Hop Growing 2010

[awalker]

Now I know it is still 2009, but my hops have started growing for next year already!

Should I just keep the shoots covered up?
What with that a strawberries flowering, I think my garden has lost the plot.
Hehehe , I'll gte my coat.

[prolix]

cover them up the frost will get them come January feb time

[Walrus81]

I think mines started to shoot late Nov!

Anyway, is now a good time to transplant hops?
I have 3 in tubs that I want move to the allotment.
As they are dormant I assume now is the best time?

[harry_mac]

Plants in containers can be planted out any time of the year, but I'd leave it until the ground wasn't frozen or waterlogged.

[Walrus81]

Ok, what about the one that is in the ground, again wait until the ground is not waterlogged?

[harry_mac]

Ok, what about the one that is in the ground, again wait until the ground is not waterlogged?

Yes, best to wait. As well as being messy, it doesn't do the soil any good to work it when it's soggy.

[Chard]

mines outside now! needed a bit more room in the garage so they are now in massive pots in the garden with a pole soon to be fitted with a twine for them to climb up. challenger doing much better than progress currently but thats due to the much larger rootstock received.

anyone know if squirrels or other wildlife are partial to them? i have to keep an eye on them cute lil buggers anyway

[coatesg]

anyone know if squirrels or other wildlife are partial to them?

Comma butterflies (well, their caterpillars) like the eat hop leaves and blackfly will infest the plant I've found - rabbits might have a chew I guess if you have any around. Things like hop aphids, mildew, red spider mite and (worse of all) verticillum wilt will really cause damage - but I have my suspicions that in a back garden, you'd be less likely to succumb (maybe the mildew as an exception depending on the weather).

[Chard]

nothing to worry about then! ha ha.

ill have to keep an eye out for butterflies. dont get too many rabbits (thanks to the foxes id imagine). blackfly and aphids can be a problem if your hops grow tall as aparently ladybirds get vertigo after about 10ft the poor little blighters. as for midlews ive read you can avoid this slightly by training only 4 vines or less per plant and cutting the rest back thus reducing leaf density. this also increases cone production. keeping them in a sunny exposed spot would probably help a bit aswell as it would keep the leaves drier.

[WishboneBrewery]

3 of my 4 hop plants are showing signs of life now with lots of purple looking shoots breaking through
*fingers crossed for some mild weather and NO frost!*

[Hawkinspm]

I have shoots breaking ground on a fuggles and a challenger . Was thinking a little compost over the top for nutrients and also in case of late frost - is this the best way forward?

[coatesg]

My 2nd year golding has grown shoots about 3 inches in the last week - a bit of warmth after a cold winter and now it's chocs away! Looks like I'll have a load of shoots to thin out and pick the strongest 3-4 from too

[Jymbo]

Fuggles have two shoots through but Mathon Goldings still haven't showed - they seemed to wither around the bottom of the stalks last summer so I wonder if they've died!

[benna]

After being away in france for a week my hops have started coming through! I just planeted them in early Feb, the cobs golding is doing the best, the target and fuggles also just peeping through but the challanger is yet to show itself. Very exciting!!

[awalker]

yep all three of mine are about a foot tall now.