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RE: New Hop Yard! Breaking Ground!
How exciting to be starting this new venture!! I wish you all the best success!
I also have a question for you because I just moved onto a property that has hops vines established on a trellis that has been neglected for years. Aside from pulling back the blackberries that have overrun it and throwing some manure around as a top dressing (the soil is rich in organic matter already), do you have any suggestions on how to maintain the vines or are they pretty hands off?
Sorry for the delay in this!! If you’re just doing it for a hobby, they are pretty hands off. Trim them back when the first shoots show up in the Spring (these are edible - google asparagus hops), as they start growing, train the vines to grow clockwise around the string, and they need an extra shot of nitrogen in their quick-growth stage. But ultimately they’re a weed and will grow without a lot of intervention!
Wow awesome! Thanks for the tips :) Yes it is hobby/personal level. Your reply is actually perfectly timed as yesterday @idyllwild and I just spent half a day clearing years of blackberry and rose growth, old trees, grass etc from around the hops to give them space. And what did we find growing under it all, but the first few sprouts starting to come up.. they sure do look like their ready for some vigorous growing. I'll have to try the first shoots as you mentioned! Regarding trimming back the first growth... is that so that they start branching earlier? Thanks for the tips :)