Hops Pest and Disease Control Methods and Technical Key Points

Downy mildew

This disease basically appears under relatively high temperature conditions, and it is also quite prone to occur when humidity is relatively high. Its main manifestation is that at first, an oily-looking, semi-transparent substance appears on the underside of the leaves. This condition gradually spreads to the entire leaf. If it is not treated in time, the leaves will slowly curl downward and finally turn black.

Once diseased plants are found, be sure to remove the plants that have already been infected as much as possible, so as to avoid transmitting it to the still healthy branches and leaves. The remaining branches and leaves cannot be left untreated either; the corresponding chemicals should be used for spraying.

Snails

These are most likely to appear when hops are still small seedlings. They mainly damage the leaves and newly grown stems, and may poke holes in the tender stems or even bite them off directly. This pest basically comes out only at night, so based on this characteristic they can be caught and killed. After killing them, they do not have to be thrown away; they can be used as feed or fertilizer. Weeding in time can also prevent this pest from appearing. If chemical control is desired, a certain dose of lime water can be chosen.

Bagworms

This is another relatively common pest. The leaves of infested plants will change color, and the overall growth of the whole plant will naturally be worse than before, so the number of flowers will be reduced. They appear in the two time periods of morning and evening. In good weather they basically hide on the underside of the leaves. The best control time is May and August. Once the pests are found, directly use chemicals to spray and kill them, once a week, for three consecutive times.