Hops, Barley, Weeds and the Weather

I spent most of yesterday setting up part of a makeshift trellis for our 200 Hop plants. We have only just planted them so we are not expecting anything this year. At the moment we are just trying to get some mulch down and keeping them well watered. The trellis we have built is small, only 7feet high. We hope this will only affect our harvest slightly, and that this will be out weighed by the money saved doing lots of the work ourselves, including picking.

Yesterday also gave me the opportunity to investigate how are barley is getting on. Weeds are a bit of a problem but the grain looks healthy. Hopefully we will be able to malt it once it’s been harvested. However if we have to much rain around harvest it will not be suitable for malting and it will all go to feed some cows. For now though those hops could do with some water.

I’m of on holiday to Dorset tomorrow (in a tent) so I, unlike those cone producing vines would like unbroken sunshine.