Hops in Scotland - A Rough Guide

Fertiliser recommendation is based on soil status – our soils at the Institute are high in phosphate and moderate in potash, and this was reflected in the fertiliser regime as no phosphate was applied. A dressing of Muriate of Potash (MOP) was applied in late March to supply potash requirement. Nitrogen was applied as ammonium sulphate in three equal dressings in late March, mid- May and late June. Further information on fertiliser requirements can be found on the AHDB website – (ahdb.org.uk/documents/ RB209/RB209_Section7.pdf) Irrigation was programmed for 4 x 10 minute watering periods through the course of the day. This was however altered throughout the season to fit the crop’s requirements. AGRONOMIC REQUIREMENTS 3 We prepared the ground by cultivating ploughed ground with a rotovator before using bed-forming ploughs to produce raised beds. Before planting the hops by hand, we ran over the beds with a shaper to consolidate the beds and ensure a fine and compact seed bed. GROUND PREPARATION FOR PLANTING