How to Prune Hop Vines

Thin the vines when they reach about 2 feet tall. The vines grow new from the root each spring. Cut back to the root all but the most hardy three or four vines.

Prune leaves off the bottom 4 feet of foliage once the vine reaches the top of the trellis or between 10 and 20 feet tall. This allows better air circulation through the growing vine and reduces the occurrence of mold and fungal infections.

Prune off any vines that grow over top of the trellis or support structure. Clipping back these leaders will encourage the vines to grow laterally and produce more foliage, flowers and cones.

Cut the vine off at ground level after the hops cones are mature. In some commercial operations, the vines are cut and removed from the trellis for harvest. In others, the hops cones are harvested on the vine and the plants are cut off after harvest.