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2/17/2013

The Importance of Regularly Scouting your Hopyard

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Experienced hop growers will be the first to tell you that a regular weekly schedule of checking your hopyard for problems can save big headaches, time, and cold hard cash. Being a good grower isn't about who has the biggest pesticide budget!  Catching problems like pest and fungal outbreaks early is critical to controlling them successfully; with minimal treatments - before the damage is done. Proper scouting includes a close examination of the entire hopyard's environment (including the surrounding fenceline perimeter's).

(This pest is capable of defoliating entire plants in less than a week)
For quick knockdown of a Japanese beetle /Potato leafhopper outbreak for growers with RUP certification - check out Brigade 2ec or Leverage 360/2.7. Both are labelled for hops.

TO DO LIST
  •   Soil checks for moisture, root health, fertility and soluble salts levels 
  •   Weed seedling identification to determine if they are an alternate host for pests
  •   Checking trap plants and multiple Hop plants, top to bottom, for active diseases and pests
  •   Monitoring of hop developmental stages, foliage / bine color & vigor- bottom, middle, and shoot tips
  •   Checking the hopyard infrastructure - trellis, supports, irrigation lines- all OK?
  •   Tracking of weather patterns - rainfall amounts, humidity levels, hopyards soil and air temperatures
  •   Accurate records of any and all chemicals with wind, temp, time of day - 3 day checks for after-effects
  •   Keeping a detailed record of above observations with dates, unusual events, effects of control sprays
  If this sounds like a lot of work - well, welcome to farming! It is well worth forming the routine and making it a habit. Heck, take the dog and kids along on this adventure to make it fun. You will be amazed what a small child notices. Don't forget your hand lense!

  If this sounds like too much work; please do consider hiring a professional crop scout. They know what to look for and when to look for it. Their services are relatively inexpensive and their advice - priceless.

  Properly done scouting and recording what you see in detail lets you identify patterns and conditions that affect the hop's growth and what conditions trigger disease and pest outbreaks. I recommend making a check-off form you use weekly during the growing season that covers all the above items so you don't miss anything. This will not only make you a better grower- it will make you a PROACTIVE grower. (I like to call them Jedi-growers because they always seem to know what is going to happen before it does.) Proactive growers can make minimal, targeted sprays; anticipating disease and pest cycles. They consistantly adjust - fertilizer, irrigation schedules, cultivation; like a steady clock. They also always seem relatively cheerful and un-stressed. (nice side-effect that both wives and partners seem to appreciate!)

 Scouting is something I do habitually 24/7 - I'm looking when I'm watering - I'm looking when I'm weeding- Heck, I'm looking when I walk the dog! 

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    click here HOPS DOCS Collection - valuable info we find to share

    Blog Author

    Lynn, the head hop grower at Great Lakes Hops has over 30 years of experience in the horticultural field. Browse the blog articles here to find useful growing information for humulus lupulus, based on personal experience and observations at Great Lakes Hops.

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  • Home
  • Retail - Shop Now
  • Select Hops
    • Select Hops Program
    • Hop Sensory
    • Brew Group
    • Aztec™
    • Hydra™
    • Paradigm™
    • Bergamot™
    • Emerald Spire™
    • Gemini™
    • Mackinac™
    • Michigan Copper™
  • Commercial Ordering
    • USDA Exclusive Hop Varieties >
      • Triumph
    • Availability
    • Commercial Contact
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  • FAQ