Home Grown Hops For Home Brewed Beer

Home Grown Hops For Home Brewed Beer

The hop plant (Humulus lupulus) has been cultivated for over 1500 years. Most people know of its use in flavoring beer, but it can also be used as an ornamental plant for your landscaping. This article is written for those who will use it for both.

The first order of business is to find the perfect spot to plant your rhizome. I recommend full sunlight for your plants. Hops can grow up to 20 feet in height when supported by a trellis but I opted to grow my hops up my backyard fence which is located next to my decking where I brew beer.

The hop rhizome can be planted either vertically or horizontally in a trench about 2 - 3 inches in depth. Surround the plant with a mound of soil to help direct water to the plant as you want to keep the rhizome moist until the first sprouts appear. After a few weeks you will want to train the plant on a trellis, I support my vines with some inexpensive wire fence screwed into my wood fence and I opted to weave my plants zigzag through my wire fencing in a 6ft by 6ft area. Most commercial growers will train 5 or 6 shoots on a trellis but I only train 2 at the most since I have limited space. Just cut back any unneeded shoots.

Like most plants don't over water your hops. If you water on a regular time table you may be hurting your hop plants. Keeping the soil moist all the time encourages only the top roots to spread. For a healthy plant you need the deep roots to grow so only water when the top soil is drying out. But don't wait for the leaves to turn brown or purple before you water just monitor the top soil. You will need to feed your hops on a regular schedule. I use an all purpose vegetable fertilizer that mixes with water.

Despite your best efforts, hops may be savaged by disease or pests. Downy mildew is the most common disease. Avoid the hot, moist conditions that favor spore germination. This is why I don't use sprinklers to water the plants. And I usually water early in the morning so the leaves can dry off.

The most common pest is the hop aphid. It is a tiny, soft green pest that sucks the juices out of the plant. They should be controlled before the hops produce cones, because once they get into the cones a black mold grows on their secretions rendering the cones unusable. Ladybugs are a natural enemy of aphids and will help keep them under control. Insecticidal soaps and diatomaceous earth are used successfully to control aphids. As a last resort, commercial insecticides might be needed.

Since hops are a hardy perennial once established they can be harvested for many years. And as a homebrewer this makes economical sense for me. And it adds a special touch using my own hops in my own beer. So why not enjoy both the looks and the uses of the amazing hop plant?

If you want to learn to brew beer, check out this video course...