The Growing of 100 Hops

We are launching hop crop 3.0,back outside for this one, taking what we learned, some of it painful, and working out our supporting structure, with Mother Nature providing the light. It’s been a ride this hydroponic hop farm. So far the name of the game has been research and a whole lot of: “What the heck, let’s just try it. See what happens.” Some of that really positive. Some of it, not so much. This photo is the summer of 2017, hops 1.0. We were delighted to have a great crop.

With not a whole lot being written about the growing of hydroponic hops, especially inside, year round, it’s pretty much learn as we go. So everything we learned in the first two iterations is going into this latest effort.

This blog will be a photo essay to tracking our adventures, none of the dry technical, and the growing of hydroponic hops. We hope you enjoy following along with this post, as we go through the process of growing of these next 100 hops.

Bato Buckets and Benches

We decided buying pre-assembled bato buckets out of the US would not be very cost effective when we were designing a system to work in our layout. So it was sourcing and designing a bucket that worked for us, together with a fair bit of sweat equity.  As in we cut what felt like miles of 1/2″ pvc, then cemented elbows and pipes to drain the buckets. The next set of buckets will be adjusted slightly. Ah well.

Randy working on sawhorse benches.

The pile of ‘some assembly required’ in the garage. We decided benches on short sawhorses are perfect for holding two rows of hops. Part of the design was to ensure that this system will work when we move permanently into a building. Drainage is a big part of that design.

Lou, getting barbs into pipes for the drip system.

Lining up the buckets, and add piping for drainage and watering.  Two rain barrels with 100 lts of nutrient solution. Under the category of what should work didn’t. Each one will feed two rows, programmed to feed nutrients up the line 10 minutes every hour. When we added the pumps, we had to play with the size, to figure out the head pressure.  The water makes it all the way to the top of the benches.  But the guys continued to tweak, and eventually it worked.

 

Let the Planting Begin

Jill trying to stay cool under a straw hat, planting rhizomes.

Nailing strips make great stakes, i.e. sturdy and cheap to start the hops growth.  So we spent one complete day rinsing 6 bags of perlite, planting Cascade rhizomes and placing stakes.

We will be adding a gas pipe support structure with cords attached to each of those stakes going up 10 feet and then diagonal 8 to 10 feet out. Very shortly will be a wall of green.

Next up: photos as the rhizomes start to sprout.

Laura