Description
Prima Donna or First Gold Hop Plant/Rhizome
Prima Donna hop plant (otherwise known as First Gold) is a dwarf variety, designed to grow to a height of around 2-3 metres in a hedgerow system. Bred at Wye College in 1995 this is a plant at the cutting edge of hop breeding. It’s a good choice for small gardens where space is limited as it produces short laterals. If left to its own devices this hop will ramble over a trellis like any other variety.
Prima Donna will start green and turn a little yellow later in the season, with a large number of medium to large and compact cones. Due to its wonderful aroma, Prima Donna is used in brewing to produce a traditional light bitter, and other pale and Blonde ales, with a flavour described as fruity with spicy notes.
Substitutes: East Kent Goldings
| Characteristics | Tangerine, orange, cinnamon aroma, marmalade flavors |
| Purpose | Bittering & Aroma |
| Alpha Acid Composition | 5.6%-9.3% |
| Beta Acid Composition | 2.3%-4.1% |
| Co-Humulone Composition | 31%-36% |
| Country | UK |
| Cone Size | Medium to large |
| Cone Density | Moderate to compact |
| Seasonal Maturity | Mid |
| Yield Amount | 1100-1700 kg/hectare (980-1500 lbs/acre) |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Resistant to | Resistant to powdery mildew and verticillium wilt |
| Susceptible to | Susceptible to downy mildew |
| Storability | Retains 80%-85% alpha acid after 6 months storage at 20ºC (68ºF) |
| Ease of Harvest | Difficult |
| Total Oil Composition | 0.7-1.5 mL/100g |
| Myrcene Oil Composition | 24%-28% |
| Humulene Oil Composition | 20%-24% |
| Caryophyllene Oil | 6%-7% |
| Farnesene Oil | 2%-4% |
| Style Guide | Porter, English Bitter, Wheat Beer, Celtic Ale, Summer Ale, Amber Ale, Dark Amber Ale, India Pale Ale, Imperial India Pale Ale |
Hop Plant Care
Growing hops is easy! The instructions below are sent with each plant, and you can find more information on our Guides & Info page.
- Hop plants are a hardy perennial, best planted as a bare root during the dormant winter months.
- Hops like a well drained fertile soil and should be planted in open ground as soon as possible.
- Make sure the hole is deep and the crown well covered.
- Mark the spot with a screw peg.
- Install your support (trellis, coir string) for the plant to climb up before the spring.
- Small shoots should appear when the weather warms (April)
- Train the shoots clockwise during May & June.
- Harvest at the end of August.
Availability & Delivery
Dormant root stock becomes available in late November / December and is available to buy through to the following spring, as stocks last. Pre-order is available in September. This year (2021), a mild October has delayed lifting by a couple of weeks; so dispatches will not begin until Mid-December.
We plan to send all orders before Christmas, however please do not be concerned if your order arrives after the Christmas period. We use a Royal mail standard service and we recognise this may also cause delays in delivery.
Our dormant hop plants are wrapped with damp moss and are happy in transit for several weeks. Any delay will not affect the viability or health of your plants and they can still be planted mid-winter in January.
We do not send bare root hop plants overseas.
Hop Plant T&Cs
All of our plants are checked for viability and the presence of new shoots before we send them. We are confident that if you follow our care instructions you will have a happy hop plant. Do keep in mind that your plant will not reach its full growth potential until the third season, after it has put down roots and got established. In the event that your plant is not successful please get in touch here.
Overseas Customers: There is no refund/replacement policy for overseas deliveries that are not delivered or fail to grow. We cannot guarantee that your plants will not be seized or delayed at customs.
