Growing hops

Just wondering what everyone's general experience has been with growing your own hops. Almost time to order some rhizomes...


http://www.jackieboybrewing.com

Well, I've gotten to the "no crop the first year" stage. Should do better this year. Many of the homebrewers in the area grow their own. Of course, the PNW is the prime hops growing region in the USA.

david_42 said:

Well, I've gotten to the "no crop the first year" stage. Should do better this year. .

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Mine too. I didn't have any crop from the 2 I planted last year. I'm expectin gthis year to get some results. Enough to dry hop with anyway.

I'm also going to order Cascade, Willamette, Glacier and Simcoe rhizomes this year.

I learned a crapload about growing hops on a podcast that featured Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River. Amazing info.

I learned a crapload about growing hops on a podcast that featured Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River. Amazing info.

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quit holding out and share with those of us less technologicly advanced

I didn't harvest any last year (which was the second year for the rhizosome), but I believe that was because of the abnormally dry summer we had here and I didn't do a good enough job of keeping them watered. I will do better this year.

They are very easy to grow. You might not get any from the first season. Plant them on the most sunny, hot dry , side of the house. They like a ton of water. I nailed garden string to the eve of the house to let the vines climb. Plant them with lots of fertilizer and peat or spag moss.

The company i work for has hops growing down a fence at the front of the building,i could harvest some next year .How can i tell if they are more suited to bittering or aroma(apart from a little test and evaluation )?

Any ideas

There are certain people who have the equipment to determine what the alpha acid content. You can send them a sample and they'll tell you what the AA% is. Of course, I think it costs money and I don't know of any off the top of my head, so I suppose I'm not so helpful.

Test and evaluation it is then(just remember to start of light )

this will be my third year. cascade, crystal, saz and liberty.

I got 2 oz of cascade both years also crystal but the saz and liberty barely produce a handfull but I've been growing them in 5 gallon pots (I know they are root bound big time). I just cut down and put in garage and they come back when it warms up.

I tie some twine to the eves of my house over the deck and away they grow.

they want 100% all day sun and lots of water and good soil. they look nice also for shade or whatever and it is fun to pick a ripe cone off and chew it while enjoying a homebrew in the sun!

I got a couple off ebay so watch their as well.

david_42 said:

Of course, the PNW is the prime hops growing region in the USA.

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Yeah. The Frazer Valley near Vancouver, BC used to have hop plants everywhere, now they've been cut down and the new crop is megamalls, condos and Grape Vines. Yes, grape vines. Must be 10 new wineries that have popped up in the last couple years. I thought wine grapes were best grown on hill sides not fertile farm land.

Not sure if they even grow hops in BC any more. Sniff... So Sad...

I'm going to give it a go this year to see if they'll grow out here.

I have a horse cover (no horses) at about 10' high that I plan on training them to climb up if it works. It's in an area with enough shade to not take 100% of the desert heat all day.

Anyone ever try or heard of growing hops in the desert? I thought I heard cascade can handle it here with enough h2o so I was thinking of trying those.

Should I even bother to try growing here in Southern Ontario?

jaymack said:

Should I even bother to try growing here in Southern Ontario?

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Yeah i think your zone is ok for them. I am planning on growing mine in chicago and a couple up in door county Wisconsin (that little peninsula)

I live in the snowbelt 30 miles from erie (the lake!) and we have basically no summer and they grow fine for me. just watch the frosts the first part of the year and cover them when they sprout if you fear a frost is going to happen. I'd give it a try. good luck.

I've been wondering about the Okanagan. Wine country. But its like 40c in the summer and usuually -10 to -20c in the winter, very dry climate. (This year its bean mostly above freezing).

I'm guessing with proper irrigation they would grow well in the summer, but how much direct sunlight can they handle. Like should they be in shade for part of the day?
And what about the winter months?

Denny's Brew said:

I've been wondering about the Okanagan. Wine country. But its like 40c in the summer and usuually -10 to -20c in the winter, very dry climate. (This year its bean mostly above freezing).

I'm guessing with proper irrigation they would grow well in the summer, but how much direct sunlight can they handle. Like should they be in shade for part of the day?
And what about the winter months?

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They'd be fine in winter (think Germany). I don't grow them yet but believe it's pretty much like grapes or better yet a rose bush; Cut em back to the ground at end of season right hop-dudes?

I also read full sun and like water. Your full sun would be probably great, mine would be bad.

Just wondering...maybe a little caution...my friend's dad grows his own hops. He had to get special permission from the municipality though to be able to do this since they are an invasive species. Anyone know about areas that have rules like this, besides mine?