Growing Hops Organically

[wildcrafter]

I think a thread about growing hops organically might be a good thing- a sharing of knowledge. Hopefully this would include alot of info where you've been there, done that.

I'll start with birds, grasshoppers and hops.

Flycatchers and other birds really like the trellis and wood posts for perching and hunting. They REALLY like grasshoppers and the grasshoppers can decimate your hops before you get back from a weekend away. Hummingbirds also love the wires (little feet ) and will hunt smaller soft bodied insects and hummingbirds REALLY love aphids. Both flycatchers and hummingbirds are relentless, vigorous, efficient insect hunters and to have them living in your hopyard or nearby is a MAJOR advantage. Nesting birds are even more intense hunters.

I'm lucky to live near a river, migratory flyway, and more that promotes great diversity. I made a nice organic hopyard and all the insect hunting birds moved in. What a blessing.

Now a few years back at the old hopyard, the grasshoppers came and decimated the hops and the aphids were beyond the control of the hummingbirds and failure came hard. The hopyard had no flying room for any of these birds and the planting was far too dense. It was crashing by design.

The upshot is to plan to include a diverse group of birds in an organic hopyard- it makes the difference. We also plant more than hops in the hopyard for the sake of diversity and more. It keeps it all interesting.

The diatomaceous earth you'll use won't hurt the birds either, in fact, it may just kill some lice and mites and help keep the birds healthy.

Agroecology 101-Birds

[Guest]

I've no personal experience on this, but I've got a couple of pennies to add (I'm British, so I wouldn't know what to do with my 2cents . . . anyway . . .)

In books/articles & web, I've read that some UK organic hopgrowers (of which there are maybe 1 or 2!) & other non-organic, but more eco UK hopgrowers have been using/encouraging other 'biological controls'/'natural predators' to help combat the problems of damson-hop aphid, red spider mite, etc.

Linked to this, some UK growers have also switched to growing 'dwarf' varieties (the term is being PC'd out infavour of 'hedgerow' - which does have a pleasant ring to it) because the 'hedge' is more accessible & visible, I think problems are easier to spot & deal with sooner. Also, according to Edward Thompson (farming hops & soft fruit at Pixley Court, Herefordshire) -

"We also chose new hops in the 1990s, introducing the new dwarf hop, First Gold. This eight foot high hop grows to under half the height of traditional hops and provides a hedge along which natural predators can travel in pursuit of their lunchtime pests."

http://www.farmingfutures.co.uk/documents/E_Thompson_CS15_WEB.pdf

Somewhere in my piles of interesting stuff, I've got an article about establishing hedgerow hops by a UK grower with the beautiful name of Mr Pudge (up their with Messrs Goldings & Fuggles to me). I'll try & hunt it out if you're interested?

AFAIK, the main UK organic grower Peter Hall (for a decade or more, the only UK organic grower, I think) has now decided to give up growing organic hops (& hops in total I think?). A couple of others UK growers have however started to grow organically.

Cheers,
Mike
(worked at Brakspear & Meantime, brewing Brakspear's Naturale, Vintage Roots & Live Organic + St.Peters Organic Ale, Freedom Organic, etc)

[jason.koehler]

I've read that ants harvest aphids much like cattle, can anyone confirm this?

There are tons of ant hills in the area of my hop site, so I'm hoping this is the case...

[AlexisScarlett]

I've read that ants harvest aphids much like cattle, can anyone confirm this?

There are tons of ant hills in the area of my hop site, so I'm hoping this is the case...

Ants have aphid "ranches" where they care and protect the aphids so the ants can eat the honeydew the aphids secrete. Time to move some ants! Plus who wants to nail an ant hill while harvesting hops?

I say chickens-- they will scratch up any homes for insects and the till the soil and will voraciously eat ants and grasshoppers and will fertilize the plants. They will take a few peeks at the hops leaves but then they leave them alone. Not so tasty.

[wildcrafter]

Mic-mac. It's sad to hear that anybody is giving up on hop farming, let alone organic hop farming.

Including birds in an organic hop farm saves $ and labor as they work for food.

Another helpful idea is to not monocrop just hops. Plant other diverse things like food and other flowers to bring in a maximum of diversity of insects- like all of the predator insects. Besides, you may just find that one of the things that you planted ended up being the sacrificial part of the garden. Hopefully it won't be the hops with other options available.

[wildcrafter]

[QUOTE=AlexisScarlett]Ants have aphid "ranches" where they care and protect the aphids so the ants can eat the honeydew the aphids secrete. Time to move some ants! Plus who wants to nail an ant hill while harvesting hops?

Some ants are aphid farmers, some ants are fungus farmers. It matters which you have as you don't want the aphid farmers for the hops but you may want the fungus farming ants.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/s-snm032408.php

There are many plants that the ants love and protect. Hop tree(Rutacea ptelea trifoliata) with large ant mounds nearby are healthier and more robust than hop trees without ants. The ants climb all over this tree as the tree has glands on the leaves that secrete ant attractants like food and more. Perhaps the ant farmed fungi are beneficial mycorrhiza for hop tree.

Everything is connected.

[Guest]

AFAIK, the organic grower I mentioned (who's given up on organic hops) farmed non-organically in the fields surrounding his small acreage of organic hops - which could be said to be not really in the spirit of the organic ethos.

Even so, I heard that due to the plethora of problems related to growing hops in the UK (downy mildew, red spider mite, damson/hop aphid, poor weather, etc, etc) in about 1 in 4 years, he would get no organic hops at all!

[AlexisScarlett]

Some ants are aphid farmers, some ants are fungus farmers. It matters which you have as you don't want the aphid farmers for the hops but you may want the fungus farming ants.

What do this fungus farmers look like? Head shot on the article only and I don't often get that close and personal with ants. Very interesting though-- Wildcrafter you have the best info

Suggestion for companion planting in hopyard in the alleys-- comfrey. Comfrey is a little factory for nutrients and deep roots. Grows and self seeds well. Attracts bees. Creates rich mulch. Comfrey tea treats mildrew. Most importantly the leaves soothe the welts the hop bines inflict. Press a comfrey leaf on the welt and the irritation decreases. Still look like you've be whipped though.

[wildcrafter]

Hi AlexisScarlett- as for identifiying the ants, either get a book to key them out or just watch them. The harvester ants will be carrying vegetation to their nest, they bite hard, and have little vegetation near the nest.

I haven't planted comfrey, ever. Is it invasive or perennial-like?

This year will be a coplanting year with alot of cilantro. ( Corriander seed and hops- a belgian white wedding). Cilantro attracts predator insects like wasps.

Here's a couple of picts of the hopyard.
Sacrificial coplantings, nesting birds in hops, a huge coned dwarf variety we're working on, and a plant showing the health of organic NM hops.









It's going to be a great year, so here we grow!

[BeerBoy]

That organic "thing" - worth it?

I guess this isn't just aimed at organic hops but the whole "organic" perception. I'm wondering about the divergence of "certified organic" vs. grown in an organic/holistic manner. Now, I'm not a fan of chemistry that could possibly contribute a third eye to any potential offspring of mine, but we all know chemicals/chemistry is vital to, well, everything. It boils down to the trade-off of how/what one is trying to control/accomplish with any particular chemical.
I guess it's the perception that anything labeled "organic" is superior - is it? Is there any chemical residue in non-organic hops? What/how much?
I guess the question is: is it worth becoming certified organic and maintaining the required guidelines, or is growing "green" and holistic, knowing the fine line of dosing the least nasty (but effective) chemicals a workable plan? There is no free lunch - what's the trade-off?

[AlexisScarlett]

Wildcrafter-- Oh what a beautiful hopyard! Thank you for the dose of enthusiam for planting posts today
Comfrey is a perenial and regenerates every conceivable way-- roots seeds and leaves all root. I pefer to call it effective instead of invasive. Helps bring plants to fruition and seeding faster too I hear

Beerboy-- it all depends on marketing.
Our irrigation water brings everyone upsteams residue--Lucky that is just Gunnison for us.
I know the giant corporation "organic" salad mix is not being grown under conditions that I would consider holistic or organic and by people that are not being treated well.
But I know the salad/herb/flower mix from the Austin Sisters down the road is raised without any organic label but it being raised without any chemicals that make me nervous by a family that is working their land for generations in responsible and healthy fashion.
Fussy folks often don't by their salad because it is not "ORGANIC" but those folks miss absolutely delicous greens. Oh well they aren't from around here anyways

The pleasure of good food and good land is worth it! that is the trade off for the consumer.

The trade off for producer is hard work (god, i hate that phrase! ) and more importantly smart work and vigilance.

Hey but look at the chicks in the hopyard!

[nohandslance]

Wow! those are some beautiful pictures. Keep up the great posts. That is the color green I like to see.

[jason.koehler]

My rhizomes are finally on their way tomorrow or so, so seeing this post and the nice pictures is a breath of fresh air in this dirty city...I'm hoping my project takes off so I can spend more time out of the city!

On the bright side, it's cherry blossom season now, tons of trees and beautiful flowers everywhere. I'll try to snap a picture at lunch.

[wildcrafter]

Beerboy- in response to "is organic worth it?".

Yes.

I don't know the other side of the coin as I couldn't afford it, wasn't taught it, didn't see it as a reality, and decided to cheat the learning curve by simulating nature.

As far as hops go, I watched one plant of native NM hops put out 2.5# of dried cones during the major year of drought( actually an extended period that killed 65% of our pinon trees) - all with absolutely no human input. I assume no human input is at least organic. Now when you apply the juice and premium conditions, wowza!!! I find the maximum energy cycling through the system (garden) with the maximum diversity of life makes for some ripping plants of focus. If you grow the beast, you must feed it.

The absolute proof for organic being the best flavor possible is tomatoes. You can't fool the elders and "poor folks" won't give a dime for bad tomatoes. Our Certified Organic Heirloom tomatoes are some of the best you'll ever eat. It's management, fertilization, worms, schedule, pocket gophers, traps, lady bugs, bumblebees, basil, etc. , and a whole host of garden choices that add up to the best tomatoes anyone locally grows.

Real organic tomatoes are FAR superior to any other. Taste one youself. Pick a good grower. Make your own decision.

We grow some of the best tomatoes and apply the same options for the hops. In some regards, organic is extremely easy and cost effective once you understand the system. It's agroecology from a natural viewpoint.

My issues now have to do with scaling up. A very new world and never easy or inexpensive.

Do you realize that right now chemical fert. for alfalfa farmers is at over $1000/ton? NM alfalfa farmers are thinking organic for the $ savings. Chemical fert. is made from oil- check the prices.

[BeerBoy]

Mother RULES!

You'll get no argument from me. I was just trying to open a can of "helpful" worms into people's perception of all things "organic." It was a poke at the Prius-driven', Whole Foods shoppin' feel-gooders who autopilot when they buy something labeled organic = "I'm better because I'm buying organic" - the disconnect is the problem.
Mr. Wildcrafter (taking a leap at the Mr., as those hands in the pic are XYs...) - are you/your operation "certified organic?" I get the impression you're much more holistic (which is the standpoint I'm coming from) but you gave the c.o. tomato example (which is a great one, in that like a Kölsch beer, there's no where to hide anything, yet it's bursting with flavor if brewed well).
There's no messing with Mother. Man has mucked much and the backlash is just beginning. Monster/Mega is facing some tough times (see oil...) - can the simple, Old Skool ways come back and thrive?
I'm betting they are.