Chronicle of growing my own.

[John Sand]

My recollection is that our frost free date is 4/10. I just checked online, it says 4/11. But less likely after 3/30. I don't know how viable they are out of the ground. Maybe pot them for two weeks? Or if you plant them, mulch heavily.

[Banjo-guy]

I guess I could pot them for a couple weeks. I've heard that hops take off really quickly. The instructions that the Thyme Garden include said that the can be stored in the fridge for a few weeks if they are kept lightly watered. It also said that it's better to plant them right away.

[joechianti]

Okay, I got a question for those who have some experience growing hops. They supposedly grow something like 18 feet tall on a trellis or such. I'm not really good with heights, so I don't want to climb that high to build a trellis or to harvest them either. As it is, I get my wife to sit on my shoulders to get dishes out of the top shelf of our cupboards so I don't have to stand on a chair. Is there any reason they can't grow to the top of a 6 foot trellis, then down 6 foot and back up to the top again, more or less? That's still gonna be an 18 foot vine, right?

[John Sand]

You don't have to use commercial practices. I use a six foot trellis, pick hops standing flat on the ground. Once trained to the twine, they will grow where they want. The hops don't know they are supposed to reach 18'.

[joechianti]

You don't have to use commercial practices. I use a six foot trellis, pick hops standing flat on the ground. Once trained to the twine, they will grow where they want. The hops don't know they are supposed to reach 18'.

Well, in that case, I'd say the future will see me growing some Texas hops. I already have an idea of where they can get some decent protection from the punishing sun. There's a utility easement behind our house, a strip about 2 feet wide and 40 feet long, in between our fence and another fence. It's just got dumb hackberry trees growing in there. We're responsible for maintaining it, so I think I deserve to have hops growing in there, shaded by the hackberries. Just gotta clean it out and make a nice home in there for the hops. Hate to replace the pot plants I got there now, but I only smoke a few nights a week while I drink beer every day.

[John Sand]

Joe, I've only ever gardened here. Hops like full sun I think. Mine only get partial sun, that's all I have in my yard.

[Ibasterd]

Cascades looking good. Way ahead of last year. Maybe I'll get some cones this time. The mount hoods didn't make it though. Dug up the dead roots.

[John Sand]

Nice. Mine have sprung and are growing quickly.

[philm00x]

Mine are not growing quickly at all. They're still less than a foot tall. I have a feeling the pots they're in are too small anymore, and they don't get a lot of sun lately with these huge oak trees hogging all the sunlight above them. I would move them to a sunnier spot but that would require moving them away from my home.

[berryman]

Mine are not growing quickly at all. They're still less than a foot tall. I have a feeling the pots they're in are too small anymore,

Phil, Root bound. I haven't growed hops yet (soon I will) but have growed many things on my farm over the years and had a greenhouse. When container growing (what looks like you are doing) moisture is a problem (Lack of), it's just not the same as if the plant was in the ground pulling consistent moisture from all around. I had 100 tomato plants in 5 gal. buckets once and they needed a steady supply of water and I put a drip irrigation on them and that was way better then relying on my kids to water them a couple times a day....

[Crazy Climber]

My Chinooks are growing like crazy in Year 2. I dug up one of the two plants I started last year (to move it), and it had a couple of roots that had to be about 4 feet long.
I split that one into three separate rhizomes and re-planted in various locations. I'm thinking I might have doomed this year's growth by doing that at this point, but given the heartiness/aggressiveness displayed after one year, I'm not too concerned about running out of homegrown hops any time soon. On the contrary, I'm more concerned about them taking over the whole garden!

I also planted two new Sterling rhizomes that are exhibiting typical Year-1 growth. Last year I got one brew's hopstand from my year-1 rhizomes, so hopefully the Sterling will provide that this year.

[philm00x]

I'll have to move them into bigger pots and water them more frequently then. It has been getting quite warm out here these days.

[gwcr]

My Centennials came back strong, but I definitely need to move them to bigger pots or put them in the ground quick. The Cascades did not come back at all. Noticed some root rot when I dumped the pots from over aggressive watering to try to get them to come back. Root bound as well...

[Ibasterd]

Proof that you can grow "hop" in Florida. Note that I used the singular tense of hop. I have exactly one hop. And he's a wee fellow at that. This is year two for the Centennial. I may give it one more year to improve before I call it.


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[John Sand]

Sorry IB, that did make me laugh.