Hop Growing 2009

[Chris The Fish]

My Progress are going great guns, bit worried about future frosts mind!



My goldings are a bit behind



Still, fingers crossed for a good harvest!!

[edit1now]

I ordered two bare-root Fuggles plants from Aplus Hops on Sunday the 8th of March, and they arrived on Wednesday the 11th! I was a bit taken-aback when Aplus had taken ages for other people on here. Maybe it depends on the time of year, as to whether they have stock ready to send out or whether it's all still in the ground. I remember someone ordering in August and having to wait weeks.

I've also ordered a couple of Saaz plants from Hopfen-Shop in Germany. Their website is partly in English as well as German. You have to choose from the Europa/Europe selection, then the hop prices include the P&P to send to the UK. (Outside the EU you have to email them so they can sort out the customs paperwork and plant disease certificates.)

NB when you order from Hopfen-Shop the form where you fill-in your address won't take a UK postcode in the Postleitzahl field. Put your postcode after your Post Town in the Ort field, and put 00000 (yes, that's five zeros,) in Postleitzahl. I had to email them (Franz.Seidl@t-online.de), and got a helpful explanation from Herr Franz Seidl.

[Chris B]

I have just been out in the garden and had a look at my 2nd year plants, the First Gold is doing fine with about 4-5 shoots and the Northdown that did not do much last year is going crazy with 9-10 shoots. I must get this one out of the pot and perhaps split as there seem to be 2 areas it is throwing shoots up from.

[Subsonic]

I checked my hops today and the one with the nice long green shoot was bitten off and a pile of rabbit droppings next to it. Either the rabbits or hens had it. I must have shot 1000 rabbits recently and they have the audacity to eat my hops. I wired them all off, was totally gutted. Hopefully it will throw up another shoot.

[Chris The Fish]

I can almost guarentee it. Depending on how old it is, it will throw off a good 6-10 shoots and give you plenty of plant.

[edit1now]

My two Saaz plants turned up this morning, having ordered them on Wednesday 11th. Two little pots with visible shoots, €14.80 incl. P&P. There was €8.60 in stamps on the box, so that makes the plants €3.10 each. Good service from Mr Seidl at Gärtnerei Eickelmann, a.k.a. Hopfen-Shop.

[SiHoltye]

All growing well down in sunny Sussex

3rd year First Gold


2nd year Challenger

[Talisman]

I planted a Fuggle and a Challenger last year. Must admit done nothing to them at all over winter. Had a look at them this weekend and ive got loads of shoots coming up on both im pleased to say.

Question is, what the heck do i do to them this year?

Do i need to remove the shoots down to just 2-3, do they need special foods? Ir do i let them fend for themselves and go mad?

Ill get pics at the weekend too.

[Chris The Fish]

id get a bag of 'farmyard manure' from the local garden centre, i put it like that as they sell this commercial stuff which isnt as rich, but great as a slow release feed either for pots or in the ground. (real muck is better mind). Put a good mulch around each mound and this should see them good for a while.

an occasional liquid feed would be a good idea especially if they are in pots.

[Talisman]

thanks Chris, ill do that.

You say liquid feed? any particular type? ie i feed my tomatoes, i assume its not the same stuff.

[Chris The Fish]

you cant go far wrong with tomato feed, i use a miracle grow hose attachment and do my whole garden with that.

a granular feed or chicken poo on the surface around the plant will also do good.

[softlad]

Mine are now transplanted from tubs into the ground.

WGV, Fuggles and Northdown are doing very well considering its the first year. They have about 6" growth already. Challenger isnt doing so well. There are some small buds on there but its not decided to start growing yet.

Hopefully the warmer weather will kick it into life

[ritchie]

Lidl are selling hop rhizzies at 99p a pop along with redcurrant, blackcurrant and blackberry bushes. No idea what sort of hops they are, theyre just advertised as Humulus.

[delboy]

Lidl are selling hop rhizzies at 99p a pop along with redcurrant, blackcurrant and blackberry bushes. No idea what sort of hops they are, theyre just advertised as Humulus.

A good chance its the ornamental strain golden tassels, which im pretty sure you can still brew with, they just happen to have a more attractive foilage and obviously they won't have been specifically breed for yield etc.

[fivetide]

My second year bines - WGV, Fuggles and Bramling Cross - are all now out of the ground and wondering whether or not it's warm enough to start tackling the fence!