pollinate (I don't have a garden so would germinate indoors - would this help?).

The seeds are just from a vacuum pack, as with any hop seed you don't really know what they will grow into, possible closeness to the parent or something very different, could be male/female so its a very much pot luck.

In my case the ace seed were taken from a 2013 harvest, they would have been dried, cooled, frozen, unfrozen, frozen ....... many more, got many of thousands of air miles so not the ideal start to life, hence 200 seeds = 1 plant.

Seymour has posted above a link to his experiment last year with Flyer & had good initial results.

So to experiment seed is good, if you want a clone buy a cutting or rhizome.

Have fun & post the results.

[naturals]

Barneey / Seymour,
Thanks for posting and helping out a newbie to the forum! I have some Sorachi Ace I'm yet to open so will try growing some up. Currently reading through all the other threads on here, trying to absorb as much as possible.

Barneey,
You say "if you want a clone buy a cutting or rhizome" - have you seen any Sorachi Ace rhizomes? I searched a few weeks back but couldn't find anyone stocking them.

[barneey]

As Seymour live across the pond, I believe he actually sent for some from a scientific establishment, you wont get them over here.

[Jambo]

Ah I now have five shoots just above the surface for my Challenger planted this year, exciting times!

[snakepie@hotmail.com]

Am I too late to plan t some seeds for growth this year and hops the year after?

Gareth

[timbo41]

Last year I started a thread called Reminder about hops seeds: now is the time, which will answer all those questions and provide some illustrated tips as well.

And any progress on the guerilla gardening Seymour?