Growing Your Own Hop Plants
Hop plants have been used since the 11th century as an important ingredient in brewing beer. The use of this perennial plant has gained it quite a popular reputation and has in fact encouraged many to grow their own hops for experimental beer brewing! Beer isn’t the only thing this great plant can be used for, though. How about a nice cup of hops tea? That’s right; many people enjoy a nice warm or iced brew of hops tea, which produces a crisp, refreshing taste similar to that of beer, only sans the alcohol! If the idea of growing your own hop plants sounds intriguing but you don’t have a clue how to get started, then read on as we discuss the beginner’s process to growing hops. You’ll find that there’s really nothing to it!
What You’ll Need
For starters, you need to ensure that you have enough room to grow your plant. Hop plants are climbers, which means that they will do most of their growing upward rather than outward. If you are planting more than one plant of the same hops variety, then you will need to make sure that you have enough room to leave at least three feet of space between each plant. If you are trying your hand at more than one variety, there needs to be a minimum of five feet between each plant. You will also need to construct some sort of trellis or fence to support the plant as it grows.
Once you are sure can accommodate hops plants, you need to obtain the rhizomes to plant. A rhizome is a cutting from the roots of another plant, which are then planted into the ground to grow an identical variety of plant. These should be refrigerated in a plastic bag to prevent drying until you are ready to plant them. You can start by calling your local garden center to inquire as to whether they have any hop rhizomes available. If they don’t, they may be able to special-order some for you. Alternatively, you can order them over the internet and have them shipped directly to your home.
Planting Your Hop Plants
Once your hops rhizomes have arrived, you should endeavor to plant them as soon as you can. Generally, planting should take place during spring after the threat of frost is gone. Try to wait no later than May to plant your rhizomes. When you are ready to plant, be sure to choose a spot that has a lot of sunlight. Hops need full sunlight (that is, about 7 hours of direct sunlight every day) in order to flourish, so be sure to accommodate this need. Before you plant the rhizome in the ground, turn over the soil in the area and mix in some manure or compost into the soil. Shoot for a ratio of about 40% manure/compost to 60% soil. Create a mound with the soil that reaches about 10 inches to a foot in height, then place the rhizome (root-side down) about four inches into the mound. Cover with soil. Water the soil just a bit, but not so much that it becomes soaked. Cover the mound with a sprinkling of mulch or hay to keep the moisture in.
Constructing Support for the Plant
Your hops plant will be shooting up from the ground in no time, and you need to be prepared! Although a heavy duty trellis or fence post will work, many people have found that the use of ropes attached either to a house or large pole work best. As the hops grow too large for the single rope, all you have to do is simply add another. You can also construct a very nice looking rope and pole support system for several hop plants—similar to the appearance of a maypole. To do this, simply place a heavy duty post into the ground and tie ropes from the top of the pole down to the ground. You can have up to six ropes per pole as long as the initial hops plants are spaced at least three or four feet away from one another.
Harvesting the Hops
The part of the plant actually used for culinary purposes is the “cone”. The best way to tell if the hops are ready to be picked is to go by appearance and feeling. Bright green cones that feel wet in your hand are usually not mature yet. Unripe hops can be confirmed by pressing on the cone—if the indention stays, then the cone isn’t ready to be picked. A lighter shade of cone that feels almost papery to the touch is more what you want to look for. Your hands may be left with a yellowish residue and a hops-like scent after touching them. Ripened cones are often much less damp than the unripe ones. Be prepared to harvest your plants several times during one season, as not all of the hops mature at the same rate. Don’t worry if your plant doesn’t produce much of a crop during the first year, though, as it is normal for the developing root system to hinder the hops production during this time.