hopleaf
Member
as a avid homebrewer and very fond gardener i have found great joy from growing my own hops at home. i aslo own a one acre hop farm where i grow all the hops organically. i then sell the hops to a local brew pub and a local brew store. i also sell hop rhizomes in the spring so that other people can enjoy the great rewards of growing hops at home.
not only are hops a beautiful plant to have in your home landscape they produce very valuable flowers and fruit. an ounce of hops goes for anywhere from just over $1 to $2 which can add up when brewing your own. in fact ever since i started growing my own hops several years ago i was able to pretty much cut my brewing cost in half. i was brewing 5 gal batches for like 10 bucks. a 5gal batch usually= about 50 12oz beers.
hops are a hardy perennial which produce annual bine(not vines) from a permanent root stock. the bine can reach anywhere from 25-30 feet in a single season , but will die back to the crown or root stock each fall. actually hops have rhizomes which differ from roots. they resemble roots, but possess numerous buds and are used for vegetative propigation. similar to cloning. just like cannabis only the female hop plants produce the flowers used for brewing or medicinal purposes. commercial hop farmers will use male plants to pollinate the females to stimulate higher yeild(i wonder if that could be useful for hash makers?) hops are very sensitive to short days and low yeilds will result at latitudes too close to the equator. a healthy hop plant can produce up to 3 pounds in one season.
you will need to build some kind of trellis for your hops to grow on. they can grow vertical or horizontal as long as they get full sun and plenty of fresh air, so keep them off the ground. be prepared for serious growth as in five years a single hop bine can easily weigh 100 pounds. they also can grow up to a foot a day, so be prepared for them to out grow any plant near them. a strong trellis is needed for long term growers. also remember that you will need at least 30 feet of space for them to grow....well my hands are getting tired, so i'm gonna take a break for now. heres a few pics to keep you happy until tomarrow.
not only are hops a beautiful plant to have in your home landscape they produce very valuable flowers and fruit. an ounce of hops goes for anywhere from just over $1 to $2 which can add up when brewing your own. in fact ever since i started growing my own hops several years ago i was able to pretty much cut my brewing cost in half. i was brewing 5 gal batches for like 10 bucks. a 5gal batch usually= about 50 12oz beers.
hops are a hardy perennial which produce annual bine(not vines) from a permanent root stock. the bine can reach anywhere from 25-30 feet in a single season , but will die back to the crown or root stock each fall. actually hops have rhizomes which differ from roots. they resemble roots, but possess numerous buds and are used for vegetative propigation. similar to cloning. just like cannabis only the female hop plants produce the flowers used for brewing or medicinal purposes. commercial hop farmers will use male plants to pollinate the females to stimulate higher yeild(i wonder if that could be useful for hash makers?) hops are very sensitive to short days and low yeilds will result at latitudes too close to the equator. a healthy hop plant can produce up to 3 pounds in one season.
you will need to build some kind of trellis for your hops to grow on. they can grow vertical or horizontal as long as they get full sun and plenty of fresh air, so keep them off the ground. be prepared for serious growth as in five years a single hop bine can easily weigh 100 pounds. they also can grow up to a foot a day, so be prepared for them to out grow any plant near them. a strong trellis is needed for long term growers. also remember that you will need at least 30 feet of space for them to grow....well my hands are getting tired, so i'm gonna take a break for now. heres a few pics to keep you happy until tomarrow.
thanks a lot man. thats what i live for. those are some great varieties you have there. definatly try to keep us posted on how they go. ever since i my first hop plant i have been trying to spread the greatness and rewards of growing hops in your garden. i know once you see how insanely vigorous they grow you will be hooked on hops forever. they really are so much fun to grow that i have a smile every second i get to tend my bines.
