Hop Growing 2014

[seymour]

Very cool, barneey, I forgot about that. Well played with that Sorachi Ace, I've been trying for years to acquire a rhizome or cutting, I think this may be finally be the year! You'll definitely wanna grow those separate from the others to keep your options open in the future. Cheers!

[Jocky]

BTW I also took inspiration from your flyer hop experiment and have a few germinated sorachi ace seeds - so fingers crossed something grow into a good plant.

Maybe a stupid question, but does it not depend upon what fertilised the plant that the seeds came from?

[Jocky]

Another stupid question - does anyone know where I can get hop plants right now/soon, so I can get them established this year?

APlus' shop has hop plants on sale now, but it says that they are only available until the end of February.

[Evanvine]

You can try here, I used them in 2009!
Hop Shop
01959 523219
You can also buy potted rhizomes later in the season.

[seymour]

BTW I also took inspiration from your flyer hop experiment and have a few germinated sorachi ace seeds - so fingers crossed something grow into a good plant.

Maybe a stupid question, but does it not depend upon what fertilised the plant that the seeds came from?

Very much so, which is why I've been technically calling my plants Flyer x O.P. (open pollenation.) That's an astute observation, not a stupid question.

Each one of my seedlings contains half the genes from Flyer (a female, which itself has unknown progeny) and half from an unknown male, so each of mine is different from their parents and different from each other. An absolute crap shoot, but there's always a chance one of them will be something special to brewers.

[andybiochem]

As I only grow hops for a BIG greenhop beer in September, it doesn't really matter, I use Magnum to bitter and then just chuck in as many hops as I can 5 to 10 minutes before the end and see what happens.

How does this usually turn out? I'm thinking I won't have loads of hops this year (my 1st year for these plants), so expect whatever I get will go in one beer.

[Evanvine]

Apparently a good year is forecast (how do they know?) you could be pleasantly surprised.

[DC]

Hi Guys, I am into my 3rd season of growing hops and this year I am looking to grow them up the back of my house against the wall and I am looking to run strings or wires up to the facia boards and grow the hops up them. Does anyone have any helpful hints or tips on what type of string or wires to use or any general advice on growing hops up the side of a house and how to go about setting the strings / wires up?


Cheers DC

[Evanvine]

The rougher the better, such that the bines can get a grip!

[DC]

I am sorted for string, but just wondering what to use for fixings for facia Boards? Would eye bolts be ok and if so what size?

Cheers DC

[Evanvine]

You're putting a lot of trust in your facia board fixings, norm just little nails.
Cup hooks will be quite adequate.

[DC]

So are you saying not to fix them to the facia boards ? What if I just drill the brick wall and put a eye bolt in with a rawl plug and not bother fitting them to the facia boards

Cheers DC

[Evanvine]

I'm not saying don't do it, just be aware.

[scuppeteer]

Evan's right. Unless you're sure about the stability of the boards be wary. Eye bolts will be fine just remember to take the string with you to save another trip up the ladder!

[barneey]

Quick update mine are going a little mad