Crop report Nr.II - May 2005 (Saaz area)

1. Basic weather conditions datas

temperature °C

rainfalls mm

May can be evaluated as average in temperature and overaverage in rainfalls. First two decades were colder and morning temperatures felt even below 0 C, the third decade was warm and temperatures two days were even over 30°C.

2. Spring works development

The cold weather in the beginning of the month slowed down hop growth and that is why the training of Saaz variety started about May 5th, hops cuted after Apríl 20th was not ready for training and was nessesary to wait for optimal height. Due to this reason training works finished in last days of May. In last years was apperance of hemp flea beetle increased, thats is why was nessesary to use chemical treatment against it. Rainy weather created conditions for spreading primary downy mildew, that is why the chemical spraying mainly for VF Saaz and new Czech varieties was used. The apperance of mites or red spider was not mention.

The third decade of May was optimal from the point of wiev temperatures and rainfalls, it had good influence on the growth of the hops and in present time are hopgardens mostly in good condition and the hops includive later cuted hops reached usual growth typical for this time.

Gennerally we can evaluate the stage of hops like average at the moment.