[tschmidlin]

Don't pull them, you'll just damage the roots of the remaining one.  Snip them, they'll die.

It's a bummer, but it's the right thing to do to improve your harvest.

[theDarkSide]

I just cut back my second year hops ( Centennial and Cascade ) to leave the strongest 4 per bine on the trellis.  Just didn't feel right cutting them back.  I probably cut back 12-15 per plant.  They are going crazy.

[euge]

Got a corn question for anybody who knows - I did the standard three seeds per hole and in some of my rows I've got more than one (sometimes two or three) seedlings sprouted. I don't wanna just throw them out - would it work to leave them, or is that going to ruin the whole group? If so, what's the best way to transplant?

I did one per hole and they all came up.

[tubercle]

Got a corn question for anybody who knows - I did the standard three seeds per hole and in some of my rows I've got more than one (sometimes two or three) seedlings sprouted. I don't wanna just throw them out - would it work to leave them, or is that going to ruin the whole group? If so, what's the best way to transplant?

I did one per hole and they all came up.

 1 per hole and after they sprout above ground replant the skips

[Pinski]

My Cacade, Willamette, Zeus & Mt. Hood all finally surfaced this past week with the arrival of at least a couple of warm days.  Not expecting much harvest this year, but hope we're laying good, strong roots!

[punatic]

I harvested my first white pineapple (Kona Sugarloaf) of the season on Saturday and just cut it for desert tonight.  Awesome!  Sooooo sweet.

It ripened early.  Whites usually come in during late June through August.  I am not complaining!

[phillamb168]

The latest problem I discovered last night were these little black aphid-looking things the ants seem to be herding. They're all over the hops and the cherry trees. Any thoughts on getting rid of them?

[punatic]

The latest problem I discovered last night were these little black aphid-looking things the ants seem to be herding. They're all over the hops and the cherry trees. Any thoughts on getting rid of them?

A very dilute soap and water solution in a trigger spayer should do it.

(10mL liquid dishwashing soap to 4L water)

[tschmidlin]

The latest problem I discovered last night were these little black aphid-looking things the ants seem to be herding. They're all over the hops and the cherry trees. Any thoughts on getting rid of them?

A very dilute soap and water solution in a trigger spayer should do it.

(10mL liquid dishwashing soap to 4L water)

Also, predatory insects.  Ladybugs, praying mantis, aphid wasps, etc.  It might be too late to build nests for the aphid wasps, but IIRC it is basically a block of wood with 3/16" holes drilled in it.  I don't know if you get those bugs there though.  For ladybugs, can you buy them there?  If so, a little honey water with bee pollen mixed in sprinkled over the plants will encourage them to stay until they find the food.  If they are already there leave them alone, and google images of larval ladybugs - I killed a few before I figured out what they are and that they eat a lot of aphids.  Also look up images of eggs on the bottom of leaves, when those little suckers hatch they eat a ton of aphids so you want to make sure you are protecting them.  The eggs could be confused with aphids, at least around here.  We get two different kinds green ones and grey ones.  The green ones are hard to spot, the grey ones stand out.

Anyway, I'm a fan of the predatory insects if you can encourage them to take up residence in your yard.  No idea what is around there though.

[phillamb168]

The latest problem I discovered last night were these little black aphid-looking things the ants seem to be herding. They're all over the hops and the cherry trees. Any thoughts on getting rid of them?

A very dilute soap and water solution in a trigger spayer should do it.

(10mL liquid dishwashing soap to 4L water)

That seems much easier than my wife's suggestion of basically rubbing each one of the leaves. Aphid poo, ewwww. Still fascinating to see them at work, though - live in the city long enough and you forget that there are all these things out there. I love that the ants herd them.

tschmidlin yeah, I've seen lady bugs around but probably not enough to do much. We have a lot of gendarmes (Pyrrhocoris apterus, I think in English it's Firebug. They don't really seem to have any interest in anything except reproducing in wood piles.

[tschmidlin]

tschmidlin yeah, I've seen lady bugs around but probably not enough to do much.

Each ladybug will eat over 5000 aphids in its lifetime.  I think it's worth encouraging them to stick around.

Also, aphids have soft bodies so you can crush them really easily, or blast them off the plants with a stream of water.

[Beer Monger]

I have a black thumb.  I'll leave the hop growing to the pros. 

[tschmidlin]

I have a black thumb.  I'll leave the hop growing to the pros. 

Hops would overrun even your yard.   They grow like weeds around here, as long as you plant them in a sunny spot.  I got rid of mine this year - they weren't doing well where they were, and the really sunny spots are a little too primo for me to plant hops there.

[Beer Monger]

I have a black thumb.  I'll leave the hop growing to the pros. 

Hops would overrun even your yard.   They grow like weeds around here, as long as you plant them in a sunny spot.  I got rid of mine this year - they weren't doing well where they were, and the really sunny spots are a little too primo for me to plant hops there.

Yeah, but I'd never tend them.  And then I'd have pissed neighbors w/ hops overrunning their yards.    lol

[corkybstewart]

We just finished a garden based dinner.  Salad was spinach, beets, carrots and onions from the garden, and then we had lasagne made with spinach and onions full of oregano, thyme and a couple of different basils from the herb box.  I can't wait until I have tomatoes, then life will be complete.