Growing Hops in Containers update 07/26/2011

The hops have been chuggin along.  The recent severe heat hasn't been all that friendly to them.  The hops Centennial hops which are planted in the ground kept getting yellow leaves and then dying.  I figured they were getting too much due to all the rain we'd been getting last month.  So I was a little apprehensive about over-watering the hops.  I was watering once every two or three days.  Well now that it is over a 100 I think the hops are suffering quite a bit so I'm trying to get them watered every day.  Bugs also think my hop plants are a nice looking desert so I had to go buy some organic insecticidal soap.  I've been using it sparingly but I think I should be using it more as some entire leaves have been eaten off.  So with all the perils the hops are doing the best they can.  Hopefully at the end of the season I will have something to show.

Centennial planted in ground

The Centennial is doing fairly well but we have no cones developing yet.  Some leaves are starting to curl up from the heat presumably so I'm struggling to keep them adequately watered.

Hallertau

The Hallertau was the late bloomer but is looking healthier than all of the other plants.  No cones are visible yet and some of the leaves are curling up on this plant as well.

Cascade

 The Cascade started out the best and grew the fastest.  Their were cones starting to develop and all was looking well.  Then I came out one day and every single leaf on the main vine had curled up and was dying.  Now the only thing left is a secondary vine climbing the wooden stake itself.  I'm not sure if it was lack of water that caused the downturn or if it was my lack of pruning.  I didn't prune the plant at all and it was starting to get bushy down by the base.  Perhaps the excess growth could not be supported by the new root system and the plant started dying.  That's my guess.  So I pruned all of the plants the other day and started watering more.  I also started using Miracle grow fertilizer once a week on all of the plants.  I suppose this could also be the cause of the Cascades sudden down turn but all the other plants are fine.

Life's a garden, dig it?