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o last year I planted Brewer’s Gold, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Newport, Nugget, and Zeus around May first after having them started in the house for a month, maybe less. The cats ate all the first shoots, so they were delayed and I was pissed.
The Centennial snapped during transplanting (I tried it again this year, again fail); everything got some sort of yield, Zeus getting about 2 ounces dry, the Chinook topped out around 12 feet probly.
This year, the second years were all eager, and popping around the beginning of March, being slowed but not really hurt by the frost. At this point I think they are all in the 10-13 foot range, and all of them budding.
Its funny though, because the different bines of each plant are very staggered in their flower maturity; some of the Zues, Brewer’s Gold, and especially Newport are already very close to ripe.
I’m assuming this stupid-early harvest is the result of me not doing a new growth cut-back. Can anyone confirm or deny, or better yet tell me if I’ll get a second harvest? I mean last year it was September by the time I was done harvesting.
Also, I followed the ’strip 3 feet’ rule for the lower leaves, but didn’t think that this is done on plants that do get hacked back, so the flowering stage is still way off; I think I did it blindly, not considering that the flowers had already started, so I think that may have stunted the flowers (but I’ve heard its latitude dependent, and that southern hops don’t develop as fully as northerners).
Next time I should either strip the first flowers, or cut back, I think.
Sorry that turned rant near the end...
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These are 2nd year Sterlings. They’re about 15 feet, but no buds yet.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7399247&l=1ca0faf115&id=
770450272
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I have 4 hop plants and 3 varieties. These Cascades by the house are growing much faster than all the others. My guess is it likes the reflected heat from the house.
<a Cascade hops<hrefhttp://sportster49.multiply.com/photos/album/5/My_Cascade_hops
>My /a>
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Do you get much light back there?
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I get about 5-6 hours a day. Not ideal conditions, but I figured I could at least get something.
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Mine have started budding over the last two weeks.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7865729&l=a5ca4a6ce6&id=
770450272
This thing just keeps growing!
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consider giving them some super bloom. or something else with a high phosphorus content
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with the name like guanoboy go for some Indonesian guano
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Good to see yours are doing so well. I also just planted some sterlings this year, but so far they havent really grown too much- maybe 5 ft so far. Im hoping that next year they will be all set and ready to take off. I also have some chinook that is looking ok as well.
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