11 replies to this topic

[ncbeerbrewer]

So I just planted some rhizomes on this past Saturday 5 to be exact. (Nugget, Williamette, Cascade) I have a question in regards to water schedules. I read from places like Freshops and a few sources that you wanna water lightly and not every single day. I watered all 5 rhizomes by spliting my 2 gallon watering can amongst the 5 rhizomes with a touch of Miracle gro fertilizer. No watering on Sunday and this morning it rained here a good bit while I was at work. I am curious to know what sorta water schedules any of you experienced hop growers followed for first year rhizomes. I am thinking of watering about 3x a week and adding fertilizer every 7-10 days. I have mine planted in a flower bed and each small mound is covered with some mulch, figured that would preserve the moisture as well. So just wondering what sorta good advice you growers can offer. Thanks!!Mike

[BarelyBrews]

Well i tell you i am not a gardner ,but i hope to have better luck this year. Last year i killed my first cascade ( watered it every day, then the rains came from the hurricane for two weeks) then i watered every third day W/ fertilizer .Fertilizer every third day is bad, now i understand to use it maybe every 9th day. Depending if it needs it. So this year im just letting them go on there own some , there looking ANGRY now. That is good i suspect, busting out of the ground and it just rained so i shall definitely not water them. Hope you have better first year luck than i had. They basically just shriveled up , NO cones at all last year. This year i think they shall do much better. Good luck to you.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Thanks Kegdude. I don't exactly have much of a green thumb but I have had good fortune and such in brewing and beer related activities. I hope that will outweigh my lack of a green thumb. I wish you luck as well too, hopefully you will have better luck so that you won't have to say third time is a charm.

[Greatfookin]

Water them if the soil is dry 3/4 - 1 inch down. Only water them when they are starting to get dry, and just enough to moisten modestly.I made my own mixture of peat, sand, and humus, which was top dressed with sifted composted manure. Mulch the soil to retard evaporative drying.1st year rhizomes need to stay moist, but not soaking wet for long periods, so check often.

[RommelMagic]

Even fertilizing every 9 days sounds like overkill, pardon the pun. I had used the Miracle grow liquid spray (on the hose nozzle) stuff maybe once or twice a month. In the fall I added manure and may not use any fertilizer this year. THis is most of my plants third year. Last year I got about a pound of cascade, about half of Chinook and a few ounces of Hallertau. Some of the ones from last year that did not fare well appear to be on a rampage this year.

Edited by RommelMagic, 20 April 2009 - 07:38 PM.

[MoreAmmoPlz]

If the hops are planted in soil with a decent pH (6.0+) and are well drained you already have most of your bases covered. As far as fertilizer goes a small application of nitrogen in June and a potassium application, if a soil test calls for it, should be all that you need.

[Matt the Mead Maker]

Living in the high desert, I water mine daily on drip irrigation during the hottest part of the summer and the hops go bonkers. About 20-30 minutes with an 0.25 gallon/hour emitter. I've had stellar harvests.

[MyaCullen]

I use the if it looks and feels dry give it some juice method, works for me.

[Zulu]

New Rhizomes if planted well with potting soil enhancing the normal soil , NO FERTILISER until you have 2ft long bines, then once a month until cone formation. If you fertilse too soon you may burn the new rootlets.Miracle gro is a great fertiliser but is meant to be primarily a foliage feed , ie wet the green parts.As for watering , you actually want to stress the plants slightly in first year, that way they put out deeper roots, so weekly watering for now is plenty if the soil is balanced and well drained (being in NC you probably have clay like I do in GSO) , you also want to mulch the crowns so that moisture is held in the soil.If you dig down next to the planting area and it is dry below 1.5" then it needs water, but with the regular rain we are having , should need little supplemental water yet till it gets hot...

[Kremer]

I figured out last year that my hops needed water every other day if it hadn't rained in the past 3-4 days. I split a 5 gallon bucket between three plants and that kept them happy. If I forgot to water them the leaves started to droop on the 3rd day. These were also first year plants so they didn't have the root resources that older plants have.This year they are going bonkers so far, sprouts everywhere and some of them are already 5' up the twine I put up last weekend.

[cbbrown40]

I am in the middle of the Mojave desert but I water my plants 2-3 times a day. My Tettnang just hit 5 feet in height. And all are doing well as the nights warm up.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Thanks for the feedback so far. Lots of good ideas and ways for sure. I will keep a watch and water as applicable too. See how it goes for sure.