How to Grow Hops

Determine and prepare your site. The soil needs to be well drained, meaning it absorbs water, but does not hold water too much. You will drown them if the plant sits in a puddle. You want a location where either something exists or where you can install something for the hops to climb on. Many home gardeners use a simple trellis. Commercial growers use large systems of poles and wires to maximize their growth. A piece of twine tied to a roof or tree limb will also work. The hops need full sun, so don't hang your twine completely in the shade.

Plant your hop rhizome. When you do this will depend on your location, but generally you will want to plant it in early-late spring. Wait until after your last frost. Dig a circular hole with a radius about the size of the rhizome itself, 6-8" deep. Fill the hole to within a few inches from the top with loosely packed potting soil. Place the hop in the hole and cover with more soil. Make sure that the roots are pointing down and the white sprouts or nodes are pointing up. You only want about 1" of soil on top of the rhizome. Many growers form the growth site into a mound shape, to help encourage the area to drain properly. Water the rhizome in thoroughly.

Wait for the hop to sprout. Water regularly, everyday if possible. Depending on the beginning condition of your rhizome, you may have to wait 2-4 weeks before you see any sprouts break ground. If you haven't done so already, this is a good time to install a length of twine that the hops will grow up on. Soon you will see several shoots sticking up out of the ground.

Train the baby hop plants onto your stake/twine/trellis. As your hops begin to get taller, you will probably need to give them just a little help to make sure they attach on to the structure. You will only want to keep the 2-3 strongest shoots, so prune back any others that may come up. Continue to water regularly. The hops will continue to grow through the summer season. Given the proper conditions, the hops will generally grow up as tall as they have room. You want to make sure you have at least 6-8 feet vertically for them to grow. It might amaze you how quickly they can get very large. Make sure your support is strong enough to support the weight of the plant at full maturity (it can get up to 20-30 lbs).

When your hop cones are developed, it's time to harvest. The hop flowers look like small green cones. Wait until the cones are ripe - you'll know they are ready when leave a slightly sticky, oily residue on your hands. If it is too green, it will feel soft, moist, and it will remain compressed when squeezed. The ripe hop will feel more dry and lightweight than the hop that's not quite ready yet. Pluck the ripe hops from the vine, and keep them in a sealed container. Note that you might have several harvest cycles if your cones at the top of the vine ripen quicker.

Dry the harvested hops. There are several methods to do this. You can either use a food dehydrator or a well vented oven (don't exceed about 130 degrees). However, the simplest method is to spread them out on a raised screen outside (but make sure that bugs, critters, and wind won't disturb them). It is important to keep them well ventilated, or they can develop mold and become rancid, which will render them useless for brewing purposes. After a few days, they should be dry. When they are ready, they will be springy, and the stem will break instead of bend.

After you harvest the vine, cut it off at the ground, and cover the site with some type of groundcover (pine straw, mulch, etc). They will grow back next year. When next spring comes around, remove the groundcover and watch for new sprouts!