Magnum Hop Bines Top Out
By · CommentsMagnum hops top out (15 feet tall) May 12th – six days after the Nugget hops did (at 13 feet). The Cascade hops reached the top (13 feet tall) May 10th. They are,
Nugget Magnum Cascade Hop Bines
left to right – Nugget, Magnum and Cascade hop bines. This is year 4 and with a mild winter and early spring, it is the earliest the hops have topped out so far. At this rate, assuming good weather, it should be the earliest hop cone harvest yet. My magnum hops were used in a second place entry for American IPA in the 2011 Upper Mississippi Mash-Out.
I am about to top dress the soil with more compost to slow feed steady (organic) nutrients for this growing season. I have been cutting back the ever appearing hop shoots as I have 5 bines of each type climbing each rope. 3 bines is plenty per rope but I like extra insurance. I already lost one of the Cascade bines – it was bent and hanging down after a thunderstorm with high winds. I had earlier spread bone meal, blood meal and kelp on the soil around the bines for micro and macro-nutrients.
Magnum Hops Comeback
Last year the Magnum hops did not reach the top due to a boron deficiency that almost killed the hop plant. The tips of the bines died and vertical growth was stopped – other than some laterals that climbed almost to the top. Looks like I should have a full harvest this year as they made it to the top and now just have to fill out.
Apparently my soil needs some help as I was experiencing another deficiency this year. The soil where these hops are planted was not much top soil. The fall before I planted the hop rhizomes, I had dug down a foot and about 2 feet in diameter and mixed in some compost, grass clippings and leaves. That worked for 2 years and then apparently was depleted of nutrients (at least boron). Since then, I have been trying to stay on top of it with organically supplementing the soil (top dressing as I don’t want to injure the hop crown).
I found this picture which illustrates the prime hop growing regions of the world – both northern and southern hemispheres. The blue bands are 35 to 55 degrees latitude which is prime. Hops can be grown outside of these bands, depending on micro climates, shading…
Nugget Hop Bines Top Out First
By · CommentsWell I missed my prediction that all the hop bines would top out by the end of April. As always, the unpredictable weather caused my prediction to not come
Nugget Bines Top Out
true. April turned out to be colder, cloudier and rained the majority of the month. Our state needs the rain, I am not complaining. Last night it poured like crazy and with the downpour, hail and wind, I was afraid of the damage to my hops. The hops survived just fine, a few of my tomato plants were beaten to the ground. My BBQ grill was moved 3 feet by the wind – it weighs over 100 pounds and was backed up to my house so it was a significant wind.
Nugget Laterals
The Nugget bines topped out May 4th at 13 feet(roof height). The Magnum bines were in second place at 12 feet. The Cascade bines are in last place at 11 feet as of May 6th. Another cloudy day here with Thunder showers predicted for today and tonight. We are finally supposed to have some sunshine starting Monday and for most of the next 10 days (if the weatherman has it right). 10 days of sun will make the other 2 bines top out and start filling out with laterals (the Nugget has started putting out lateral growth). Humulus Lupulus (hops) love a full day of sunshine.
I should be able to update you with some pictures of filled out hop bines after 10 straight days of sun. So far no pest issues. Still dealing with deficiencies and I am treating them short term with spray on minerals and longer term by supplementing the soil with kelp and compost. As always I try and stay as organic as possible – no pesticides, especially after hop burrs form. Nothing sprayed on hop burrs or hop cones.
Another Hops Boron Deficiency Disaster Avoided
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It started to happen again except this time I knew what to do and reacted fast. Another boron deficiency of my Magnum hops started to show by the mis-shaped, deformed leaves. Luckily I caught it fast, before the tips of the hop bines died off and substantial damage to the hop plant.
This micro-nutrient deficit causes the leaves to curl or in a more severe deficiency, major deformity of leaves and death of the plant. The tips of the bines will die off first and if left untreated the whole plant will die. The picture below is from last year’s boron deficiency when I almost lost this hop plant.
Treat The Deficiency
I sprayed the bines with Bonide Liquid Iron as it also contains boron – the only product I have found so far that lists boron on it’s label. I was told by someone that Miracle-Gro contains boron, but I have not been able to verify that. As you can see, this years leaves did not get to the point of last years because I acted sooner as I knew what the symptoms of boron deficiency look like.
Severe Hops Boron Deficiency - 2011
The mis-shaped leaves do not get worse, but do not normalize in appearance as the deficiency alters the cellular structure of the leaves. So far it looks like the plant will survive with little deformity. All the newer leaves are normal looking. Here is the label from the Bonide Liquid Iron and Micronutrients that has saved my Magnum hops 2 years in a row now.
Bonide Liquid Iron Ingredients
Arm Yourself With Knowledge of Deficiencies
Hopefully this will not happen to you, but I hope this info helps anyone that does experience this. I had to try at least 4 garden centers before I found anything with boron in it. So far it is the only product I have found that contains boron (and other necessary micronutrients). There may be other products to treat hops boron deficiency, but I have not found them yet.
Will Save Hops From Boron Deficiency
Hops Survive Hard Freeze
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Hard Freeze Kills Many Plants
We had a hard freeze last night. I caught the temp on my outdoor thermometer as it was climbing, but it was 25 degrees fahrenheight when I took the picture. Sunday, Easter morning, my birdbath had almost a quarter inch of ice on the water so it has been subfreezing at least 2 days since the hops have sprouted and the weatherman says another freeze tonight. Good thing hops are hardy or they wouldn’t stand a chance here in Minnesota.
Established hops are hardy (can take freezes and survive). Newly planted hop plants or hop rhizomes sprouts are not as hardy. My friends and I have lost newly planted hops to freezes, the hop sprouts or hop bines die off and are never replaced – the rhizome dies off (I assume not enough stored energy to produce new sprouts). So be watchful of frost and freezing temps with newly planted hops. Just cover them up or wrap something around them to help capture and retain the heat from the ground. That is usually sufficient to protect them.
Hops Survive A Freeze
After the first year of growth, the rhizome will become a much larger crown or root stock and store much more energy to ride out freezes in subsequent years. I have been saying this but wanted to prove it with this post. Also you should have some mulch covering the ground around your sprouts/bines as an extra insulator. I use compost, leaves and grass clippings as a top dressing and insulator. Important – never use grass clippings from a lawn that has been treated with weed killer or even fertilizer as it can kill or stunt your hops growth.
From left to right: Nugget hops, Magnum hops and Cascade hops. The Nugget and Magnum hop bines are about 5 feet tall. The Cascade hop bines are trailing at about 4 and a half feet tall. As I write this the current temp is 42 and should easily reach sub-freezing temps tonight – I am not worried as experience tells me they will survive (again). It is supposed to start warming up after tonight (we are currently below average high and low temps for this time of year. I believe the hop bines are still on track to top out at 13 – 15 feet (15 feet at the peak of the garage – Magnum hops).
So there you have it, Don’t worry about freezing temps with established hops. Protect just planted hop plants and rhizomes from freezing temps until they are established – after 1 growing season.
Young Hop Bines
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Young Cascade Hop Bines
Young Hop Bines – this is no April fool’s joke. About 2 and a half weeks since the hop shoots were uncovered and they are now about a foot and a half to 2 feet tall. They are finding the ropes on their own or with a little help from me. This is an early start for here in Minnesota. Other years it was Early May or mid April before hop shoots appeared. We had a very mild winter and an early spring this year. There is still a strong possibility of a freeze here (statistically). We will see what the rest of the year brings, but I am anticipating an earlier harvest this year with the head start these hop bines have.
Young Magnum Bines
Amazingly the Magnum hops are the tallest of the 3 (Nugget, Magnum and Cascade). This is after they almost died last year from a boron deficiency (hint, check the sitemap tab on the menu bar under the header image for a list of all posts). I do not plan on allowing another boron deficiency this year, I will spray them with a boron product to prevent this. As I try and stay as organic as possible, I plan on top dressing the soil with kelp, bone meal and blood meal and compost. The compost will help feed the hop plants and help to retain soil moisture.
A lot of folks ask me what kind of rope, twine or cord to use. That is up to you, but I like nylon rope as
Young Nugget Hop Bines
it is strong as heck, doesn’t rot, and bugs and critters do not eat it. This is year 4 with the same rope for me and it is showing no sign of wear and tear. I leave it up year round exposed to the elements and it lasts a long time. My pulley system and leaving the rope up saves me a lot of time and besides, I am not good with heights. Heights don’t bother me so much as the fear of landing if I should fall off the ladder. After mounting the pulleys up top, the only ladder time is cutting bines between the up and down ropes. Then I lower the bines as I am harvesting. Once I am done harvesting hop cones, I raise the bines back up to continue gathering energy through the leaves to be stored in the hop crown or root stock for next years growth. Also if there are some immature hop cones, you can give them some more time to grow and then start to dry on the bines.
If we get some good sunshiny weather, I anticipate the hop bines to top out Early May. That will be the earliest they have topped out so far.
