29 replies to this topic

[Bklmt2000]

My 3d year Cascade appears to be a victim of Verticillium wilt.  Looked up hop diseases online, and this appears to be the culprit. 

 

I've not had the best luck growing hops at this house; last year's Cent and Magnum didn't make it, despite adequate fertilizing/watering.

 

If there's a bright side, it's that tomorrow is our trash pickup day, so the Cascade plant will get excavated and binned today after work.

 

Feck.

[HVB]

My hop plants are at my parents and my dad deals with them.  I have told him many times to dig em out because they can be a PITA.  So far he has not but I suspect it will come soon.  Truthfully, I am kind of over the homegrown hops thing.

[positiveContact]

My hop plants are at my parents and my dad deals with them.  I have told him many times to dig em out because they can be a PITA.  So far he has not but I suspect it will come soon.  Truthfully, I am kind of over the homegrown hops thing.

 

this year I have done nothing to mine.  no thinning the herd, no watering or fertilizer.  they are still unstoppable.  so I'll just let them continue to exist as decoration on my deck.

[Bklmt2000]

Update from the front: my initial suspicions about my Cascade plant might be unfounded.

 

Did some more checking on the web, and my new thinking is, the plant wasn't getting enough water.

 

I used to hand-water my hop plant with a watering can, right onto the crown, but in recent weeks, I'd started using an oscillating sprinkler.  My theory is the hop leaves acted like umbrellas and not as much water was hitting the crown as i'd expected.

 

So, i just put an entire watering can's worth of water (~1 gal) directly on the crown.

 

We'll see if anything improves, but if not, and the plant is doomed, waiting an extra week to toss the plant won't hurt.

[neddles]

Not sure about hops specifically but for a lot of plants repeatedly wetting the leaves can leave the plant susceptible to a host of various diseases. Hope your change of strategy works here.

[Big Nake]

I got into hop-growing for a very short time when there was going to be a supposed "hop shortage". I took the shortage seriously enough that I bought rhizomes for Hallertau, Willamette, Goldings and Mt. Hood (I think). They arrived and I planted them in big pots temporarily while our backyard was being worked on (2007-2008?). Eventually I realized that I didn't really have a good, sunny spot to plant them without them being VERY much on display. I also concluded that the hop shortage was a bunch of nonsense and I just let the hop plants die. Sorry hops.

[denny]

I tore mine out about 3 years ago becasue they were a PITA to pick, process and package.  I'm still trying to kill off my single Cascade plant.

[gnef]

I find my cascades to be fun to take care of. I don't really harvest, I just enjoy watching them grow in the spring and see how rapidly they grow. I invite members of the club to come by and harvest if they want some, and in the spring if they want any rhizomes. If they ever become a big headache, then I'll consider ripping them out, but for now, they are a fun ornamental plant for me. My 15 grow quite well here in Georgia, even though they don't have full sun in my backyard.

[Big Nake]

I'll be honest. I can go to the LHBS and pick up an ounce of professionally grown (and presumably heathly and fresh) hop pellets for $2. For that $2 there is also the plus of knowing the AA% and the fact that they have been processed into pellets for easier storage and measuring. I'm not losing any sleep. I know some people love to grow their own hops and that's cool... but I'm good without it.

[HVB]

I'll be honest. I can go to the LHBS and pick up an ounce of professionally grown (and presumably heathly and fresh) hop pellets for $2. For that $2 there is also the plus of knowing the AA% and the fact that they have been processed into pellets for easier storage and measuring. I'm not losing any sleep. I know some people love to grow their own hops and that's cool... but I'm good without it.

Where I am at this point.  A pound of hops is cheap these days.  I did enjoy making a wet hop beer every fall but that is not the end of the world.

[Big Nake]

Where I am at this point.  A pound of hops is cheap these days.  I did enjoy making a wet hop beer every fall but that is not the end of the world.

If anything, the supposed "hop shortage" fueled a new golden age for hops. Hops are abundant and relatively inexpensive and they keep coming out with new varieties. Some of the noble hops that I have been using lately (hallertau mittelfruh and tettnanger to be specific) have been outrageously good. Some of the Amarillo, Citra, Santiam, Crystal, Nugget and Goldings have been spectacular as well... fresh, vibrant, green, etc.

[Genesee Ted]

Growing hops at home is only useful as a decorative feature. I don't think I have ever had a batch of beer made with homegrown hops that I was ever wowed by.

[positiveContact]

Growing hops at home is only useful as a decorative feature. I don't think I have ever had a batch of beer made with homegrown hops that I was ever wowed by.

 

I think the hard part is drying them.  I had some hops from a friend of my brother that he must  have dried the right way b/c they were great.

[denny]

I think the hard part is drying them.  I had some hops from a friend of my brother that he must  have dried the right way b/c they were great.

 

Most homebrewers tend to follow the old "put 'em on a screen in the attic for a week or so" method.  Absolutely wrong.  You need to dry them as quickly as possible.  Hop growers go for about 130-135F for maybe 3 hours.

[EnkAMania]

My first year growing and mine are for show.  If I happen to get some production, I would only pick enough to make a fresh hop beer.

[Big Nake]

My first year growing and mine are for show.  If I happen to get some production, I would only pick enough to make a fresh hop beer.

I like the "for show" thing as long as they didn't take up my whole yard. I have a biergarten-style spot in the backyard (complete with a ceramic sign from Munich) and having hops falling over a trellis right there would be really cool but still... just for show, probably.

[MyaCullen]

they make a good sunshade for south facing windows

[positiveContact]

they make a good sunshade for south facing windows

My spot is more like south west but it does block some sun.

I really need them to grow up and over if I want any shade on the deck though.

Edited by Evil_Morty, 24 June 2017 - 06:15 AM.

[Bklmt2000]

After yesterday's rain, I took a look at my Cascade plant this morning.

 

My updated theory of it merely being thirsty appears to be confirmed; the leaves that previously looked yellow-ish are now back to a solid green.

[BlKtRe]

I killed all mine off last year too. Became more work than what it was worth for me.