Anybody tried growing hops? After 17 years of brewing I finally tried
my hand at it last year. The vines came up again this year (year # 2,
- I wasn't expecting any flowers the first year), but the crop was
minimal. The vines are growing like fury, but the leaves on the vines
where yellowed/splotchy. Tried some anti fungal powder just to make
sure that wasn't the problem, but that didn't help. Must be a nutrient
deficiency. Anybody have some tips on growing these? I have Fuggles
and Hallertaur (since I seem to use them quite a bit). I know Fuggles
is a low producer.....

Maybe lack of water.
My Fuggles were second year this past summer.
I had LOADS of hops.


[email]danielbenson@hotmail.com[/email] (Dan Benson) wrote in message news:<f8650e5d.0409090615.7712dab@posting.google.com>...[color=blue]
> Anybody tried growing hops? After 17 years of brewing I finally tried
> my hand at it last year. The vines came up again this year (year # 2,
> - I wasn't expecting any flowers the first year), but the crop was
> minimal. The vines are growing like fury, but the leaves on the vines
> where yellowed/splotchy. Tried some anti fungal powder just to make
> sure that wasn't the problem, but that didn't help. Must be a nutrient
> deficiency. Anybody have some tips on growing these? I have Fuggles
> and Hallertaur (since I seem to use them quite a bit). I know Fuggles
> is a low producer.....[/color]

With "normal" plants, yellow leaves are often a sign of an iron deficiency.


From The Desk Of
Marty Albert
KC6UFM

"Dan Benson" <danielbenson@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f8650e5d.0409090615.7712dab@posting.google.com...[color=blue]
> Anybody tried growing hops? After 17 years of brewing I finally tried
> my hand at it last year. The vines came up again this year (year # 2,
> - I wasn't expecting any flowers the first year), but the crop was
> minimal. The vines are growing like fury, but the leaves on the vines
> where yellowed/splotchy. Tried some anti fungal powder just to make
> sure that wasn't the problem, but that didn't help. Must be a nutrient
> deficiency. Anybody have some tips on growing these? I have Fuggles
> and Hallertaur (since I seem to use them quite a bit). I know Fuggles
> is a low producer.....[/color]

[email]gregarpp@yahoo.com[/email] (Pete) wrote in message news:<397f5351.0409091125.3e711930@posting.google.com>...[color=blue]
> Maybe lack of water.
> My Fuggles were second year this past summer.
> I had LOADS of hops.
>
>[/color]

Nah, definitely plenty of water. They weren't wilting by any stretch
of the imagination. Just kind of yellow splotchiness starting at the
bottom, slowly spreading to the larger leaves. Disease? Nutrient
deficiency? Not sure.

On 9 Sep 2004 07:15:26 -0700, [email]danielbenson@hotmail.com[/email] (Dan Benson)
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Anybody tried growing hops? After 17 years of brewing I finally tried
>my hand at it last year. The vines came up again this year (year # 2,
>- I wasn't expecting any flowers the first year), but the crop was
>minimal. The vines are growing like fury, but the leaves on the vines
>where yellowed/splotchy. Tried some anti fungal powder just to make
>sure that wasn't the problem, but that didn't help. Must be a nutrient
>deficiency. Anybody have some tips on growing these? I have Fuggles
>and Hallertaur (since I seem to use them quite a bit). I know Fuggles
>is a low producer.....[/color]


I've been growing hops for quite a while, I've researched it quite a
bit too.
Hops are heavy feeders, they require regular fertilizing and LOTS of
water.
Mine had yellowing leaves the first year, but after fertilizing
regularly they are nicely green right to the top (about 20 feet).
They like well drained soil, so they don't have to sit in a puddle all
the time.
On very hot days in the summer I water mine every day and apply
Miracle-Gro weekly.
Gary

What kind of soil are you using?

I use about 80% rich leaf compost and about 20% peat moss. I water just
about everyday and fertilize with plant food at least once a week. For their
second year, they started early and really took off. I harvested in late
July.


"Dan Benson" <danielbenson@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f8650e5d.0409090615.7712dab@posting.google.com...[color=blue]
> Anybody tried growing hops? After 17 years of brewing I finally tried
> my hand at it last year. The vines came up again this year (year # 2,
> - I wasn't expecting any flowers the first year), but the crop was
> minimal. The vines are growing like fury, but the leaves on the vines
> where yellowed/splotchy. Tried some anti fungal powder just to make
> sure that wasn't the problem, but that didn't help. Must be a nutrient
> deficiency. Anybody have some tips on growing these? I have Fuggles
> and Hallertaur (since I seem to use them quite a bit). I know Fuggles
> is a low producer.....[/color]

> What kind of soil are you using?

Just what mother earth put there. Sandy soil, drains pretty easy. I
should probably have done more fertilizing. Sweet pictures of your
hops BTW. Mine grew to the top of my garage -just didn't seem too
healthy. 12 hop flowers on the Willammette for example.
[color=blue]
> I use about 80% rich leaf compost and about 20% peat moss. I water just
> about everyday and fertilize with plant food at least once a week. For their
> second year, they started early and really took off. I harvested in late
> July.[/color]

"Dan Benson" <danielbenson@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f8650e5d.0409090615.7712dab@posting.google.com...[color=blue]
> Anybody tried growing hops? After 17 years of brewing I finally tried
> my hand at it last year. The vines came up again this year (year # 2,
> - I wasn't expecting any flowers the first year), but the crop was
> minimal. The vines are growing like fury, but the leaves on the vines
> where yellowed/splotchy. Tried some anti fungal powder just to make
> sure that wasn't the problem, but that didn't help. Must be a nutrient
> deficiency. Anybody have some tips on growing these? I have Fuggles
> and Hallertaur (since I seem to use them quite a bit). I know Fuggles
> is a low producer.....[/color]

I have 5 first years and only chinook is putting out flowers.

I'd just get an all around fertilizer and dose it med to hard and water like
there is no tomorrow.

I'm in a warm climate so watering is needed! YMMV

__Stephen

My first year cascade plants had the same blotchiness you describe. I
sprayed them with vegetable insectiside regularily but that didn't help. I
used miracle grow 2-3 times a week and watered almost every day. The plant
with the most blotches on the leaves grew the fastest and produced quicker.
I finished harvesting off that one almost a month ago whereas the plant
that looked healthier I'm going to final harvest this week. So far between
the two I've got about 4-5 ounces of dried vacume sealed cascade.
So while those spots on the leaves look like hell, they didn't affect
anything.


"Stephen Russell" <Stephen.Russell@somewhereovertherainbow.org> wrote in
message news:j3v0d.2037$787.210@fe2.columbus.rr.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Dan Benson" <danielbenson@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:f8650e5d.0409090615.7712dab@posting.google.com...[color=green]
>> Anybody tried growing hops? After 17 years of brewing I finally tried
>> my hand at it last year. The vines came up again this year (year # 2,
>> - I wasn't expecting any flowers the first year), but the crop was
>> minimal. The vines are growing like fury, but the leaves on the vines
>> where yellowed/splotchy. Tried some anti fungal powder just to make
>> sure that wasn't the problem, but that didn't help. Must be a nutrient
>> deficiency. Anybody have some tips on growing these? I have Fuggles
>> and Hallertaur (since I seem to use them quite a bit). I know Fuggles
>> is a low producer.....[/color]
>
> I have 5 first years and only chinook is putting out flowers.
>
> I'd just get an all around fertilizer and dose it med to hard and water
> like
> there is no tomorrow.
>
> I'm in a warm climate so watering is needed! YMMV
>
> __Stephen
>
>[/color]

I tried my hand at growing this year, I live in Arizona, so it was a
very interesting experiment. I did manage to get a vine about 2 feet
high before the sun cooked and baked that poor little guy. I'm hoping
it will come up again next season, but I'll be ready this time, I'll
be armed with shade screens, drip system automatic watering and
hopefully have some good luck. It can be done, I have a friend that
has had some very good results. Now, if we could genetically cross a
cactus and a hop plant?,,,, hmmmm.... lol

-barley



On 9 Sep 2004 07:15:26 -0700, [email]danielbenson@hotmail.com[/email] (Dan Benson)
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Anybody tried growing hops? After 17 years of brewing I finally tried
>my hand at it last year. The vines came up again this year (year # 2,
>- I wasn't expecting any flowers the first year), but the crop was
>minimal. The vines are growing like fury, but the leaves on the vines
>where yellowed/splotchy. Tried some anti fungal powder just to make
>sure that wasn't the problem, but that didn't help. Must be a nutrient
>deficiency. Anybody have some tips on growing these? I have Fuggles
>and Hallertaur (since I seem to use them quite a bit). I know Fuggles
>is a low producer.....[/color]

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