Minor Pests = Minor Problems!

The three major pests of Northeastern hopyards—potato leafhoppers, two-spotted spider mites and hop aphids—can cause significant economic losses. For that reason, we keep a close eye on their populations in our research yard by scouting weekly. From time to time, other pests pop up in our hopyard, but because they don’t seem to affect yields, …

3 Things that Matter in Pest Scouting: Location, Location, Location

“There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” We have found that location also matters in growing hops, particularly this spring. Southern Vermont has been exceptionally dry for long periods, while northern parts of our region have been soggy, to say the least. The cool, wet conditions that we’ve been experiencing in …

Time to Manage Downy Mildew

Question: Have we mentioned yet how critical downy mildew management is to the success of our Northeast hopyards? Answer: Yes, but the importance of managing this disease cannot be overstated–downy mildew can wipe out your crop for the year and even cause hill death in sensitive varieties, so please be on the lookout. Our bulletin, …

Frost seeding

Frost seeding can be a good option in Northeastern hopyards.  Establishing a solid intercrop can help keep down weedy species, and in the case of legumes, can add fertility to your soil.  Frost seeding should occur  in the early spring when the ground freezes at night and thaws during the day.  While frost seeding can …

2012 Hops Variety Trial Report

Greetings, We are excited to announce that the variety trial report developed from data collected in 2012 is now available! It’s long, but there’s a lot of really good information in there, including yield comparisons from the first and second year of harvest, brew values for the 19 publicly available varieties in the UVM Extension …

Potted Hop Plants Available for Purchase

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County in collaboration with Zerrillo’s Greenhouse is pleased to offer 12 different varieties of hops plants grown from first generation cuttings of virus-indexed stock purchased from Washington State’s Clean Plant Program. Varieties available include Ultra, Fuggle, Alpharoma, Teamaker, Cascade, Newport, Liberty, Willamette, and Perle.  These plants will be sold in …

Japanese beetles on hops in the Northeast

Japanese beetles can be a significant economic pest in hops, so proper identification and management decision-making are important if you are going to avoid losses. Check out our article Japanese Beetles in Hops in the Northeast for more information on Japanese beetles and some control options.

June Scouting Report

You should be scouting in your hopyard at least once a week by this time of year, keeping an eye out for disease, pests, and any nutrient deficiencies.  As you scout for insects in your hopyard, you are likely to find a thriving community. Many of the insects that you find are not a threat …

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