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Author Topic: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff  (Read 12597 times)

Offline mindar

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #30 on: August 12, 2010, 11:32:32 pm »
I planted 2 rhizomes of Glacier and 1 of Fuggles. The fuggles came up early, but then died off. One of the Glacier never sprouted at all, but the other's running up the cord like crazy. No cones, but I didn't expect any the first year. We'll see how they do next year....sigh.

Offline beerrat

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #31 on: August 16, 2010, 07:24:49 am »
The first year for my Brewers Gold, and cascades, I got about 1/4 pound of hops from each. Cones did not fill in along the bine that first year.

The second year, we had a balanced rainfall summer, so cones were dense along entire bine and had a great harvest from both.

The third year year, we had a really wet summer - brewers gold did very well, but cascades not that productive.

This year, we are having a very dry summer, and I really have not been out watering the bines as I should have, other then my new Hallertau's, and grape vine I'm trying to establish.  Brewers Gold are looking very good again, cascades pretty thin, and hallertau doing what I would expect first year - thin but should have enough for 1 batch.

I'm in NE PA and in a drought area this summer.  It has been a very hot one as well.

.

Offline BrewArk

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #32 on: August 16, 2010, 10:40:18 am »
Here, we've had a cooler than normal summer, & I've kept my watering up.

Net result: bumper crop the best I've ever had (year 3).  I have cones 3" long on the Cascade, w/good Saaz & Magnum yields.
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Offline Malticulous

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #33 on: August 16, 2010, 03:03:16 pm »
Mine were about two feet tall then the 100 degree heat came and all vines dried up. They are still alive. I though I had watered them enough. Better luck next year.

Offline theDarkSide

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #34 on: August 18, 2010, 09:26:45 am »
Here's a shot of my cascades ( 1st year ):



Does anyone use fertilizer stakes for their hops and what kind?
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #35 on: August 18, 2010, 10:51:00 am »
Hops need a lot of Nitrogen.  Says that they use a 3-1-1 fertilizer.

If you have good soil maybe just Nitrogen.  My soil is poor, a combination of sand and gravel.  I need some potash.

Your first year picture looks pretty good, as you got some cones.
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Offline weithman5

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #36 on: August 18, 2010, 10:59:14 am »
i planted santiem, magnum, and sterling this year at easter.  they all made it to the roof of garage and i am happy.  the magnum however have gone crazy for first year. they have made it to  the roof, to the ground and back to the roof.  so close to 24 total feet.  they are loaded with lot of cones which most are going to come off and get dried and vaccum packed this weekend.  everything else is as i expected for first year.  some cones but certainly not loaded
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Offline wingnut

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #37 on: August 18, 2010, 11:06:49 am »
Hops need a lot of Nitrogen.  Says that they use a 3-1-1 fertilizer.

If you have good soil maybe just Nitrogen.  My soil is poor, a combination of sand and gravel.  I need some potash.

Your first year picture looks pretty good, as you got some cones.

For fertilizer I have been using a powdered fertilizer for tomatoes.  You mix it with water or add to a miracle grow sprayer (connected to the hose) and water your plants with the fertilizer one a week or so.   Essentially, from what I have read, the tomatoes and hops have similar needs, so what is good for one, is good for the other! 

The weather has been ideal this year, but the cones and bine growth have been outstanding since I started using the stuff.   When I went away on vacation for two weeks, the Cascades began to have the lower leaves yellow... a sign of nutrient deficiency as the hops transfer the nutrients to the cones, sacrificing the leaves if needed.    Once I started to fertilize again, the leaves stopped yellowing and started some new lateral growth.

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Offline mr_jeffers

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Re: Anyone Else's 1st Year Hops Not Up to Snuff
« Reply #38 on: August 18, 2010, 02:20:43 pm »
For fertilizer I have been using a powdered fertilizer for tomatoes.  You mix it with water or add to a miracle grow sprayer (connected to the hose) and water your plants with the fertilizer one a week or so.   Essentially, from what I have read, the tomatoes and hops have similar needs, so what is good for one, is good for the other! 

The weather has been ideal this year, but the cones and bine growth have been outstanding since I started using the stuff.   When I went away on vacation for two weeks, the Cascades began to have the lower leaves yellow... a sign of nutrient deficiency as the hops transfer the nutrients to the cones, sacrificing the leaves if needed.    Once I started to fertilize again, the leaves stopped yellowing and started some new lateral growth.

I should take a trip to the local nursery and see if I can find some of that.  My cascades have been yellowing a bit, even though I've been watering them every day.  My soil seems to be mostly sand, and i'm sure most of the nutrients is gone from the compost I added when I planted them.  I'm surprised at how well the Chinook have done though.  I must have a few dozen thumb sized cones on that one vine alone!  I'm thinking that I might have to move the Centennials out into a sunnier location.  I'm assuming the best time to do this will be this fall after they go dormant? 
Jeff Brown
Southern Maine Homebrewers