Leaves (Leafs in Canadia) Dropping

[BrewTa2]

Two of four plants (Cascade) took off great then stopped growing and the leaves started turning a little off colored and dropping. I don't see too many holes or signs of aphids, so I figure it's some kinda mildew, wilt or VD that I remember reading about somewhere (dunno about VD, maybe I didn't really read about that). The leaves don't look like they have any mildew on them, they just got an off color and started dropping.

Is there anything I can do? I'm not even close to organic so if there's some chemical that's going to kill me and the planet, but will save my hop plants - I want to know.

[dmtaylor]

This is pretty normal. Same thing happened with my Cascade plant this year. When the bines reach up more than 10' high, it's a good idea to snip off all the discolored leaves, typically within about 3-4 feet of the ground. This helps prevent mildew and insects from invading from the ground, and does not hurt the plant.

[BrewTa2]

Thanks. I guess I was vague. Two plants are growing well. The other two started good then stopped, dropped leaves and the bines died. A few new shoots have emerged, but they aren't growing worth a hoot. I gave in and decided to look around for the answer on my own and found pictures on Freshops that indicates a potassium deficiency. Gonna get a high K fertilizer and see if it helps.

[dmtaylor]

I guess I missed the part where you said that 2 of 4 bines basically died ("stopped growing"). It's probably too late for them to do much more this year, but next year I bet they'll come back just fine, especially if you fertilize and mulch.

Funny... I recently read the same sort of thing about potassium deficiency, and as a matter of fact, I wasn't sure about my own plants having yellow leaves so I already bought some high K fertilizer and dumped it on last week. I guess great minds think alike, or find the same information, or something.

But lucky for me, my plants are still alive and well, currently about 17 feet high and FINALLY beginning to flower. Both my plants flowered awfully late this year. I think it has something to do with the enormous amount of rainfall this year. Hop plants seem to NEED to dry out a bit, basically dying at the tips, before they'll even begin to think about flowering. But my Cascade tips are STILL growing. It's crazy. My Hallertauers have looped the loop so many times at the top of my trellises that there's no doubt that they are probably a good 25 feet tall if I could stretch them out. But anyway... I digress......

I wish you, and all the hop growers out there, the best of luck this year.

[Madtown Brew]

Just a note, it is normal for some of the lower leaves to dry up and fall off as the plant grows tall. If it is happening all over the entire plant and results in it dying, then it's obviously not normal.

I'm not sure if you were being serious about the VD (venereal disease or vascular disease?), but if the plant looked as if it wilted despite any efforts to water it on your part then some type of vascular disease is likely to blame. In that case, make sure you aren't overwatering the plants and that they have good drainage.

Regarding nutrient deficiencies, if you fertilized the plants adequately (or at all even) then I would be dubious that a deficiency is the problem. You may want to consider lowering the pH of the soil slightly as this will aid in uptake of nutrients by the roots. You could dump all the fertilizer in the world on them, but if the soil pH is too high, then the plants won't be able to access the nutrients. A treatment of sulfur around the base of the plant is one of the easier ways to acidify soil. Be sure to read the label carefully as too much will kill your plants. I'd recommend starting with a especially light application as I have read in some places that vine crops can be particularly sulfur sensitive. Its probably too late to worry about soil conditioning this season, but it's something to keep in mind for next year. I used this method this year for my fuggle and sterling which appeared to have deficiency issues, after about 3 weeks the new leaves were deep green and healthy (fuggle still grows like shit though).

A picture speaks a thousand words, so if you still can, snap some pics of the leaves and the whole plant and post them so that we could maybe provide a better diagnosis.

[BrewTa2]

Thanks. I didn't have much control over the amount of water they got seeing as it has rained pretty constantly since I planted them. I stripped off the dead bines to give the emerging ones a chance to grow. The leaves dropped on the whole bine, not just the bottom. Since I added extra K and stripped the dead stuff, the two problem ones seem to be doing better. I figure as long as the rhizomes survive, next year will be better. Or not.