The perennial hop plant, Humulus lupulus, is best known for the cone-shaped flowers that contribute flavor, aroma, and bitterness to beer. While starting a hop plant from a rhizome is straightforward, growing it to maturity demands significant commitment and specific infrastructure. Successfully cultivating hops requires a careful balance of environmental conditions, intensive manual labor throughout the growing season, and immediate post-harvest processing.
Initial Setup Requirements
The initial effort in growing hops centers on establishing a suitable long-term location and building the necessary support structure. Hops require a minimum of six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily and a temperate climate with at least 120 frost-free days.
The soil must be deep, well-draining, and rich in nutrients, with a slightly acidic pH (6.0 to 7.0). Heavy clay soils require amendment to improve drainage, as hops will not tolerate waterlogged roots.
The most significant physical barrier for new growers is the vertical support system, or trellis, required for the plant’s prodigious annual growth. Mature hop plants can grow bines up to 25 feet high in a single season.
While home growers can manage with a 14- to 15-foot structure, it must be exceptionally sturdy, capable of supporting the 20 to 25 pounds a mature plant can weigh. This towering infrastructure needs to be in place before spring growth starts, representing a substantial, one-time investment.
Year-Round Maintenance and Training
Once the infrastructure is built, the difficulty shifts to the consistent manual labor needed to manage the plant’s rapid growth. Hops demand consistent moisture throughout the growing season, especially during hot periods. Watering should be delivered directly to the base of the plant, often via drip irrigation, to ensure the foliage remains dry and prevent disease.
The most time-intensive job in the spring is training the bines, which are the plant’s annual stems. When young shoots are about three feet long, a grower must select only two to four of the strongest bines per plant. The weaker shoots are cut back at the crown to concentrate the plant’s energy into the selected few bines.
These chosen bines must then be manually wrapped clockwise around the support string. This training requires frequent attention to ensure they climb the trellis correctly and maximize sun exposure.
The plant demands consistent fertilization, with a nitrogen-rich formula often applied every two weeks from early spring until mid-July.
Managing Pests and Common Diseases
The constant monitoring required for hops is driven by the plant’s susceptibility to various pests and fungal diseases. Common insect threats are the Hop Aphid and the Two-spotted Spider Mite. Aphids feed by sucking sap, while spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions and quickly web over leaves.
Fungal issues like Downy Mildew and Powdery Mildew are persistent threats, especially where air circulation is poor. Powdery mildew appears as white spots, while downy mildew causes discolored blotches on the leaves.
Proactive management is the best defense, including removing the lower foliage to improve air flow. Regularly scouting the plant for early signs of infestation is necessary, which is challenging when inspecting the tops of 15-foot-tall bines.
Growers may use insecticidal soaps, fungicides, or introduce beneficial insects to control pest populations. Successfully managing these biological threats requires consistency and quick action to prevent crop damage.
The Labor of Harvesting and Processing
The final stage of growing hops is often the most demanding for the home grower due to the immediate, time-sensitive nature of the work. Hops are typically ready for harvest between late August and mid-September, depending on the variety and climate. Determining the precise timing requires checking the cones for a dry, papery texture and an internal yellow, aromatic powder known as lupulin.
The physical harvest begins with cutting down the towering bines, taking care to leave a few feet above the ground to protect the perennial crown. The cones must then be manually picked off the bines, a meticulous and labor-intensive task that is a major constraint for small-scale growers.
The work does not stop once the cones are picked, as fresh hops contain a high moisture content, often 76 to 84 percent. Immediate drying is necessary to prevent spoilage, mold, and the degradation of the valuable oils and aromas.
The goal is to reduce the moisture content to between 8 and 10 percent, which can be tested by bending the central stem until it is brittle and snaps. This critical step is often accomplished using food dehydrators or specialized screens, ensuring the temperature remains below 140°F (60°C) to preserve the delicate brewing qualities.