Hop rhizomes

Gerryjo · Oct 23, 2016

Hi folks,im wondering if anyone would know where or how to get some rhizomes.I know our climate latitude in Northern Ireland is not particularly hop friendly but I would certainly be interested to try growing.I would appreciate any feedback.C beers.

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TartanSpecial · Oct 23, 2016

I got my First Gold and Cascade rhizomes from Willingham nurseries in the UK...see attached link.

http://www.willingham-nurseries.co.uk/hop.html

marlon · Oct 23, 2016

Gerryjo said:
Hi folks,im wondering if anyone would know where or how to get some rhizomes.I know our climate latitude in Northern Ireland is not particularly hop friendly but I would certainly be interested to try growing.I would appreciate any feedback.C beers.

Sent from my ALE-L21

If you've got a south facing wall or high fence, UK/north european hop varieties should grow up it without much trouble.
Take a look at these people:
http://essentiallyhops.co.uk/acatalog/Hop_Plants/html

Gerryjo · Oct 23, 2016

Appreciate the info and shall look into it as I've just started work unfortunately it's my turn for nights.Cheers.

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Gerryjo · Oct 24, 2016

Had a view on willing has site and don't seem badly priced although not available until November 1st which suits although postage is a killer at ÃÂ£7.50 though that stays the same if I purchase 2.Dwarf type may suit better so I may indulge.Cheers again.

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TartanSpecial · Oct 24, 2016

I ended up buying 4 to dilute the postage effect. The dwarf First Gold have grown more strongly and given a better yield than the Cascade. First brew using the first gold has finished fermenting so will take a gravity sample in the next day or so and see what the hop flavour and aroma is like and report back.

Robin54 · Oct 24, 2016

TartanSpecial said:
I ended up buying 4 to dilute the postage effect. The dwarf First Gold have grown more strongly and given a better yield than the Cascade. First brew using the first gold has finished fermenting so will take a gravity sample in the next day or so and see what the hop flavour and aroma is like and report back.

yep, let us know what it tastes like. Did you dry the hops or use "as is'?

TartanSpecial · Oct 24, 2016

Robin54 said:
yep, let us know what it tastes like. Did you dry the hops or use "as is'?

I dried them in a room with a dehumidifier in it...seemed to work OK. I didn't vacuum pack them though because I don;t have one of those vacuum sealing machines, but I did pack them tightly into sealed plastic bags and put them in the freezer.

Robin54 · Oct 24, 2016

:thumb:

TartanSpecial said:
I dried them in a room with a dehumidifier in it...seemed to work OK. I didn't vacuum pack them though because I don;t have one of those vacuum sealing machines, but I did pack them tightly into sealed plastic bags and put them in the freezer.

Excellent..keep us informed..Im intrigued by this one. The beer -that is.:thumb:

TartanSpecial · Oct 24, 2016

just had a taste ...been in fermenter for a week and stopped bubbling after 6 days (stainless conical..always ferments quickly). OG 1.059, FG 1.013 bang on target. Gravity sample cold crashed in measuring cylinder and have just tasted it alongside a first gold pale ale I made last December with purchased hops. Tastes remarkably similar ..ok its ultra young but tastes nice and will improve after carbonation and bottling ..will wait another week before bottling. So that's encouraging that I won't need to pour my first brew with homegrown hops down the sink :thumb: Next brew will be a pale ale using the home grown Cascade.

Gerryjo · Oct 24, 2016

I will order 2 when they are available as I have 3 rabbits that eat everything in sight bar the pine trees.Eaten the bark of my apple and plum tree.Good to see your own have grown well by the sound of your sampling.Ã°Å¸ÅÂ±Ã°Å¸ÅÂ³

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Sandimas · Oct 25, 2016

I got 2 rhizomes (Cascade and EKG) from Willingham last winter and have been growing them all year. Good crop off both that I've dried in the airing cupboard and now frozen. I used some of the freshly-dried EKG in a brew yesterday so we'll see how it turns out.

MagnusTS · Oct 25, 2016

TartanSpecial said:
I ended up buying 4 to dilute the postage effect. The dwarf First Gold have grown more strongly and given a better yield than the Cascade.

Tartan; did you buy 2 of each variety? Did all grow?

I got 2 Prima Donna's last year (not from Willingham) and neither sprouted. Don't know what happened. Just dug them up last week, and they look perfectly preserved exactly as they were when I planted them, but no growth at all this year.

But I'm thinking of having another go this year. I'm thinking one of each of Prima Donna, Cascade, Nugget, and Fuggle. Anyone got any thoughts on likely success with these varieties (I am fairly far north, in Leeds).

I would feel happier about trying again if I knew what happened to last years Prima Donnas...

TartanSpecial · Oct 25, 2016

I got 3 Prima Donna (First Gold) and one Cascade (I wish I'd got 2 of each). I kept them in pots in a cold greenhouse over winter then planted out in early March. By that time I could see the rhizomes had buds appearing so I knew they were viable. All of them grew. The Prima Donnas have grown more strongly than the Cascade but Cascade may be stronger in its second year.

MagnusTS · Oct 25, 2016

Thanks Tartan, that is extremely helpful. :thumb:

I stuck mine straight in the cold ground last year.
Think I will follow your lead and pot them over winter this time.

How are you supporting the bines? Mine will be in open ground (on an allotment), so was thinking some kind of wigwam and train the bines to grow around it.

Cheers,
Magnus

TartanSpecial · Oct 25, 2016

This isn't the best pictures but..... I've got 2 raised bed each with two 8 foot poles sunk into the ground , one at each end then an 8 foot bit of two by two connecting, then smaller cross-members connecting the two beds so you get a pergola effect and the hops grow up the strings (thick natural fibre from Screwfix) then across the top.

MagnusTS · Oct 25, 2016

Those hops are monsters !
I might have to re-think my plans for supports.

I was going to try 8ft wigwams like in this link:
http://draftmag.com/how-to-grow-your-own-hops/
(I may have got that link from another hop thread)

But looking at the size of your hop plants, maybe 8ft wigwams wouldn't be up to the job?

TartanSpecial · Oct 25, 2016

wigwams might work but I 'm not sure what happens when all the bines converge at the top. Even the Prima Donna (dwarf) grew straight up about 7 foot then across the pergola connecting bars 2 or 3 feet.

Robin54 · Oct 25, 2016

TartanSpecial said:
wigwams might work but I 'm not sure what happens when all the bines converge at the top. Even the Prima Donna (dwarf) grew straight up about 7 foot then across the pergola connecting bars 2 or 3 feet.

Im awaiting my Prima `donna which is only supplied when its fully dormant apparently. I intend to grow it in a pot the first year and then move it

TartanSpecial · Oct 25, 2016

Robin54 said:
Im awaiting my Prima `donna which is only supplied when its fully dormant apparently. I intend to grow it in a pot the first year and then move it

I remember seeing this BYO article on growing hops in containers...may be helpful?

https://byo.com/bock/item/1872-growing-hops-in-containers

Hop rhizomes

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