I'm in my third season with the Cascades, and it's been odd. The previous two seasons, it seemed that all the hops grew at the same rate, and matured at the same time. This year, I've got a ton of hops, and some are bigger than I've ever seen, and some are still practically buds. Should I be picking the big ones, in hopes that it helps the smaller ones grow? The last two years, I wasn't picking anything until well into September.
The best answer is that it depends. The variety, location and soil, climate,and the the growing conditions for that year, all factor in. You need to determine harvest time by examining the cones. The tips of the cones should turn brown, look at the lupilin glands and those should be a deep yellow. Pinch the cones, they should make a papery sound and not spring back. If they feel moist, not ready. Pull a cone off and rub it between your hands, it it smells like commercial hops, it is ready, if it has little smell then let it mature longer. Some years it takes 5 or 6 weeks to harvest all of my varieties. Some plants get picked twice as you suggest.
I am experiencing the exactly same thing with my Cascades this year. Very strange, indeed. I chalk it up to the extremely dry spring here this year.
Picked most of my hops in early July this year, although my 2nd harvest of Chinooks and some later maturing varieties look like they will be ready in a couple of weeks.
