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I'd like to grow some hops on the fence in my back yard this summer.
I understand that hop rhizomes are usually only available for a short period of time in the spring.
Is there anywhere in Halifax where they will be for sale, or is it something you mail-order?

I was thinking about growing fuggles and saaz, but are there varieties that are known to do well in our climate?

Thanks!

I got mine from Left Field Farms, http://leftfieldstore.crannogales.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, but watch the classifieds here around April and May. There are a lot of hop growers here already who may have some rhizomes they don't need.

I don't know how Saaz or Fuggles grow here, I know from my own yard that Cascade does very well, Golding and Nugget less so.

There's also Prairie GEM Hops (http://www.prairiegemhops.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in Manitoba. I bought some from them last year and they arrived in better shape than the ones I bought from Left Fields. They will start to take orders very soon now for spring delivery (they need to know how many rhizomes to cut once the snow is gone).

Thank you very much, I really appreciate the info.

Andy: What kinds of hops have you grown successfully?

Here in Nfld, I have grown Cascade and Hallertau.

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a357/ ... 008014.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a357/ ... 008009.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the pics Tony, I hope mine grow that well!

Cascade and Hallertau both sound like good options to me - I've used them both in beers that I have liked.

How many rhizomes should I be buying? I have a stretch of south facing fence about 20 feet long that I could use. I really don't have any idea how much hops I should expect to get from a single plant.

Thanks!

I'm considering buying one rhizome each of fuggles, cascade and Hallertau.

Last year, I planted 7 varieties of hops (14 rhizomes). I purchased two rhizomes of each variety simply because I figured it one rhizome didn't make it, I'd have a second one to fall back on. I ended up planting Cascade, Mt. Hood, Tettnang, Williamette, Hallertau, Sterling, and Nugget. Easily the best growing variety last year for me was Cascade, and was the only variety that produced cones. Sterling, Williamette, and Tettnang all grew very well, but produced no cones in the first year. My slowest grower was actually Hallertau. We'll see how season two turns out this year.

I might give hop growing a try. Do animal like to eat them? I've got lots of Deer which have taken out many fruit plants. What about rot given the high humidity in HRM?

Juniper Hill wrote:I might give hop growing a try. Do animal like to eat them? I've got lots of Deer which have taken out many fruit plants. What about rot given the high humidity in HRM?

I live out in the country with LOTS of deer around and they never touched them at all. If you have dogs though, be careful as they can be toxic if your dog eats them.

Canuck: Thanks for the info, I'll definitely make sure I include cascade, whatever else I get.

A couple of choices have been posted so far for where to buy your rhizomes, but this is where I purchased mine last year. They always have many more varieties than what they show on their website.

http://www.heritagehillorganics.com/pag ... ewing.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I got my hops from Richters in Ontario and when they arrived, they were already plants, ready to plant.
I had a small harvest the first year with mine even though they only grew 10 ft high.
I bought 3 plants each of Cascade and Hallertau

http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_s ... 0556.16185" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

akr71 wrote:There's also Prairie GEM Hops (http://www.prairiegemhops.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in Manitoba. I bought some from them last year and they arrived in better shape than the ones I bought from Left Fields. They will start to take orders very soon now for spring delivery (they need to know how many rhizomes to cut once the snow is gone).

I definitely like Sandra's prices at Prairie GEM Hops - only $5.50 per rhizome, and Andy was happy with his last year. I've contacted her and she is currently taking orders. Anyone want to gang up and save on shipping?

She has: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Fuggle, Golding, Hallertau, Mt Hood, Northern Brewer, Nugget, Sterling and Willamette.

Seems to me there should be enough hops available in the Halifax area that you could get enough rhizomes for free, or at
least for HB.
I gave away rhizomes to a lot of my buddies and they grew really well as of last year.

Tony: I'm certainly interested in that possibility, or in buying rhizomes locally, but I don't know anyone growing hops. The beer making folks that I know are more on the Festabrew end of the spectrum.

I'm sure someone in the area will speak up with offerings of hops when they are ready to go. It would be nice to know in advance though
so you could order some from vendors if that falls through.

Keep you eyes peeled to this forum. Good things come to those who are patient.

Re: deer—the little bastards love the leaves of the plant. They cleaned off the leaves on the 3 varieties I have planted at my brother in law's the last two years.

S-04 wrote:

akr71 wrote:There's also Prairie GEM Hops (http://www.prairiegemhops.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in Manitoba. I bought some from them last year and they arrived in better shape than the ones I bought from Left Fields. They will start to take orders very soon now for spring delivery (they need to know how many rhizomes to cut once the snow is gone).

I definitely like Sandra's prices at Prairie GEM Hops - only $5.50 per rhizome, and Andy was happy with his last year. I've contacted her and she is currently taking orders. Anyone want to gang up and save on shipping?

She has: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Fuggle, Golding, Hallertau, Mt Hood, Northern Brewer, Nugget, Sterling and Willamette.

I'd be interested in a couple rhizomes from wherever seems best. hoping the rhizomes I planted last year will do a bit better this year, didn't get any cones from em.

My cat snacked on all my hop shoots last year before I got around to moving them outside to bigger pots. So there is that. One Zeus plant survived.

S-04 wrote:Thank you very much, I really appreciate the info.

Andy: What kinds of hops have you grown successfully?

Zeus (Columbus) were my most vigorous growers. Mt Hood was pretty hardy too.

Last year I planted a few other varieties, but I got them in the ground later than I wanted and it was such a dry year, the jury is still out on those (cascade, chinook, magnum, centennial)

Cascade and Columbus have been my two biggest producers. My Centennial plant has been very slow and, like Andy, the jury is still out on the ones I planted last year (Chinook and Galena).

jeffsmith wrote:Cascade and Columbus have been my two biggest producers. My Centennial plant has been very slow and, like Andy, the jury is still out on the ones I planted last year (Chinook and Galena).

Jeff, good to know that your Columbus did really well last year! I've been wanting to pick up a couple of Columbus rhizomes to plant in the spring.

I love this place already! I've been looking at growing my own hops as well. There is somebody that grows hops here locally, but apparently they don't sell to individuals as they are contracted by Picaroons Brewery in Fredericton here so I'm told.

pet lion wrote:My cat snacked on all my hop shoots last year before I got around to moving them outside to bigger pots. So there is that. One Zeus plant survived.

I love cats.... but I can't eat a whole one