How to Plant Fresh Hops for Tea

Planting a few vines of hops allows you to make your own tea. Sweeter cultivars make better tasting tea. Because only the female plant produces the cone-like structures used in tea-making, plan on growing each hops plant from a cutting. Plant cuttings May 1 in U.S.D.A. hardiness zone 4 and about two weeks earlier for higher zones. Hops tea has traditionally been used for headaches, insomnia and liver function.

Things You'll Need

• Hops cuttings
• Shovel
• Trellis

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Purchase cuttings of hops, such as the "Teamaker" cultivar, that make sweet teas. Hop cultivars used for beer make a bitter tea.

   • 2

     Dig a hole near a wall, fence or trellis with ample room for the plant to climb. Each plant will climb 15 to 20 feet. The hole must be deep and wide enough to accept the roots of the cutting.

   • 3

     Place the roots of cutting into the hole and smooth soil back into the hole to cover. Soak the ground with water. Hops require frequent watering.