Harvest Time!

[triplepoint]

My first season of hops is starting to approach harvest time.

Of the seven varieties we planted, so far only the cascade is producing large quantities of hops:
http://www2.net-shapers.com/jhanson/ima ... cn0117.jpg

They feel light and papery, and it looks like harvest time.

So the question is, how does this work?

I'm guessing I just pick the buds off the plant, and dry them out (I've read about that part). But what about the plant itself? Should I cut the vines down after I'm done picking, or should I just let them roll for the rest of the summer? These are first year plants, and some of them aren't doing too well. I'd rather give them every chance to grow healthy teeth and bones (so to speak).

They're in pots right now, and I didn't do much in the way of feeding, and now I'm regretting it. I like the sound of nakedbrewer's solution:
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/vie ... php?t=8720 and I'm tempted to dose them all with a hit of bone/blood meal and green sand now.

Anyone out there moved on to harvest and what comes after?
- TP

[jeffbones]

Those look kinda small to me, I think they still have some growing to do.

[triple-oh-six]

I picked a 1/2 lb already off my 2nd year cacade.
My suggestion is to wait a bit longer.
Check them every day, when you see some slight browning on one or two of your hops it's time to harvest that bine. You can harvest multiple times a year.
You're right about the papery feel, but they should be quite bigger.
Kinda hard to see here but, def bigger


Good luck
Prost