Grow Your Own Hops For Beer: A Step-By-Step Guide

Hops are an essential ingredient in beer, adding bitterness to balance the sweetness of the malt. They can be grown at home with minimal maintenance, but it can be challenging to get started. Hops require a lot of vertical space and a sunny spot to grow, as well as nutrient-rich, well-drained soil. The process begins with procuring rhizomes, which are root segments taken from older plants, or young hop plants. These can be purchased online or from local homebrew shops. Hops should be planted in late spring after the last frost, and they require frequent watering to keep the soil moist. A trellis or similar structure is necessary to support the hops as they grow, and pruning is required to remove weak or damaged plants. Hops are typically harvested in late summer or early fall when the cones are dry and papery. After harvesting, the hops must be dried before use or storage.

Choosing the right location: hops need 6-8 hours of sun a day and plenty of vertical space to grow

Choosing the right location is crucial when growing hops for beer. These plants require ample sunlight, vertical space, and proper drainage to thrive.

Hops need plenty of sunlight to grow, so it is essential to select a location that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. A south-facing spot is ideal, as it maximizes sun exposure and provides the warmth needed for the plants to grow vigorously. While hops can tolerate partial shade, they will grow more slowly and may struggle to bloom without sufficient sunlight.

In addition to sunlight, hops require ample vertical space to climb and grow. In a single season, hops can grow up to 25 feet in length, with some varieties reaching even greater heights. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure your chosen location has enough vertical space or a suitable structure, such as a trellis or fence, for the hops to climb. Allowing for more than 10 feet of vertical growth will help ensure the vines have room to grow and prevent issues like mildew and infestation.

When selecting a location, it is also important to consider the soil type and drainage. Hops prefer well-drained, loose, and porous soil. Standing water can lead to root rot, so creating a hop hill with soil mixed with gravel or sand can improve drainage if needed. The pH of the soil should be between 5.5 and 8.0, and regular watering is necessary to keep the soil moist without oversaturating it.

By choosing a location with ample sunlight, vertical space, and proper soil conditions, you can create an ideal environment for your hops to flourish and ensure a successful harvest for your beer-making endeavours.

Preparing the soil: hops thrive in light, well-drained, slightly acidic soil

Hops thrive in light, well-drained, and slightly acidic soil. The soil's pH level should be between 5.5 and 8.0, with a higher number indicating a more alkaline soil type.

To test your soil's drainage, dig a hole approximately 12-18 inches wide and deep, fill it with water, and then monitor how long it takes for the water level to drop after draining completely and refilling. Ideally, the water level should decrease by about an inch per hour.

To improve drainage, incorporate organic matter such as compost or shredded leaves into the soil. For unplanted beds, spread 3-4 inches of organic matter and work it into the top 8-12 inches of soil. For planted beds, add a couple of inches of compost to the surface annually, allowing nature to mix it over time.

If you want a quicker solution or wish to avoid digging, consider building raised beds 6-8 inches above the existing soil level. Fill these beds with a combination of high-quality topsoil (40-60%) and compost or other well-decomposed organic matter.

To make your soil more acidic, add organic materials such as compost, composted manure, or composted oak leaves. For small-scale gardeners, peat moss is a popular choice due to its pH level of around 3.0 to 4.5. Apply 2-3 inches of peat moss to your soil and till it to a depth of 6-8 inches. However, this option may not be cost-effective for large gardens.

Alternatively, you can use elemental sulfur or iron sulfate to lower the pH level, especially if you have clay soil. Elemental sulfur is a slow-acting amendment that won't shock your plants, while iron sulfate produces faster results within 3-4 weeks.

Buying and planting rhizomes: buy in March or April and plant 3 feet apart, at a depth of 1-2 inches

When buying rhizomes, timing is key. You can pre-order rhizomes as early as January, but this is only necessary for in-demand varieties. Generally, you should buy your rhizomes in March or April and keep them in the refrigerator until it's time to plant.

When planting, choose a location with lots of sunlight and good drainage. Hops grow like vines and require plenty of vertical space, so be sure to incorporate a trellis system or something similar to support the vines as they grow.

The rhizomes should be planted 3 feet apart, with different cultivars at least 5-6 feet apart to prevent tangling. Bury each rhizome about 1-4 inches deep, oriented horizontally with any visible buds pointing up.

Watering and fertilising: keep the soil moist, but avoid overwatering. Feed hops with fertiliser that's high in potassium, phosphates and nitrogen

Watering and fertilising are key aspects of growing hops for beer. Hops require regular watering, but it is important not to overwater them. The goal is to provide enough water to help the plant establish its roots without causing the rhizomes to rot. Hops also need fertiliser to grow, and there are several options to choose from.

When watering hops, it is important to find the right balance. The plant needs enough water to grow, but too much water can cause the rhizomes to rot. Once the first shoots break the surface of the soil, growth will accelerate, and the plant may grow up to a foot per day during the summer months. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor the soil moisture and adjust watering accordingly.

Regarding fertiliser, hops typically require a ratio of 3:1:2 of nitrogen, phosphates, and potassium, respectively. However, this can vary depending on the specific needs of the plant and the composition of the soil. It is recommended to perform a soil test to determine the levels of nutrients in the soil before fertilising. This will help guide the choice of fertiliser and ensure that the hops receive the necessary nutrients without overloading them.

There are several types of fertiliser available for hops, including organic and inorganic options. Organic fertilisers, such as blood meal, bone meal, and composted manure, release nutrients slowly and safely and provide additional micronutrients. Inorganic fertilisers, such as ammonium sulfate and urea, can also be used but may require more careful application to avoid stressing the plants. Additionally, hops benefit from nitrogen-rich fertilisers due to their rapid growth, but it is important to reduce the nitrogen content as the plant approaches flowering.

Overall, finding the right balance with watering and fertilising is crucial for successfully growing hops for beer. By providing adequate water and the necessary nutrients, you can promote the healthy growth of your hops plants.

Training and trimming: train hops to grow up a trellis and trim the weakest shoots to encourage vertical growth

Training and trimming hops is a crucial step in obtaining maximum yields. Hops grow vertically, so they need a support system to climb. You can use a trellis, bamboo, poles, or string. The most common method is to use a rough twine, which allows the hops to grab on and makes it easier to train the bines and harvest the hops.

When the hops have grown to between 6 and 12 inches, trim each rhizome to four or six bines. Then, begin to train them around your chosen support system. This is done by gently weaving the vines around the support in a clockwise direction. If done anti-clockwise, the hops will fall off. A popular method is to have two tied-off string supports with 2 or 3 bines trained around each.

To encourage strong growth, you can chemically prune the hops in the spring. This will promote the growth of secondary shoots and reduce disease. However, pruning should be done before May 1st, and if the hops have not been pruned by then, it is best to skip pruning for that season. Training should be done by June 1st at the latest, according to research from Michigan.

As the hops continue to grow, you can trim back the untrained shoots to ground level and mulch to control weeds. You can also prune the first spring shoots to encourage more robust secondary shoot growth. Once the shoots are 1 to 2 feet tall, pick 2 or 3 of the strongest shoots and train them to climb. Removing the weakest shoots will give you a more robust plant and a better yield.

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