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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 14:22:37 GMT
Post by pdblake on Jan 20, 2010 14:22:37 GMT
Not sure this is a veg question or not but...
Is anyone growing their own hops and has anyone grown them from seed?
I notice that GreenChronicle are selling them for 99p a pack and thought I might give them a go. Is there an easy way to tell the male and female plants apart before they get too big?
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 14:25:12 GMT
Post by 4pygmies on Jan 20, 2010 14:25:12 GMT
The only thing I know for sure about hops is that they can grow into huge plants and are very difficult to keep under control! So choose your spot with care........ ;D
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 15:01:49 GMT
Post by pdblake on Jan 20, 2010 15:01:49 GMT
The only thing I know for sure about hops is that they can grow into huge plants and are very difficult to keep under control! So choose your spot with care........ ;D I was going to let them clamber over the back hedge, that way if they get out of control I'll just have a big hedge of hops instead of privet to cut .;D
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 16:03:42 GMT
Post by 4pygmies on Jan 20, 2010 16:03:42 GMT
The thing is I don't think you need a male plant at all as you don't want seeds but just flower production so it might be better to buy young plants instead.
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 16:08:19 GMT
Post by pdblake on Jan 20, 2010 16:08:19 GMT
The thing is I don't think you need a male plant at all as you don't want seeds but just flower production so it might be better to buy young plants instead. Yeah, you only need a female plant and I know I'll be taking pot luck as to whether I get one or not, but the cheapest plants I've seen so far are £7.50 each and I'll be awfully miffed if I kill it ;D A quid on a packet of seeds I don't mind so much ;D
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 16:14:42 GMT
Post by 4pygmies on Jan 20, 2010 16:14:42 GMT
Do you know anyone with a plant? It's dead easy to get a root cutting - they'll grow whatever you do to them......I've spent years trying to kill my Golden Hop....... ;D
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 16:16:22 GMT
Post by pdblake on Jan 20, 2010 16:16:22 GMT
Do you know anyone with a plant? It's dead easy to get a root cutting - they'll grow whatever you do to them......I've spent years trying to kill my Golden Hop....... ;D Unfortunately not, but I think I'll give the seeds a go anyway. The worst they can do is nowt ;D
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 16:32:43 GMT
Post by Rosefriend on Jan 20, 2010 16:32:43 GMT
Hops are grown a lot here in Germany and 4P is correct that you don't need a female plant at all and as far as I know it is only the top part of the plant that flowers. The male flower looks like a cluster of flowers - I always think that they look rather like horse chestnut flowers somehow and the female flower is the hop that we all know.
Growing from seed will ensure that you do get fertile seeds - I hope that they don't go everywhere...
RF
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 19:05:00 GMT
Post by Dutchy on Jan 20, 2010 19:05:00 GMT
I have a lady Hop and she is ferocious. Someone within a 2 mile radius has a mister Hop as my lady gives seedlings and if I am not fast they are a devil to remove.
Root cuttings? Never tried but you are welcome to some. Or maybe I can hack a bit off with shoots in March. The roots should get through air mail. PM me.
For those hop bells you need a female I think RF meant that as a male does nothing but cause the female to produce fertilized hop bells and those are not suitable for the beer making industry. She forgot to mention an old German Law forbidding people to have male hops in their gardens when a hop field is near ( ie within a bees flight).
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Hops
Jan 20, 2010 19:54:23 GMT
Post by pdblake on Jan 20, 2010 19:54:23 GMT
I have a lady Hop and she is ferocious. Someone within a 2 mile radius has a mister Hop as my lady gives seedlings and if I am not fast they are a devil to remove. Root cuttings? Never tried but you are welcome to some. Or maybe I can hack a bit off with shoots in March. The roots should get through air mail. PM me. For those hop bells you need a female I think RF meant that as a male does nothing but cause the female to produce fertilized hop bells and those are not suitable for the beer making industry. She forgot to mention an old German Law forbidding people to have male hops in their gardens when a hop field is near ( ie within a bees flight). Thanks Dutchy, that's really great. Some roots would be brilliant. All I've seen so far is bareroot plants for sale so roots should take, especially if they are as vigorous as they sound ;D I'll PM you.
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Hops
Mar 14, 2010 13:41:44 GMT
Post by Dutchy on Mar 14, 2010 13:41:44 GMT
Ms Hop is making shoots but not doing it at such a speed that it indicates a life about to burst forth. I will try to get root cuttings next week or the one after to make sure I have living bits of her and not last years dead bits.
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Hops
Mar 29, 2010 17:44:41 GMT
Post by Dutchy on Mar 29, 2010 17:44:41 GMT
Since they arrived safely will you keep us posted on how you fare with Mrs Hop and friends ? Cheers D
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Hops
May 13, 2010 19:15:38 GMT
Post by pdblake on May 13, 2010 19:15:38 GMT
I have a lady Hop and she is ferocious. Someone within a 2 mile radius has a mister Hop as my lady gives seedlings and if I am not fast they are a devil to remove. Root cuttings? Never tried but you are welcome to some. Or maybe I can hack a bit off with shoots in March. The roots should get through air mail. PM me. For those hop bells you need a female I think RF meant that as a male does nothing but cause the female to produce fertilized hop bells and those are not suitable for the beer making industry. She forgot to mention an old German Law forbidding people to have male hops in their gardens when a hop field is near ( ie within a bees flight). Thanks Dutchy, that's really great. Some roots would be brilliant. All I've seen so far is bareroot plants for sale so roots should take, especially if they are as vigorous as they sound ;D I'll PM you. And this is what they turned out like (there's six stems in there): Juat need to find somewhere to put them. There's a shed for them to clamber over just off to the right of that picture, or there's the hedge for them to invade. Think I might try the shed with a few and use a couple to fill in a big hole in the hedge. Can't wait to see the flowers. ;D
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Hops
Apr 1, 2011 17:56:42 GMT
Post by pdblake on Apr 1, 2011 17:56:42 GMT
Just thought I'd let Dutchy know, these have all come back through again this year. I've been watching out for them for weeks then all of a sudden they appeared.
Hopefully there'll be flowers this year.
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Hops
Apr 1, 2011 18:03:09 GMT
Post by Chuckles on Apr 1, 2011 18:03:09 GMT
Thats brilliant PDB, so you didn't get flowers last year then for this year
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Hops
Apr 1, 2011 18:19:50 GMT
Post by pdblake on Apr 1, 2011 18:19:50 GMT
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Hops
Apr 10, 2011 17:38:02 GMT
Post by Dutchy on Apr 10, 2011 17:38:02 GMT
Nettles? They are supposed to be Hop ;D And I did sent the roots of Hops only as there aren't any nettles near the mummy plant. Mind the plant I took the cuttings of now is growing like mad. Yours should flower this year. They just need to sit in soil so they can reach their full length of ah say 22 feet. Good to know they got through the mail alright.
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Hops
Apr 11, 2011 7:38:28 GMT
Post by pdblake on Apr 11, 2011 7:38:28 GMT
No, I meant I need some nettle tips to start making beer ;D There's no nettles growing in my plot (well, almost none) I've got them against a shed with a trellis on it so I can wrap that twenty odd foot around a bit.
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Hops
Apr 11, 2011 17:34:17 GMT
Post by Dutchy on Apr 11, 2011 17:34:17 GMT
Zig zag zig zag upwards like a pre drunk plant ;D When they take well they do tend to go mad. You have been warned the mummy plant is already over one meter tall. I never knew one uses nettle tips to start off beer I thought it was grain, sugar/starch thingummy and for taste some hop. Ah and water of course ;D
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Hops
Apr 11, 2011 19:02:17 GMT
Post by pdblake on Apr 11, 2011 19:02:17 GMT
Ordinary beer yes. I usually make a batch of nettle beer each year. Only ever got it right once
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Hops
Apr 12, 2011 8:34:38 GMT
Post by Dutchy on Apr 12, 2011 8:34:38 GMT
Oops hope you do better this year then.
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Hops
Apr 3, 2012 12:12:28 GMT
Post by pdblake on Apr 3, 2012 12:12:28 GMT
First hop harvest. I picked these last year and left them to dry over winter. I've just had another go at the nettle beer and put a handful in. ;D
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