How to Grow Hops for Beginners
- 1). Plant the hop plant in well-draining loamy soil. Mix approximately 50 percent aged manure with 50 percent topsoil before planting the hop canes.
- 2). Locate the hop plant in an area with full sunlight. Place the plant beside a fence line, trellis or climbing structure to offer support to the plant's heavy canes while they are growing.
- 3). Dig a hole 2 inches deep in the soil. Place the hop rhizome onto the soil vertically. Ensure that the rhizome's buds point upward. Gently cover the rhizome with soil.
- 4). Space rhizomes of different varieties at least 5 feet apart, but space those of the same variety only 3 feet apart, advises Northern Brewer. Apply 3 to 4 inches of mulch across the soil's surface to help keep the rhizome moist and reduce possible weed growth.
- 5). Water the rhizome thoroughly. Keep it moist but not overly wet.
- 6). Select two to six strong canes when the plant stands approximately 1 foot tall. Prune away all other canes.
- 7). Support the two to six canes on a trellis, pole with wire or fence line as they grow. Keep the branches from tangling. Continue to prune away and discard all other canes as they appear, but leave the two to six main canes to grow.
- 8). Fertilize the hop plant with a general-purpose fertilizer when it is six weeks old. Follow the directions on the label for application instructions. Fertilize again midsummer.
- 9). Prune all foliage on the lower 4 feet of the plant. Removing the foliage helps increase air circulation around the plant to reduce the possibility of disease.
- 10
Harvest hop cones when they turn a light green and feel like paper when touched. The harvest usually occurs from mid-August to mid-September, depending on the cultivar. - 11
Prune away the hop plant's canes after the first hard fall frost. Discard the canes. Add a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch over the plant's root system to protect it during the winter months.
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