Hop fertiliser?

[suffolkbeer]

I have 3 hop plants growing in my garden and am wondering if there’s a recommended food/fertiliser I should be giving them?

It’s the plants first year of growing so want to give them a good start.....

 

[MickDundee]

 

[Richie_asg1]

If you make your own compost in a compost bin from grass cuttings and leaves mostly, then that would be ideal. I made a raised bed just on grass, dug it over once, emptied the compost bin into it in the spring and planted in that. The compost was cold and had been hot in the summer, but sat all winter, so was mostly finished. The hops I planted (from seedlings) took off with very long whip like roots through it, and they reached over 25 feet in height. Unfortunately mine were all make plants so they had to come out again, but it seems like good old garden compost is probably the best for long term feeding

 

[terrym]

I have two Prima Donna (First Gold) in large pots. It's their 2nd year. Last year (the first) I got about 80g of dry hops total from both plants, although one plant did much better than the other which put down to it being in more sun than the other. Hop plants are apparently hungry feeders so in the growing season I occasionally give them each a handful of chicken manure pellets, plus a diluted feed every week of alternate Tomorite and Miracle Grow. I will stop feeding when the burrs (formative flowers) have set later in the year, which is what I understand you are supposed to do. Then in the autumn I will remove the top 25mm off the soil and replace with a mix of chicken manure pellets, compost and JI No 3.
My plants have main bines which are now over 2 metres long and still growing. Prima Donna are supposed to grow to between 2-3 metres. Mine may well exceed 3 metres, time will tell.
My compost from my bin goes on the garden or in my tomato plant pots.
And dont forget to keep your plants well watered.