Week 2 in the books...

Well, this past week the weather started off really good, but the last few evenings we've seen frost advisories. Call me cautious but my little fledgling hops are likely not ready for the cold, just yet.

Although, they've all shown a fair amount of growth. A steady bit of rain water has been beneficial too. 

I've kept them outdoors for the most part save for the last couple of nights. I've seen bine development on yet a 5th plant; Northern Brewer. That just leaves the "C" hops lagging; Crystal, Cascade, and Mount Hood. 

I mentioned earlier that I had found out you are supposed to plant the rhizome horizontal, not vertical. So I took a couple of minutes to resolve that with the ones that have shown no growth. While reorienting the rhizomes, I found each had buds on them and they all looked pretty healthy. So, with the Cascade, Crystal, and Mount Hood all replanted I think I can expect to see growth in the coming week.

My next step is fertilizer and repotting. I've decided for this year, at least, to keep the plants in containers. There are a number of folks who have had success doing this, and since the first year isn't about yield containers offer me the flexibility to place my hops while establishing them.

Check out this link: MSU for more information about fertilizing your hops. It would seem that our friends in Michigan are putting some serious thought into Hops.

Hop - Week 1

The first week with my hops in pots has passed. I have to say that the results are a bit mixed with an optimistic upside. So far I have about half showing excellent growth. Two have not shown any emergence and two others are just starting to bud from what I can see. The Cascade had buds when potted, but I've yet to see any emergence since that time. The Goldings are showing a single bud, so I'm hoping that one takes off in the coming week. Mt Hood, like the Cascade had buds on when I potted it, but I've yet to see much in the way of emergence. Lastly, the Crystal has shown no signs of growth to date. My previous post mentioned this one as the one I was most concerned about.

The two rhizomes from Oregon (The Thyme Garden) are showing the most vigorous growth to date. The Brewer's Gold seen here, has 5 bines emerging and all are now over an inch in height with the excellent weather we got this weekend. I find it incredibly ironic that according to my research, online, I found that Brewer's Gold has a tendancy to be a slow starter. According to Great Lakes Hops, it can be among the last to emerge and mature with Brewers Gold being ready for harvest late August to Early September. If you are interested in growing Hops or looking to improve your hop utilization take some time to learn about them from the Documents that Great Lakes has collected. Those folks really have a terrific collection of information.

The Yakima Gold only shows a single bine but it is almost 3" tall and has begun to leaf out. It's quite surprising to watch these plants grow, as it's almost something you can see if you sit still for a moment. Given these plants will grow about 20' in about 100 days it should not be a surprise.

The last picture shows the Fuggles emerging with a tight cluster of 3 bines. They appear healthy and show signs of vigor. I expect that while they won't necessarily catch up the to the Yakima Gold, they will spend much of the year chasing the other plant.

Our weather took a sudden jump this weekend, we saw temps climb into the upper 70s and even low 80s. The lack of cloud cover caused many a sunburn and the plants received nearly 14 hours of direct sunlight, as I put them outside to begin the acclimation process. Our overnight temps seem to be climbing, as well. We haven't dipped into freezing temps for a couple of days now. I think this second week with the hops will begin their overnight acclimation so I can get them in the ground in the next two to three weeks. I'd like them to be planted no later than Memorial Day.
With rain forecasted periodically throughout the next week the plants should receive plenty of water, though I plan to keep them semi-sheltered to prevent drowning. I have my doubts about the drainage in the pots.
After reading some more, I may have made a critical mistake: I planted my Rhizomes vertically. They should have been laid in the dirt Horizontally. I'm considering replanting at least two of those who have been slow to start. Perhaps I'll start with the Crystal, given that one has shown the greatest reluctance to getting started. Reorienting her (all the hops we grow are female) might just provide the encouragement to bud. After a week in the dirt, I am convinced this certainly wouldn't hurt the plant.