121 replies to this topic

[cbbrown40]

My Galena are in the lead at about 10 ft followed by Fuggle and Tettnang. Others are just several inches off the ground. Anyone else?

[RommelMagic]

My hops this morning. Surprisingly the Hallertau (3rd yr) seems to be the winner so far - about 12 feet or so. My 3rd yr Mt Hood & Chinook are close behind. The 3rd yr Cascade is not doing as well but I'm sure it will take off soon. Others are doing OK in the 2nd year which are Northern Brewer, 2 Nuggets, Sterling, and the Willamette is slow out of the gate.Here's one of the Garden Guardians. I saw three this morning so an egg must have hatched recently.I seem to be having a problem with uploading photos to photobucket. Here are some others[attachment=79:Hops_004.jpg][attachment=80:Hops_005.jpg]

[TheOtherNate]

My 2nd year Centennial has about 8 shoots a few inches off the ground, and the new Willamette has 2 shoots just peeking out. The other 1st years aren't out, yet.I just mulched the beds and installed a timed drip irrigation system, yesterday. I need to get some pics.Nate

[RommelMagic]

My 2nd year Centennial has about 8 shoots a few inches off the ground, and the new Willamette has 2 shoots just peeking out. The other 1st years aren't out, yet.I just mulched the beds and installed a timed drip irrigation system, yesterday. I need to get some pics.Nate

Yeah, I just got a drip system too but haven't set it up yet. Gotta get me some new downspouts...

[ncbeerbrewer]

I know this is only my first year and these hops have been in the ground now for 16 days but heck I am excited to see some growth and thought I would share some pics of mine herePicture1= NuggetPicture2= WillamettePicture3= Cascade

[MolBasser]

That baby Mantis is rad! Hopefully they will get big and fat defending your hops!!!BrewBasser

[RommelMagic]

That baby Mantis is rad! Hopefully they will get big and fat defending your hops!!!BrewBasser

That's what I'm hoping for. We actually bought a couple eggs last year (mainly for our daughter to have one) and we let them all go in the garden near the end of the summer.On a slight aside, it is a PITA trying to raise those things from youngins.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

That's what I'm hoping for. We actually bought a couple eggs last year (mainly for our daughter to have one) and we let them all go in the garden near the end of the summer.On a slight aside, it is a PITA trying to raise those things from youngins.

What pests do they eat? We get some beetles that beat the hell out of our new trees last year. I'm a little concerned these SOBs will go after my first year hops this summer.

[earthtone]

you jerks!! we just got passed the frost threat..... oh well my organic cascades are planted and I have a 4 inch sprout just spreading its first leaves!! Hurrah!

[NomNomHopzinator]

I just got new rhizomes planted this weekend. I am getting major hop garden envy looking at these pics.

[RommelMagic]

What pests do they eat? We get some beetles that beat the hell out of our new trees last year. I'm a little concerned these SOBs will go after my first year hops this summer.

I'm hoping they at least get the grasshoppers. There's tons of them here.

[TheOtherNate]

I promised some pictures, so here goes...CentennialWillametteI sure hope the others come out...Nate

[cbbrown40]

I promised some pictures, so here goes...CentennialWillametteI sure hope the others come out...Nate

NICE SET-UP

[ncbeerbrewer]

+1 Nice setup Nate. I almost didn't notice the bricks you had with your strings. Very good though. What year are your zomes? I think you got plenty of growing height for those bines.

[TheOtherNate]

NICE SET-UP

+1 Nice setup Nate. I almost didn't notice the bricks you had with your strings. Very good though. What year are your zomes? I think you got plenty of growing height for those bines.

Thanks, I'm proud of all the pretty slip-cow hitch knots (1/4" rope) along with the pulleys to lower the hops, but my wife calls it the gallows or "the rigging"... I still need to bury the irrigation lines, though.I have one 2nd year centennial (it made it all the way to the roof last year), but my first Cascades rotted in the ground, and the Mt Hood and Goldings cooked in the San Antone sun (thus the timed drip irrigation system). The cascades, centennial and Willamette are all new rhizomes placed in the ground just under 2 weeks ago.This morning when I posted it I only had the 2 plants out of the ground, but when I checked this evening, the Cascades and other Centennial had both broke ground and are almost an inch tall. I've never seen anything grow like this except for maybe kudzu (in SC).Nate

[Zulu]

Nate great setup but you might want to change those sprayers out for drippers at the base of the plant. Hops dont like the water on their leaves especially overnight, so water in morning too.Or you can wait for them to grow up and just strip off the lower leaves. Lastly dont water too much when young unless very well drained , fully grown hops only need 1 gallon per day and dont like wet soil.

[TheOtherNate]

Nate great setup but you might want to change those sprayers out for drippers at the base of the plant. Hops dont like the water on their leaves especially overnight, so water in morning too.Or you can wait for them to grow up and just strip off the lower leaves. Lastly dont water too much when young unless very well drained , fully grown hops only need 1 gallon per day and dont like wet soil.

Thanks. Those are adjustable drip heads (0-10 gph) and I have them set to 'almost off'... the timer is set for ~0700 and ~1900 to water for 30 minutes, so I figure about 1 gal / day, at most. As for drainage, much of San Antone sits on limestone about 8"-12" down... I tilled down about 3 feet (for previous garden over the past 6 years) and despite the cultivated soil (homemade compost, horse manure and peat), the area will hold water like a sieve. Between the drought that we've had for a few years and the relentless sun, without constant irrigation, it's all I can do to keep the dirt from becoming bone-dry in 2 days time. Seriously, if I don't water or have St. Augustine on an area of ground, it will look like cracked salt flats by the end of the week.

[Zulu]

Sounds good , and given me an idea for my lone at home cascade, See my blog in my sig line for our Hops Farm where all my energy is taken up.

[NomNomHopzinator]

Nate, I like your setup there. You have to post some pics when they make it to the roof!

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Just planted mine this week so no plants to show. Just the area where they'll be growing...[mod edit - image removed][mod edit - image removed]