1st Timer Growing Hops in NE Ohio

I am thinking about planting three or four hops rhizomes this spring. I am very new to brewing beer and any advice/help would be appreciated.

I don't know which rhizomes to purchase. I live in Ashtabula, OH which is an hour east of Cleveland. My home is about two blocks from Lake Erie with sandy soil. My beer preference is Stouts and Porters.

Help?!!? I was thinking Cascade, Willamette, then two others. Am I off target?

Thanks for any direction since it appears that I need to order them within the next few weeks.

With the varieties you're looking to plant, you shouldn't need to worry too much about ordering them soon. As long as you get them in the ground around Mother's Day, you should be good.

As far as what to plant...Cascade is a great starter plant. It's got high yield and it's very resistant to disease. Willamette is a little pickier. You won't get a very good yield from it the first few years (at least, I never have).

I would suggest Nugget since you like Stouts and Porters. It's a pretty vigorous grower like cascade. Just make sure you spray it with an organic japanese beetle deterant. For some reason, I've found that Japanese Beetles LOVE Nugget hops.

Whichever hops you end up choosing in the end, make sure you lay down a good bed of fertilizer/soil mixure. I like to mix a little manure and compost into my native soil and it seems to do great. Water them every day, twice a day on hot summer days. I have mine set up with a constant trickle watering system so I don't have to worry about it.

And, they will grow higher than you expect. When I first started growing, two of mine hit 20' the first year and I was only prepared for 12'. The climbed onto my garage roof (that was a pain to harvest.)

Sutherncomfrt - Thanks. Cascade sounds to be a definite. I was also hearing that Northern Brewer or Perle were good for Porters and stouts. Thnks again for the tips.