Topic: spent hops - to dig or not to dig?

[vee]

Just got lots of lovely spent hops, (and some including ginger from when the brewery made ginger beer :o)
I've put it on top of my beds as a mulch till spring, but the man who delivered it said he ploughs it in with chicken manure.
Obviously I don't have a plough, but would it be better forked in to the top layer of earth or left til spring?
I've been reading about mulches and there isn't much about hops in the books I have or on the internet (that I've found anyway), but what I have seen seems to suggest that they take a long time to break down and that mulching in winter slows down warming up of the soil in spring. What's the best thing to do?

By the way I have now got a base done for my shed (paid someone to do it..) and I'm going to order the shed tomorrow. It's so exciting - I can't wait! It's a christmas present from the MIL and she wants to have an opening ceremony ;D
I already have some material for the curtains ;) ;)...
Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have a Happy New Year

[kt.]

CURTAINS ::)

You having a posh pad then?

[tim]

The BOOK says - great for mulching, but keep away from seedlings - too strong.

Or dig in or add to compost.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Any mulch which isn't fully rotted is best kept away from seedlings, apart from real toughies like broad beans. I haven't tried that one, but it should be great.

[vee]

Thanks for your replies. Does anyone know how long hops take to rot?

Tim - what exactly is the BIBLE? It sounds as if I need a copy!
Yes KTlawson - it is going to be a posh shed if I ever get it.
When we went to our local hardware shop to order it we looked at the ones in their yard and then went in to order it. They then said the shed manufacturers had gone out of business very recently. We just stood there with our mouths open.
Later the same day we went somewhere else and ordered an 8x6 pent shed and it's coming on the 10th January. They will put it up for me, so I'm looking at things to fill it with. OH has already said he's leaving a horrible old anorak in it. Not quite what I had in mind...

[louise stella]

Send them my way - i'll have em!

Louise

[supersprout]

O lucky you! If you dig, dig them in. If you don't, mulch with them (although the birdies love to play with spent hops). I used bags of spent hops to put ring culture toms into, in the greenhouse, then used the contents as mulch for a couple of lasagne beds. No-dig spuds on spent hops grew tasty and fat last year. I've used it on weedy ground as a soil conditioner, with black plastic over the top, and veg planted through the black plastic.

It takes about a year for them to fully rot down. If they're in bags I prefer to put them on the plot straight away, if they are stored for any length of time in bags the stench is unbearable :-X

[vee]

They came in a trailer straight from the brewery the day after they were 'made' so they are really fresh and very wet after all the rain we've had.
I've put them on the bed I'm going to use for potatoes and also the bed for the runner beans and broad beans. I thought I'd leave them on the surface over winter and then just fork them in when spring comes. Does that sound a good idea or is it better to dig them in now?
No-one on our site has ever used them or has any experience of them. As I ordered them for 4 other people who have also put them on their beds I'm hoping they will do well on our soil which is quite heavy on the bottom of the valley and very sandy on the slopes.
Does the same apply to hops as manure about carrots forking or are they ok for everything?
Sorry if these are obvious questions but I feel responsible for the other people I've got them for and I can't find very much on Google.

[supersprout]

They came in a trailer straight from the brewery the day after they were 'made' so they are really fresh and very wet after all the rain we've had.
Snap - that's how ours came, but in bags.

I've put them on the bed I'm going to use for potatoes and also the bed for the runner beans and broad beans. I thought I'd leave them on the surface over winter and then just fork them in when spring comes. Does that sound a good idea or is it better to dig them in now?
Leaving on the surface sounds perfect! It will suppress weeds over winter too

No-one on our site has ever used them or has any experience of them. As I ordered them for 4 other people who have also put them on their beds I'm hoping they will do well on our soil which is quite heavy on the bottom of the valley and very sandy on the slopes.
Our allotment soil is silt/sand, sometimes turning to clay. The regulars swear by it as a soil conditioner, and have squirrelled away sacks and sacks of the stuff as our supply has been discontinued. There have been fisticuffs over 'stealing' sacks of hops on a normally friendly site :o The regulars dig it in, and I spread it on top, Spring and Autumn. Lavishly ;D

Does the same apply to hops as manure about carrots forking or are they ok for everything?
Good question, I don't have much luck with carrots (yet) but I've seen the regulars spread and dig, then set carrots and parsnips straight away, so the answer must be yes! I use as a soil conditioner rather than a nourisher, and soil conditioners are fine around root veg

Sorry if these are obvious questions but I feel responsible for the other people I've got them for and I can't find very much on Google.
I can understand that. When I first started using it I was lucky and the regulars on the plot enjoyed giving me instructions (daily lol). You could treat it as a joint experiment - those who are worried about forking carrots could leave it off the carrot beds (I wouldn't) and see what happens to those who used it. Nothing like learning together ;)

It's easily the most beautiful soil conditioner I've used, and o how I wish we had our supply back again :'( Count your blessings vee! :D

[vee]

Thanks SS for such a helpful answer. You've answered all my questions and it sounds wonderful stuff!
I got Joy Larkcom's book recently and it really stresses the value of adding bulky stuff to the soil, but it has been difficult on our site because of the residents nearby. They ring the council to complain if we get manure.
They came out to inspect the hops when they came and let their dog wee on them!  :o :o But no complaints yet. ;D

[valmarg]

Originally coming from Burton upon Trent, spent hops were readily available when I was young.  My dad used to get them from Bass and Trumans (uncles working there).  He used to leave them in a pile to 'weather' before digging them into the soil.  The object of leaving them to weather was to kill off any hop seeds (the pile used to get very hot in the centre).  Dad used to dig them into the soil, rather than using them as a mulch.  When they are dried out they wouldn't be much use as a mulch as they would get blown away.

As stated in an earlier posting, spent hops are a wonderful soil conditioner, there is very little, if any, nutritional value in them.

They will be very hard to come by these days, as for many years the big breweries have been using pelleted hops, rather than the real thing.
 

[moonbells]

hmmm, food for thought here. Have just dropped my local small brewery a line to ask what they do with their spent hops. I reckon I could fill several compost bins and mulch a large number of beds.

Just one question - do they attract slugs??  ;D ;D

moonbells

[supersprout]

Hi MB, good luck and let us know what response you get :D I've not noticed slugs at all among spent hops, just birdies frolicking in them when they're fresh! ??? :)