Growing Hops
Growing Hops on the Bine
Growing Hops
Growing hops is possible in almost every one of the United States of America. Hops obviously exist in Europe, Asia and other locations but I will stick with what I am familiar with, the USA. To grow hops you generally must be between the 35th and 55th parallel (see diagram below) elevation may make it possible to grow hops at slightly lower lattitudes. Some varieties of hops do better than others in the extremes of this range (some like it hot, some not). Currently, the northwest USA produces the largest crop of hops plants (Oregon, Washington Northern California…).
Hops (Humulus Lupulus) are a fast growing vine that requires large amounts of sunshine and nutrients from the soil to sustain their rapid growth. Hop vines can grow up to 30 ft in length. A perennial, which dies back every winter to the root stock also known as the crown. Hop plants can be grown from hop rhizomes (underground stems) or seed (but usually hops rhizomes – only want female hop rhizomes). Hop plantings are generally grown vertically but can be grown horizontally. Most Hops plants require a 4 month growing season.
Only the female hop plants flower (the flower is the hop). Males are used for pollination to seed the females but generally un-pollinated or seedless hops are preferred for brewing. Beer hops are used for brewing beers and ales to counteract the sweetness of the barley, to provide aroma and also works as a preservative. Hops have medicinal qualities and calming effects but that is out of scope for this blog.
Planting hops requires a nutrient dense, well drained soil with a PH between 6 and 8. Most hop growers go vertical with their plants so that must taken into consideration for planting. Since most people (at least in the cities) have a 1/4 acre or less, use a side of their house or garage or tall poles and twine or rope. Running twine from the ground to a roof line or overhang is very popular. A common configuration is twine from a ground anchor to an eyelet attached high on a pole, house, garage or other building and zigzagged up and down (using a latch hook on the high end for easy removal). If using a single pole, it would be a tee pee configuration. There are many ways to rig the vines but rope seems to work the best compared to trellises when it comes to harvest time.
Soil should be prepared at least a couple weeks before planting to allow the soil amendments to blend together. Soil should be dug down a foot or more to ensure the root stock can grow unimpeded. The soil should be mixed with organic materials (I am an organic kind of guy). Decomposed manure, compost, leaves and/or grass clippings and wood ashes are all good soil amendments for hop gardens. Drainage is very important for hop plants so be aware of slopes and valleys in the ground. If planting against a house or garage without gutters (on the down slope side) beware the roof runoff. A raised mound and drainage paths help in these cases and is a good idea for all hop planting.
Most hops are propagated from rhizomes, so that is what I will cover (besides I have never started from seed). If you have a short growing season, you can start hop rhizomes indoors. Once the threat of frost has passed, it is time to plant. Plant 1 to 3 hop rhizomes in a grouping or mound (1 is usually sufficient), 1 to 4 inches below the soil’s surface (I go 3 to 4 inches deep). Plant buds up and mounds about 3 feet apart, more (minimum 5 feet) if the next grouping is a different variety of hops.
When the shoots break ground and are about 1 foot long, select 1 to 3 of the hardiest hop bines (similar to, but different from vines) and train them to climb the rope in the same direction – most advise clockwise (not sure why). Like everything, there are different ways to go about this, either 1 pole or rope per mound or 1 on each side of the mound (2 ropes/twine) per mound – prune all other bines to focus all the growing energy to the selected vines or bines. Difference between bines and vines: vines send out grasping shoots. Bines use stiff hairlike follicles and wrapping around things to support themselves.
Depending on when you started or when the existing crowns started vines, the hops should be ready for harvest around mid August to mid September. When mature, the hops will be squeezable rather than solid and have a paper like texture. When you determine it is harvesting time, bring down the ropes or poles and pluck the hops from the vines. The hops must be dried, either in a dehydrator, an oven no more than 140 degrees(with the door open) or at room temp spread out on a single layer on a raised screen to allow airflow. Room temp drying is best for retaining flavor and aroma.
Once dried, the hops should be vacuum sealed and frozen for best results or fresh hops may be used immediately (after drying the hops). If not vacuum sealed, at least remove as much air as you can from a sealable freezer bag and then freeze. Shield the hops from light as that will prolong freshness also.
This is a bit abbreviated but gives you enough information to grow your own hops! Read some books on how to grow your own hops and/or do some more Internet research to gain additional tips, tricks, methods and theories to maximize your hop growing abilities. Just say no to hop drought and start growing hops.
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Very nice summary of the essential information for growing hops. I will add that if anyone plans to plant hops for the first time next spring, then NOW is actually a better time to begin preparing the soil, although just a few weeks before will be sufficient. Some things — lime in particular — take many months to sweeten the soil.
I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve taken the liberty of adding a link to your blog on the links page of Grow-Hops.
Also, if you are not already a member, I cordinally invite you and all other hop growers to join us — over 2,400 members — see my URL.
We’ve been hard to find because search engines don’t list us very well.
Cheers, and I look forward to further additions to your blog.
Bill Velek
I agree with Mr. Velek on the fact that this is a very informative article on growing your own hops. I live in northern California in an area where temperatures can get up to the 110′s in the summer. And i have to say, i was somewhat successful in growing my hops. Here were some of my mistakes that i plan to correct and hope other readers do NOT do when growing their hops:
1. I only bought one rhizome. Although this allowed me to focus only on it, it limited my options and didn’t allow me to expand my methods of growing. I plan to fix this by buying three rhizomes and planting them next spring.
2. I did not water them on a regular schedule. Living in a place where it is extremely hot during the summer, I felt i could water them every day or so. This was not the case. I would hand water my hops, and although this worked, they grew very slowly. I eventually got them hooked up to a hydration drip system, but I had to manually turn on and off the system because I did not have a timer, and my hops still grew slowly. I plan to fix this by Setting them up on a drip system, investing in a timer, and setting a regular schedule starting when I first dig my new holes.
3. My last and final mistake: I did not tell my neighbors. I planted the hops along the chain link fence so that they would have good support to climb on. however, I forgot to tell my neighbors who put the fence up. So, when my neighbors were doing some landscaping, and were spraying the vinca along the fence to kill it, they must have thought my hops were weeds too and sprayed them as well. I plan to correct this by planting my new hops in a raised bed that is not only away from the fence line, but also conveniently right outside my bedroom window so I can view them when i wake up.
I share this experience with the world not for pity, but for all those who wish to do something cool with their life and choose to grow hops may not make the same mistakes I did. You can follow the journey of my hops on my URL, and can also use the links there to buy he hops from the supplier that i did.
Hope everyone has a great day and a great experience with growing hops,
–Charlie Bierwirth
I think I know why it’s best to wrap the vines clockwise around the ropes. They’ll follow the sun’s movement from East to West that way.
I mailed a hops plant to my parents in Kansas. Wondering how it will do in that climate. They have a ground level patio open to the south and west that gets lots of sun. I envision it climing up to top then trailing around the perimeter and around the patio providing shade. Is this feasible?
PS
Have not told them what kind of plant it is or given any growing instructions at this time, just mailed it overnite yesterday.
Michael,
I would think it would do ok in Kansas. Make sure they water it daily, at least the first year. Have them mulch around it also to help the soil retain the water. Will they be planting in the ground or large container? Is their patio covered with a pergola or arbor? As long as they have something to climb, have them use twine if the bines don’t climb the lattice or whatever is in place. It should provide some good cover.