I'm thinking about trying to grow my own hops. Not really to replace
ones I get with the recipes I use, but in addition to, and just to see
if I can do it. Has anyone else done this? I was thinking of trying
about 2 Cascade rhizomes.
--
Michael Herrenbruck
DragonTail Ale

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 15:33:26 GMT, DragonTail <DragonTail@gmail.com>
said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
[color=blue]
>I'm thinking about trying to grow my own hops. Not really to replace
>ones I get with the recipes I use, but in addition to, and just to see
>if I can do it. Has anyone else done this? I was thinking of trying
>about 2 Cascade rhizomes.[/color]

I grow cascade and columbus. It's not difficult - just throw some
rotted manure (you can buy a bag in any garden supply place) into a
hold, cover it with a little soil, place the root on it and cover and
water. Plant them no closer than about 6 feet from each other. When
they start growing, pinch off everything but the 3 most vigorous bines
on each plant. You'll have to keep the root well watered the first
year, and don't expect a large supply of hops till the third year.

Oh, and you'll need something for the bines to climb on. I planted
mine about 15 feet from the house and strung rope from the ground near
the plants to the eave of the house. I train them onto that.

You didn't mention where you live, but location has a definite effect on
ability to grow certain varieties. I live in Zone 7 in the Carolinas and
have no problem at all growing Cascade. It reminds me of kudzu! But I've
also tried Kent Golding and Saaz but haven't had much luck with either of
those varieties in three or four seasons. My Saaz came from a guy only 100
miles from me, and his were prolific. My brown thumb gets in the way, I
guess.

If you get into growing your own, be sure you take good care of your
harvest. I ruined a recent American pale ale when I used 100% homegrown
Cascades. Some were a couple of years old and had definitely picked up
other flavors from the freezer. Ziplocs don't seal as well as I had hoped!
I'll be using freshly harvested hops from now on.


"DragonTail" <DragonTail@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:a52Sd.24878$0h5.18854@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...[color=blue]
> I'm thinking about trying to grow my own hops. Not really to replace ones
> I get with the recipes I use, but in addition to, and just to see if I can
> do it. Has anyone else done this? I was thinking of trying about 2
> Cascade rhizomes.
> --
> Michael Herrenbruck
> DragonTail Ale[/color]

My wife and I are 5 weeks away from moving into our own home. Well, the loan
office's home, but you get the idea. It has a pool, and I'm wondering if my
hops which are first year hops in a large pot will train onto a pool fence?
I planted my hops in a pot because we were still renting. They haven't grown
very far this summer, but I think it has something to do with being in the
pot and the lack of water I gave it. Hoping to harvest soem hops next year.

--
Josh Button
To see how the Penrith Gaels Cricket Club is going...
[url]http://penrithgaelscc.4t.com[/url]

"Al Klein" <rukbat@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:e7ii111klfalbvam5g0rsj5ljvikrvpfuh@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 15:33:26 GMT, DragonTail <DragonTail@gmail.com>
> said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
>[color=green]
>>I'm thinking about trying to grow my own hops. Not really to replace
>>ones I get with the recipes I use, but in addition to, and just to see
>>if I can do it. Has anyone else done this? I was thinking of trying
>>about 2 Cascade rhizomes.[/color]
>
> I grow cascade and columbus. It's not difficult - just throw some
> rotted manure (you can buy a bag in any garden supply place) into a
> hold, cover it with a little soil, place the root on it and cover and
> water. Plant them no closer than about 6 feet from each other. When
> they start growing, pinch off everything but the 3 most vigorous bines
> on each plant. You'll have to keep the root well watered the first
> year, and don't expect a large supply of hops till the third year.
>
> Oh, and you'll need something for the bines to climb on. I planted
> mine about 15 feet from the house and strung rope from the ground near
> the plants to the eave of the house. I train them onto that.[/color]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 06:39:58 +1100, "Josh Button"
<melandjosh_nospam_@optusnet.com.au> said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
[color=blue]
>My wife and I are 5 weeks away from moving into our own home. Well, the loan
>office's home, but you get the idea. It has a pool, and I'm wondering if my
>hops which are first year hops in a large pot will train onto a pool fence?[/color]

They'll train wherever you feed the bines to. They try to go up,
though, so you'll have to keep feeding them along the fence rail.
[color=blue]
>I planted my hops in a pot because we were still renting. They haven't grown
>very far this summer, but I think it has something to do with being in the
>pot and the lack of water I gave it.[/color]

Ouch! Hops need a lot of water. Keep them wet from now on. Don't
expect a lot of fruit the first 2 years, though.
[color=blue]
> Hoping to harvest soem hops next year.[/color]

If you transplant them from the pot to the yard this summer, next
summer will be the first year. Plan on a harvest in the autumn of
2007 or, more likely, 2008.

Invest in some plant watering spikes. They're cheap - about a dollar
or two each. You screw them onto 2 liter (or whatever size you have
down there) soda pop bottles filled with water, invert the whole thing
and shove the spike into the ground near the root. It'll keep the
plant watered for a couple of weeks, at least. (Make sure the holes
in the spike don't clog - the water should be a little lower each
day.)

Josh Button wrote:[color=blue]
> My wife and I are 5 weeks away from moving into our own home. Well, the loan
> office's home, but you get the idea. It has a pool, and I'm wondering if my
> hops which are first year hops in a large pot will train onto a pool fence?
> I planted my hops in a pot because we were still renting. They haven't grown
> very far this summer, but I think it has something to do with being in the
> pot and the lack of water I gave it. Hoping to harvest soem hops next year.
>[/color]
I am currently a lowly apartment dweller myself and will liely be for at
leats another year or two. :( I have gotten the interest in growing my
own hops and have thought about growing them in pots for at least a year
and then either keeping them in pots(for another year) or putting them
in the ground on some family property. Since I saw that you had your
hops in pots may I inquire for some further details?
What size pots did you use? What varietie(s) of hops have you planted?
Where did you get the rhizomes? Would you recommend using them?
Did the hops produce a noticeable if not a pleasant or unpleasant fragrance?
How big did they get in the first year? Was this manageable or did you
have a room full of vines!?!?
And finally, do you think that hrowing them in pots endangered their
development at all? That is, do you still expect fruit in their second
or third year?
Thanks!!

"The Gist" <GiveMeTheGist@gist.net> wrote in message
news:zVLUd.7484$VS1.4174@fe48.usenetserver.com...[color=blue]
> Josh Button wrote:[color=green]
>> My wife and I are 5 weeks away from moving into our own home. Well, the
>> loan office's home, but you get the idea. It has a pool, and I'm
>> wondering if my hops which are first year hops in a large pot will train
>> onto a pool fence? I planted my hops in a pot because we were still
>> renting. They haven't grown very far this summer, but I think it has
>> something to do with being in the pot and the lack of water I gave it.
>> Hoping to harvest soem hops next year.
>>[/color]
> I am currently a lowly apartment dweller myself and will liely be for at
> leats another year or two. :( I have gotten the interest in growing my own
> hops and have thought about growing them in pots for at least a year and
> then either keeping them in pots(for another year) or putting them in the
> ground on some family property. Since I saw that you had your hops in pots
> may I inquire for some further details?
> What size pots did you use? What varietie(s) of hops have you planted?
> Where did you get the rhizomes? Would you recommend using them?
> Did the hops produce a noticeable if not a pleasant or unpleasant
> fragrance?
> How big did they get in the first year? Was this manageable or did you
> have a room full of vines!?!?
> And finally, do you think that hrowing them in pots endangered their
> development at all? That is, do you still expect fruit in their second or
> third year?
> Thanks!!
>[/color]

I'd suggest growing them i nthe ground from scratch after my effort. I got
my hops ordered through grumpys [url]www.grumpys.com.au[/url] who are just a
distributor for some mob in Tasmania.

My plants struggled to grow, mainly due to the lack of watering. The pots
were about 30L pots.

I would definitely recommend having a go, and if you have to do it in pots
because of where you live, keep the water up.
--
Josh Button
To see how the Penrith Gaels Cricket Club is going...
[url]http://penrithgaelscc.4t.com[/url]