Some tips for growing hops

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Got Trub?

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2007
Messages
1,538
Reaction score
12
Location
Washington State
I've had some Cascade and Willamette hop vines growing for 7 years and thought I'd pass on some tips for those of you thinking of growing your own.

1) They spread. No really if you don't contain them they will spread...everywhere

2) They grow quickly during the spring so be prepared to have their trellis/string or whatever you are going to use ready and in place quickly after you see them sprout

3) The vines have a very rough surface that will give you a nasty "rope burn". Don't grow them somewhere people walk through or where kids will play unless you plan on keeping them pruned back - see also tip #2

4) Here in the PNW aphids attack them. Ladybugs are your friends. The vines are soon covered in ladybug larvae and hardly an aphid to be found :D

5) You can train them and they will go horizontal if you keep winding them around something.

6) A food dehydrator is great for drying the cones when you harvest them. Just use the lowest setting - and do it inside if you want to smell hop nirvana.

I'm sure others will have lots of tips and will hopefully add them.

GT
 
I live in michigan, & would love to get into growing my own. Sorry for the dumb questions, but I don't even know the basics...Can you start them from seed? (& if so who carries them) or do you have to locate "rihzones" are they called? all the infos' probably right under my nose, on this site, but...
 
Any idea of the yield on hops, as in, how much should be planted to get at least a modest harvest... (vs. time involved)?

I like the idea of training them horizontally, if feasible.
 
beergears said:
Any idea of the yield on hops, as in, how much should be planted to get at least a modest harvest... (vs. time involved)?

I like the idea of training them horizontally, if feasible.
I have heard that by the 3rd season you can harvest between 1 and 3 pounds of dried hops per plant. The time involved in harvesting is considerable as you have to hand pick all of those cones, however the rest of the season is fairly easy.
The first year I only got about 1-2 oz per plant but I did not water them and I have read not to expect much if any harvest the first year. I am thinking about setting up a rain barrel watering system for this year, I will have to see what kind of time and resources I have this spring.
Craig
 
k rock said:
I live in michigan, & would love to get into growing my own. Sorry for the dumb questions, but I don't even know the basics...Can you start them from seed? (& if so who carries them) or do you have to locate "rihzones" are they called? all the infos' probably right under my nose, on this site, but...

Yes hops can be grown from seed but, they are generally grown from the Rhisome as the Rhisome is a part of the host and will create a clone. The trouble with growing from seed is gender. The female of the species are the ones that 'fruit". Plus, the rhisomes you buy have not been near a pollenating male so they are also seedless. A bonus.

Rhisomes will be widely available starting March and will be gone come April. There is a very narrow sales period each year.
 
Do deer eat them? Here in southeast PA, white tails are everywhere and they will eat almost anything. How about squirrels?

We have no hunting season and few deer predators around this area (though I've seen a couple of very healthy looking coyote recently).
 
Squirrels are reputed to like young hop plants. I've heard to spread some red pepper flakes on the mound to keep them away. Deer like hops cousin, hemp, but I wouldn't know what to do about them except maybe harvest the deer.:D
 
SteveM said:
Do deer eat them? Here in southeast PA, white tails are everywhere and they will eat almost anything. How about squirrels?

We have no hunting season and few deer predators around this area (though I've seen a couple of very healthy looking coyote recently).

Mine grow in the upper portion of Central NJ and nothing, other than some aphids, bother them. If anything took a bite, I think the bitterness would turn them off. I do protect the bines early in the season though. Once they're about 6-8" long, they're open to predators...
 
SteveM said:
Do deer eat them? Here in southeast PA, white tails are everywhere and they will eat almost anything. How about squirrels?

We have no hunting season and few deer predators around this area (though I've seen a couple of very healthy looking coyote recently).

Mine are inside the deer fence. My experience (pre-deer fence) was that they will eat just about everything and try anything at least once...

GT
 
SteveM said:
Do deer eat them? Here in southeast PA, white tails are everywhere and they will eat almost anything. How about squirrels?

We have no hunting season and few deer predators around this area (though I've seen a couple of very healthy looking coyote recently).


They seem to leave mine alone (4 or 5 years).

I regularly have deer in my yard, and they will nibble on most plants.
I've even seen then grazing next to my trellis, but not on the hops themselves.

I'm guessing they prefer the other plants in my yard.
 
The first week in Jan. I cut some of the above ground branches from my 3 year old hop plant. I cut the branches into pieces about 6" long and put them in water. They rooted in about 2 weeks and I potted them a week later. The plants are growing so fast (2-4 inches per day) that I have to cut them back. I'm in western Pa. and they are going outside in mid march. Cutting down the first 2 or 3 vines is supposed to promote root growth and lead to healthier plants. I've never seen any plant grow so fast! Every single cutting grew. As far as I've seen, the deer stay away.
 
Shovhed1 said:
The first week in Jan. I cut some of the above ground branches from my 3 year old hop plant. I cut the branches into pieces about 6" long and put them in water. They rooted in about 2 weeks and I potted them a week later. The plants are growing so fast (2-4 inches per day) that I have to cut them back. I'm in western Pa. and they are going outside in mid march. Cutting down the first 2 or 3 vines is supposed to promote root growth and lead to healthier plants. I've never seen any plant grow so fast! Every single cutting grew. As far as I've seen, the deer stay away.

That's interesting. Were these the dead portions?...they must have been in January being it PA.

Got any links Shovhed1, you can share that speak of this propagating? technique... or maybe just something you tried on a whim?
 
How hearty are the hop plants? I live in the frozen tundra of South Dakota and we just experienced a February to forget...subzero and single digit temps for weeks...last week we hit 20 below. Will hop plants make it through a stubborn winter like this? You mentioned they can grow vertically...how much do they spread horizontally? Ok...one more...My parents live on a farm and have some nice black dirt...My soil is pretty gravelly...has anyone experienced any difference in growth with different types of soils?

Thanks
 
The book "Small scale organic hops production" states that you can propagate hops 3 ways. Rhizomes, cuttings, and seeds, with seeds being the least desireable due to male plants. The cuttings I took from the plant appeared to be dead branches, but there was evidence of small buds at the joints of the branch. I dont know if my plants have rhizomes yet because the ground is still frozen. These plants will be many weeks ahead of the rhizomes when weather permits me to dig them up.
 
Thanks Shovhed1, for book tip. i'll be reading up on propagation for experimenting next fall.

As far as my hops are doing, I can't wait to see what survives this brutal winter in WI. I got 5 different varieties. Thankfully I insulated them with those styrofoam "caps" gotten from Menards in the fall. Also the record snowfall (approaching 90in.) helps to insulate rhizomes from temperature swings.
 
From what I hear, it's possible to grow them in the cold areas as long as it isn't freezing on the shoots themselves. They should be tended to like any other plant though, and watch for frost early in the year, as it might kill the young growth.

Didn't know about the cuttings though. Might have to talk my friend into sharing his Cascade/centennial whatever it was he grew last year.
 
I propogated mine from the rhizomes that grow out horizontally underground. Just cut a few off in the spring and moved them to a new location and they took off.

GT
 
Another great thing to do if your an all grain brewer and you have room, you can start a compost pile with the spent grains. After a few months of sitting your spent grains can be put on the hop mounds. They brake down and add excellent nutrients to the soil helping your hops grow.
 
I live in oklahoma and it is generally pretty darn hot and humid most the summer. I am going to be growing them near a lake so it will be a little cooler. I already ordered 2 cascade, 2 centennial, 2 magnum, 2 nugget, 2 williamette and 2 sunbeam (ornamental hop for my mom). Do you think these will grow ok in oklahoma. Is there any special precautions I should take for some of them.
 
I'm going to be growing my first hops in the next couple weeks and I am really excited! Thanks for the tips!
 
Hi guys. This is my first post! I'm planning on growing hops this year and have some questions.

1. Does anyone know where I can find out which hops will grow in my area? Grand Forks, ND area. Growing zone 4a according to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map. Or, are all hop varieties as hardy as others? (Knowing the little I do about other plants, I doubt it)

2. How much can I expect them to grow every year in my area? I know hops can get 30 feet long. But can I really expect that amount of growth in my area? I have limited vertical room in the sunny spot in my yard (overhead power lines) and was hoping to make a trellis basically like a clothes line. Have them grow up a relatively short distance (6’-8’), then horizontally for a long distance. I need to know how long is long enough.

3. GT…you mentioned they will spread. What are your tips for preventing this? Can I assume that the lawnmower giving the “rogue” hops a haircut once a week would do?

I think that’s it…for now!
 
Back
Top