[dean]

How are everyone's hops doing this year so far?  I've got most of mine up now, still a few I'm waiting to see if they're gonna bust through but I'm starting to doubt they will now.  Out of the original 17 I started with I have 14 up and from those I started three more Centennials, one of those is up so I have 15 plants growing.  I put up my poles and ran my top wire, its about 14 feet at one end and 10 feet at the other end.  Its on a slope and I wanted to kinda level the top.  I ran a second wire about 6 feet below the top wire just to see if it would help the lateral shoots later this summer.   I used clothes-line drops for the bines to grow on.  I've already had one guy stop and ask me what the hell am I doing and what is that?!  I'm thinking of  putting up a sign with some sort of bullshyt story about it just to start a rumor or something.    Flying bolo monkey squirrel trap maybe?    

[denny]

It's been a few weeks since I've checked on mine, so I really oughta get out there.  Last time I checked on 'em, I needed to pull handfuls of shoots.  I'd bet it's time to do it again!

[bluesman]

It's been a few weeks since I've checked on mine, so I really oughta get out there.  Last time I checked on 'em, I needed to pull handfuls of shoots.  I'd bet it's time to do it again!

+1

I want to figure out a way to get them to grow higher. Maybe attach some twine to the 2nd story soffit or to a nearby tree. I think they would benefit by this. Like the commercial guys do it. Better yields and hopefully less mites.

[enso]

Mine were poppin' up all over.  Pruned back the roots on the older ones last week.

Today...

6 inches of snow.   

[wingnut]

Glad to hear the hops are popping out across the land!

Here in Michigan, we had a mild spring so far... and my 2nd year hops started to pop Mid March.  We have had some thick frosts, but no snows since the hops started to pop, so their early entrance has been great!

Five of my Eight plants have shoots 4Ft long already, and even my Goldings are nearing the 2Ft Mark.  (Last year I only had two first year plants top the 4ft mark, and that took the whole growing season)

This year, I started watering them with Tomato Fertilizer once a week, starting four weeks ago, and their growth has been amazing.  I am hoping the Fertilizer will make up for the Potasium deficiency my soil has.

Now if only I can keep the Spider Mites from taking over like they did last year, I think I am going to have a good crop!

Good luck with your babies, I think I will go see how mine are doing today!

[beerocd]

It's been a few weeks since I've checked on mine,

Live on the PONDEROSA? How do you not check for weeks?

Now that we all have the Bonanza theme song in our heads... 

[beerocd]

I want to figure out a way to get them to grow higher. Maybe attach some twine to the 2nd story soffit or to a nearby tree. I think they would benefit by this. Like the commercial guys do it. Better yields and hopefully less mites.

Bag of concrete, and two 1/2" copper pipes soldered together. I have 18' vertical, planted 6' from the pole so just about 19' of line to grow on. It's almost as wobbly as cooked spaghetti until you stake your lines down, then it's rock solid. 6 varieties plus two extra lines staked. I looked up lightning rod theory and all that - I'm good. 

I had mites in the greenhouse, where I grew them 1st year. I sprayed in there for pests, and when all the pests are gone - spider mites have no competition. They had a good ole time. 

[bluesman]

I want to figure out a way to get them to grow higher. Maybe attach some twine to the 2nd story soffit or to a nearby tree. I think they would benefit by this. Like the commercial guys do it. Better yields and hopefully less mites.

Bag of concrete, and two 1/2" copper pipes soldered together. I have 18' vertical, planted 6' from the pole so just about 19' of line to grow on. It's almost as wobbly as cooked spaghetti until you stake your lines down, then it's rock solid. 6 varieties plus two extra lines staked. I looked up lightning rod theory and all that - I'm good. 

I had mites in the greenhouse, where I grew them 1st year. I sprayed in there for pests, and when all the pests are gone - spider mites have no competition. They had a good ole time. 

Can you post some pics? Sounds like it might work for me.

[dean]

I don't think we'll see another hop shortage for a while, I just received a notice from our local MSU agent that reported acreage planted to hops has gone up ~35% across the US.  In the Traverse City area (Lelenau County) there are farmers putting in 30 and 40 acre plots to hops.  According to the report most of the Great Lakes States have farms putting them in again for the first time since nearly a hundred years.  Michigan is pushing the theme "buy local" on everything and the microbreweries are one of the businesses stepping up.

The report has a lot of information in it, most of it we know but it also answered a few questions.... like small cone size could be from a virus they are prone , slow stunted growth etc.  Interesting read.  Optimum soil pH is 6.5 but they do okay between 5.7 and 7.5.

[denny]

It's been a few weeks since I've checked on mine,

Live on the PONDEROSA? How do you not check for weeks?

Now that we all have the Bonanza theme song in our heads...  

They're out in the back of the garden....out of sight, out of mind, ya know!  Fortunately, my wife the gardener says every once in a while "You ought to go look at your hops"!

[bluesman]

They're out in the back of the garden....out of sight, out of mind, ya know!  Fortunately, my wife the gardener says every once in a while "You ought to go look at your hops"!

Your lucky in the sense that hops love the climate where you live. I'm jealous. I have to babysit my hops in Delaware. It's okay though because I enjoy watching them grow. It's the green thumb in me.

[corkybstewart]

I checked mine at lunch today and I've got the first tiny baby cones showing up on one of my Cascades. A little too early again, the first harvest always tastes like lawn clippings.

[dbeechum]

I just planted mine 2 weeks ago and now I've got some shoots happening, so woo!

[FishinHank]

I planted a few rhizomes of Cascade about a week ago, nothing doing yet though.

[weithman5]

planted sentiem, magnum, sterling 2 weeks ago. magnum breaking through. hopefully others to follow this week.