Hop Growing 2013

[WishboneBrewery]

Talking of Mulch, what is best?

Hops are good!

That would mean making a lot of beer with a lot of hops or I could just bring some sacks full home from work.

[boingy]

I've not grown hops for long enough to have decided what mulch is best. One year I used about 6 inches of rotted horse manure, other years I used the same of home made compost. It probably does not really matter. The important thing is to protect the plants from frost and get some nutrients into the ground in time for spring. Once you are happy that the heavy frosts are over you can just spread out any remainder of the mulch. Do it carefully because it's likely that a few new shoots will be sprouting!

[WishboneBrewery]

I've been pretty ruthless with mine the last two years with nothing to cover them over the winter.

[boingy]

We're at a relatively high altitude here and we do get very heavy frosts so I'm a bit paranoid. Once they are established I think the only sure way to kill 'em off is to let them get waterlogged.

[scuppeteer]

Hops are basically a weed, so by doing nothing to them over the winter really won't make a great deal of difference, feel free to mulch or cover but so long as the root stock is strong and not waterlogged they will survive quite well. Most varieties enjoy a good cold winter with frosts and snow helping to improve the crop for the following year. The only issue is sunshine and warm weather at the right times, something that has been a bit unpredictable over the past few summers.
If you haven't already done so, cut the bines back now to about a foot and then leave to die back naturally until December, then cut to just above soil level. You don't have to touch them again until Spring and twiddling time. Various methods can then be employed to get the most out of the plant, I will be trying something new (to me anyway) whereby you remove the tallest (rank) bines early on and then let the newer shoots grow, but still only 4-6 bines per plant. This, I have been reliably informed, produces a much stronger and bountiful crop.

[boingy]

My early growth nearly always gets killed off by frost. I tend to select the 3 strongest/longest bines after that. Any more than 3 and I seem to get loads more leaves but no more hops. Interesting idea about pruning out the longest ones. I might try that next year.

[gnutz2]

I don't do anything to mine over winter, seems to cope fine.

[greenxpaddy]

Regarding cutting back, I cut off the bines at harvest where they start to have flowers and let the plant soak up Autumn sun from the remaining leaves to store as much starch in their tubers as possible before winter. Then when all the leaves have gone brown I cut down to the ground.

[greenxpaddy]

Ramsbottom grown Bramling Cross....a little small but its normal here being quite cold and windy normally. Year 2 plant yielded 1.3kg green

Well. A completely unique beer has resulted with almost chilli like pepperiness aftertaste. None of that blackcurrant Bram X flavour or if it is its at "Tunes" level intensity. Must make another next year. You cant get this flavour from dried hops