they are some ancient variety left by the monks who lived in the old manor house (or so we think) certainly smell good for beer.Frothy
Hop growing for 2007
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Frothy
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Chiltern Brewer
Forgive me if someone has mentioned this elsewhere, but I'm new around here...
Have you tried the RHS Plan Finder: http://rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/plantfinder.asp
Do a search for "humulus lupulus" and avoid the ornamental (male) varieties like Golden/Aureus hop.
I've used Deacon's Nursery - http://www.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk bit pricy?
and at the other end of the UK, Poyntzfield Herb Nursery - http://www.poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk although this was a visit in person when on holiday in Scotland.
Perhaps you'll find a local nursery, avoiding p&p and allowing you see that you are getting a healthy plant.
Best advice is to think where you are going to plant them before you order. I have 2 x Challenger, 1 x Cobb Goldings, and a wild variety growing against fences. I train them horizontally/diagonally as the fences are only 6 foot high. This means going out every day in the growing season and twisting the runners around the nylon strings which I renew each year - very relaxing after a day at work, and it only takes a few minutes.
Don't expect many hops in the first year, it will be three years before they crop heavily, and then you'll probably have too many! Picking and drying them can be a real chore, unless you have an army of helpers and a private oast house.
I've found picking them off the bine, rather than cutting the bines down on mass better as you can pick a few bags a night, whereas on the cut bines the hops seem very damp and you want to dry them ASAP.
Have you tried the RHS Plan Finder: http://rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/plantfinder.asp
Do a search for "humulus lupulus" and avoid the ornamental (male) varieties like Golden/Aureus hop.
I've used Deacon's Nursery - http://www.deaconsnurseryfruits.co.uk bit pricy?
and at the other end of the UK, Poyntzfield Herb Nursery - http://www.poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk although this was a visit in person when on holiday in Scotland.
Perhaps you'll find a local nursery, avoiding p&p and allowing you see that you are getting a healthy plant.
Best advice is to think where you are going to plant them before you order. I have 2 x Challenger, 1 x Cobb Goldings, and a wild variety growing against fences. I train them horizontally/diagonally as the fences are only 6 foot high. This means going out every day in the growing season and twisting the runners around the nylon strings which I renew each year - very relaxing after a day at work, and it only takes a few minutes.
Don't expect many hops in the first year, it will be three years before they crop heavily, and then you'll probably have too many! Picking and drying them can be a real chore, unless you have an army of helpers and a private oast house.
I've found picking them off the bine, rather than cutting the bines down on mass better as you can pick a few bags a night, whereas on the cut bines the hops seem very damp and you want to dry them ASAP.
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SteveD
Looking forward to trying it. I've got to coerce mine into clearing down. Still fairly hazy. Finings methinks.Andy wrote:My last brew used hops from a mates garden. Will try and bring a bottle along next Tues Steve. Hopefully my hop plant will yield a load of cones this yr
Edit: 6' eh, fuggles and goldings will eat that up no worries - they grow to 5 metres plusYou'll have to talk to them gently and persuade them to grow horizontally.
I'll most likely add 3' of trellis above the fence and train it horizontally. The other plant I might position near what will become the brew shed. Quite appropriate to have a hop plant climbing all over it. It can fight with the wisteria already there.
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Chiltern Brewer
Wisteria can be quite rampant? Otherwise I'd say the hop would win! The bines can get quite heavy and dense when you grow then horizontally in my experience, so a trellis may not be up to the job... one big gust of windSteveD wrote:I'll most likely add 3' of trellis above the fence and train it horizontally. The other plant I might position near what will become the brew shed. Quite appropriate to have a hop plant climbing all over it. It can fight with the wisteria already there.
Also they'll try to grow up rather than along it, and tying in above head height is going to be a real pig of a job. You could try growing them up an apple tree? I just grow my plants across two or three fence panels along nylon string (tied to wood screws in the posts) so that they are easy to pick and cut down at the end of the season - it could take you hours to pull the dead bines from your trellis if they entwine as they grow.-
Chiltern Brewer
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bitter_dave
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2170
- Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:00 pm
- Location: Whitley Bay
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Chiltern Brewer
Well here you go... 2005's crop, which wasn't that brilliant if I remember. Mind you there often more hops that you can see - they get buried in the foliage. For 2006 I made sure to top dress with potash (from a bonfire) and chicken manure pellets, and thin out a few of the bines - much better! Must remember to do it again this weekend, as they are starting to shoot. Helps if you have a gardener in the family for advice - in my case me Dad.
Cobb Golding:
This is just half of the spread.
Challenger:
Notice the red bines and darker leaves. This is a younger plant and the soil is not so good, bit compacted. Another leason - prepare the soil don't just bung the plants in! Second Challenger (not pictured) has always been much more vigorous.
Perhaps I'll document this years growth in more detail. For those of us with more established bines, how about propagating some cuttings and swapping varieties?
Cobb Golding:
This is just half of the spread.
Challenger:
Notice the red bines and darker leaves. This is a younger plant and the soil is not so good, bit compacted. Another leason - prepare the soil don't just bung the plants in! Second Challenger (not pictured) has always been much more vigorous.
Perhaps I'll document this years growth in more detail. For those of us with more established bines, how about propagating some cuttings and swapping varieties?
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mysterio
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SteveD
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Chiltern Brewer
I have an old copy of Homebrew Today circa 1995, that has an article by Clive La Pensee on hop growing.
He suggests putting the cutting into damp potting compost, warm soil, and watering daily until it is established. Depending on what you get, and how cautious you are, you might consider starting it in a pot for the first year. I think this is what we did, as I got my plants late in the season - April/May. Hops were originally woodland plants (wolf of the woods) so like cool roots and dappled shade. I have them growing on north facing fences, but they get plenty of sun when they reach the top of the fence. They need 2 metres of radial root growth, and will happily grow by a lawn. Clive doesn't mention this - it pays to fertilize them in the late winter/early spring, especially if they have cropped heavily the previous year.
In a few years you'll have more (organic
) hops than you can use!
He suggests putting the cutting into damp potting compost, warm soil, and watering daily until it is established. Depending on what you get, and how cautious you are, you might consider starting it in a pot for the first year. I think this is what we did, as I got my plants late in the season - April/May. Hops were originally woodland plants (wolf of the woods) so like cool roots and dappled shade. I have them growing on north facing fences, but they get plenty of sun when they reach the top of the fence. They need 2 metres of radial root growth, and will happily grow by a lawn. Clive doesn't mention this - it pays to fertilize them in the late winter/early spring, especially if they have cropped heavily the previous year.
In a few years you'll have more (organic
) hops than you can use!-
sparky Paul
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monkey_doctor
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RabMaxwell
Home grown hops
I've had a wide variety of hops growing on fences and up 3m poles for a number of years now. All the plants were from Deacons - quite expensive, but they go on for years and you can easily propogate from them.
Fuggles - good early and heavy cropper
Mathon - been growing this for about 10 years, heavy cropper, good citrus tang.
Northdown - taken a while to get going but now cropping well.
Cobb - only planted two years ago, shy cropper.
Hallertau - Planted two years ago, shy cropper - may prefer central Europe!
They are all grown in heavy red Devon soil and get the occasional feed of compost.
Generally quite time consuming early in the year (training) and at harvesting time (I eventually get fed up picking them and drying can be difficult if it turns wet)
Overall though well worth doing - the home grown hops are even better than the foil pack ones you can buy.
Fuggles - good early and heavy cropper
Mathon - been growing this for about 10 years, heavy cropper, good citrus tang.
Northdown - taken a while to get going but now cropping well.
Cobb - only planted two years ago, shy cropper.
Hallertau - Planted two years ago, shy cropper - may prefer central Europe!
They are all grown in heavy red Devon soil and get the occasional feed of compost.
Generally quite time consuming early in the year (training) and at harvesting time (I eventually get fed up picking them and drying can be difficult if it turns wet)
Overall though well worth doing - the home grown hops are even better than the foil pack ones you can buy.