Hop Bother

[littlemark]

A cautionary tale: We have a Golden Hop which has completely taken over a corner of the garden, engulfing several other plants and shrubs which would rather not be engulfed. I decided it was time to hack the hop back a little, and despite knowing full well of the hops reputation as a skin irritant, I waded in with no more protection than shorts and short sleeved shirt. All seemed well until the following day when my arms and legs developed a wide range of rashes, blisters, and painful sores. Moral of tale, don't tangle with a hop plant unless well protected.

Mark

[momol]

Hi Mark,

Hope you get well soon ! it looks hurt... have you got any antiHistamine cream ? it help if there is no secondary infection. I don't have Hop, but I do have pretty sensitive skin, I even got very itchy skin from handling cucumber vine, or any other squash family . Thanks for the warning.

Nevi

[Nicos]

Had no idea about hops and allergies littlemark!!
That looks nasty
Hope it settles soon and thanks for the warning!

Do you think that if we drink more beer we'll be able to decrease our allergic reaction to hops?? ( just a thought!!)

[littlemark]

Do you think that if we drink more beer we'll be able to decrease our allergic reaction to hops?? ( just a thought!!)

Sadly not, although I intend to keep testing this theory for a few more years yet, just in case.

Mark

[moggssue]

I have exactly the same reaction all around my wrist and up my arm - lots and lots of red welts, blisters and sores - but I dont have any hops. There is obviously something in my flower border that doesnt like me but I have yet to figure out just what ..... and I'm up for testing the more beer theory by the way!

[Sue]

Littlemark
Thanks for the warning, was thinking about hops for next year, but respect man...

And can I add a cautionary note of my own, if you go blackberry picking careful where you tread, I trod on the end of a bramble runner which created a lovely loop to get my other ankle trapped in, then blow me if I didn't do it to the other leg, five minutes later, it now looks as if I've been wearing barbed wire ankle bracelets.
Sue