Growing hops, different types

[Mr Majik]

Hello all

I have a bit of space down the end of the garden that i think would nicely house some hops. Thing is there are so many different types to buy for brewing. Are these "challenger" "fuggle" ... Almost never ending list... Are they actual cultivars or is it down to regional conditions / nourishment ? I ask as i have only seen seeds for generic hops plants.

Thanks

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Seeds from "generic hop plants will never come "true". You need named, cultivard (sp), rhizomes, to grow the hops you want

 

[Smiddylad]

I wouldn’t bother with the seeds as they could be anything even the ornamental variety. As johnnyboy mentioned you want to get some rhizomes, it’s essentially part of a root from the mother plant which looks a little like ginger. There are number of places you can buy them from, I got mine from:

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

However it is the wrong time to be planting them and they may not be any available for sale until early next year. From a UK perspective they grow best anywhere below the 52nd parallel, which roughly equates to anywhere below Stoke on Trent. I live in Merseyside which is in the 53rd parallel and got a half decent harvest in the first year, although it was a bumper year for hop growing. It terms of what varieties grow best in your area, you could always ask the nursery who sells them but I can’t see there being that much of a difference. Some varieties are more bountiful than others. You may want to think about growing aroma hops as opposed to bittering ones as the general consensus is you can’t calculate what the IBU count will be with home grown hops as you won’t know what the alpha acid content will be. Hope this helps

Neil

 

[evanvine]

Rhizomes or cuttings are the way to go!
I been growing Goldings, Fuggles, Brambling Cross and Northdown for a few years.
The Goldings always do well, not so the others.
I shall only grow Goldings in the future as they are the ones I really like and I get a good harvest from them!

 

[gazkilla]

I've got an allotment and was thinking of growing some down there but I'm a bit weary about it as I've read they grow up to 25ft tall :shock:

Would they be alright supported on canes? Also can the hops be stored for long periods or do they not have a long shelf life?

 

[evanvine]

They can't grow that high if you don't have strings that high!
Let grow up what you have, they will even grow on the ground, but that doesn't do the hops much good.
Dried, vac packed and frozen, you can keep them for years.

 

[gazkilla]

Superb Was thinking of giving up allotment,but now I have a new hobby :

Would one plant be enough,being as I only do about 6-7 brews a year?

 

[gazkilla]

Just seen this on that link

vigorous varieties will produce as much as 1 Kg of dried flowers per plant.

.....think I only need one plant :whistle:

 

[evanvine]

Very doubtful you will get that sort of yield in the first couple of seasons after planting.

 

[Smiddylad]

You can always try Prima Donna, which is a dwarf variety they grow to about 8 ft. They are East Kent Goldings like with slightly higher Alpha Acid content

 

[johnnyboy1965]

In the spring I can post you some cuttings of Target, Challenger and Progress. These will be 12 months behind rhizomes, but hops are really easy to grow.

 

[gazkilla]

In the spring I can post you some cuttings of Target, Challenger and Progress. These will be 12 months behind rhizomes, but hops are really easy to grow.

That'll be great thanks :thumb:

Does that mean just bed them in the first year and they'll flower the following season?

 

[gazkilla]

You can always try Prima Donna, which is a dwarf variety they grow to about 8 ft. They are East Kent Goldings like with slightly higher Alpha Acid content

Yes,I saw those Smiddylad but I tend to brew pale ale and it says those hops are more for bitters or milds. Although I've got a bitter in the FV now :?

 

[evanvine]

You can always put more hops in to increase your Alpha!

 

[saccharomyces]

If you can find a nursery that sells whole hop crowns, you can plant them now. I planted a few crowns this fall because a local hop farmer experiences amazing first year growth when he plants whole crowns in the fall.

 

[saccharomyces]

Yes,I saw those Smiddylad but I tend to brew pale ale and it says those hops are more for bitters or milds. Although I've got a bitter in the FV now :?

I rarely brew anything with a gravity below 13P (1.052), and I would use Prima Donna if I could get fresh whole cones.

 

[saccharomyces]

The Goldings always do well, not so the others.

I envy you. Goldings is my favorite ale hop, but it is difficult to grow in my climate.

 

[godfrey]

I was quite lucky to get some 1year old crowns of primadonna / first gold a few months back

they are bedded in and hope they do well next year :-)

 

[johnnyboy1965]

If you can find a nursery that sells whole hop crowns, you can plant them now. I planted a few crowns this fall because a local hop farmer experiences amazing first year growth when he plants whole crowns in the fall.

In UK, its not advisable to plant hops now, its way to wet, cold and no sun. If you have a greenhouse or warm cold frame, you can put them in pots. I doubt ifany suppliers are willing to post now