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Growing hops

In recent years the popularity of microbreweries and home brewing has been on the increase. Unfortunately, due to less production and higher demand, the rising shortage of hops has increased the cost of beer production to home brewers and microbreweries. Hops, the bittering agent that gives beer its distinctive flavor is a key ingredient. There are many varieties of hops, each imparts a different aroma and flavor to the beer.

Hops (Humulus Lupulus) is a hardy perennial that is grown from the rhizome of a female hop plant. It can grow vines up to 25 ft in one season which will die back in the winter. It requires 120 frost-free days to produce ripe flowers and given the right conditions will yield ½-2 pounds of dried flowers per vine.

Plant the rhizome in full sun and deep in well-drained soil, with a ph of 6-7.5. The top of the rhizome should be 1 inch below the soil surface. If you plant more than one variety, plant them at least 5 ft. apart to avoid mixing of vines, otherwise plant them 3ft apart. When the vines are 1ft tall be sure to provide a trellis or support ( twine) to climb on and choose the best 2-3 vines to wind around the support. Leave a few for backup (in case of frost) and prune away the rest . Once they get started they can grow as much as 12 inches per day. Around the end of June the plant will grow sidearms (flowering stage) which produce the hop cones.

The first year of growth is critical in establishing the root system, so be sure to keep the plants well watered (not soaked) weed free and mulched. A side dressing of a balanced fertilizer or compost tea during the growing season will help produce optimal growth. You may not get many hops the first year but production should increase in subsequent years.
Hop rhizomes can be purchased at Homebrew supply stores as well as on the internet.
Hops also make an attractive vine.