May was considerably substandard as to the temperature (by 2,3 °C) and above-average as to the precipitation (by 30,3 mm) compared to long-term average. There were 25 rainfall days during the month of May! These conditions caused the delay not only in spring works running (expecially hop training) but in hop growth as well. The height of hop plants was markedly different at the end of May. The average height however reached only approximately 2,0 m and that is less than last year. The delay in hop growth makes 7 to 10 days. During May the hop training and first hilling up have been started at all the area. Aphids migration from winter host plants to hops appeared just in a few isolated cases at the end of May. Chemical protection against peronospora was made. Health state of hops is very good. On 24th May Saaz area was hit by a strong wind and hail-storm. Approximately 200 ha of hops were damaged, 50 of them heavily. The attached photographs taken on 31st May show the actual hop-garden phase.