Growing Hops at Home

Beer drinkers are familiar with the heart-shaped, lobed leaf and bright green cones of the hop plant (Humulus lupulus) from graphics on countless beer labels. The cones of this plant lend a pleasantly bitter flavor to many beers, most notably in the IPA variety (India Pale Ale). In fact, the addition of hops as a preservative was necessitated by the long voyage of beers brewed in England and shipped to India in the 1700s. Hops are native to North America, Europe, and southwest Asia. Though seemingly exotic, hops are not difficult to grow in the home garden. Here are a few facts and tips, based on my own experience growing Cascade hops for many years.

Getting Started

Many garden centers and mail-order suppliers now offer hop plants. Hops are usually propagated through rhizomes, or runners, spreading from a mature plant. Hops are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Only the cones of unfertilized female plants are used in brewing. Since only female plants are used commercially, you will be purchasing a clone of these plants, also female. Cascade is the most common variety offered, and, unless you are a brewer with a need for a specialty type of hops, this is probably the best variety to try. Other hop varieties grown in Pennsylvania gardens are Centennial, Chinook, Comet, Nugget, and Willamette. Hops are perennials with vigorous roots that can really take hold of a spot in your garden; if planting them in the ground, choose a spot where they can remain. They prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil in full sun to partial shade. Some gardeners grow hops in containers—5-gallon plastic buckets are a practical choice. These buckets should have drainage holes drilled in the bottom. You can sink the buckets into the soil if their appearance is objectionable.

Support

Hops are not technically vines, but bines. They do not send out tendrils like grape vines; their entire stem grows in a clockwise helix and encircles a support. The strong, somewhat sticky hairs on their stems can cling to almost anything, and they will quickly provide a lush, green backdrop on a fence or trellis. If you are more concerned about the production of cones and less about the ornamental factor, secure a strong, thick rope or a sturdy pole near them and allow for 16 to 20 feet of growth. Home growers often run taut twine from the top of a pole down to each plant to guide the young bines upward. Textured natural twines, such as coir, sisal, or hemp, work especially well to encourage the bines to begin their upward climb. Some gardeners report using cattle fence panels as an alternative support.

Growing and Harvesting

Newly planted hops should be allowed one complete growing season before any cones are harvested. When the bines appear the second year and thereafter, cut back all but four to eight of the strongest bines and train those on the support. In fact, the first flush of growth can be cut back completely, since the next flush will be stronger. Water deeply twice a week if the weather is dry, especially when establishing the plants. Fertilize hops several times during the growing season. Information for commercial hop growers suggests that the fertilizer should be higher in nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) than in phosphorus (P). For example, 10‑5‑10 or 12‑4‑8 are appropriate fertilizer blends.

Small, fuzzy green cones will begin to appear in early summer and grow to about one-and-a-half inches, depending on the variety, by mid to late summer. Wait until the cones are dry and papery to harvest. At this point, you should be able to smell and feel the sticky, yellow lupulin when you squeeze the cones. Lupulin is what imparts the distinctive flavor to beer.

Common Hop Problems

Excessive spreading is the most common problem cited by hop growers. My Cascade hops are planted near other perennial plants, and the lawn area, and I have not seen new shoots emerging beyond the original planting site. The bines, however, do tend to climb on nearby plants, shrubs, and garden structures. Simply cut them back. Growing hops in containers, as described above, is a surefire way to avoid unwanted root spread. Although in many cases the roots will grow down through the drainage holes into native soil, making it difficult to move the buckets at the end of the growing season. Cutting the roots at the bottom of the bucket should not affect the plant's overall health.

When spotted lanternflies first made their appearance in Pennsylvania, we were warned that hops were a favorite food source, in addition to grape vines. This was based on reports of their behavior in South Korea, where they are also an invasive insect. My hops are located in Lancaster County, close to ground zero for the spotted lanternfly invasion, yet I have never observed a spotted lanternfly on my hops. But other Pennsylvania growers report enough problems with spotted lanternflies to motivate them to remove the hop plants.

Japanese beetles also seem to have a strong affinity for hops, feeding on both leaves and cones. I have found timing working in my favor, since during the period when Japanese beetles are most prolific, early summer, the cones are still small enough not to attract a lot of attention from Japanese beetles. Control measures for Japanese beetles on hops are the same as controlling them on other plants: if possible, site them in morning rather than afternoon sun; prune off plant material they have already damaged, since Japanese beetles secrete pheromones to attract their kin to feeding areas; and handpick Japanese beetles, knocking them into a jar of soapy water to kill them.

Hops and the Environment

The common hops (Humulus lupulus) described in this article originated in America and Europe. Despite their propensity to spread via rhizomes, they are not considered invasive in North America. They are host plants for eastern comma and question mark butterfly larvae, both North American native butterflies. On the other hand, Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus, aka Humulus scandens) are invasive pests in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada. According to Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Japanese hops form thick mats that smother other vegetation and aggressively climb and cover shrubs and trees, particularly in riparian areas and flood zones. They resemble common hops, but their leaves have 5 to 7 lobes, whereas the leaves of common hops usually have 3 lobes. Japanese hops are annuals; their fertile seeds are spread by animals and floodwaters. They can be hand-pulled, but heavy gloves are necessary because of their prickly stems. They can also be controlled with systemic herbicides. (It is important to note that Sorachi Ace hops, developed in Japan and prized for brewing, are a variety of Humulus lupulus, not the invasive Humulus japonicus. Humulus japonicus hops do not possess the appropriate chemistry profile for brewing.)

Even if you do not brew your own beer, hops in your home garden will provide you with a beautiful, fast-growing screen and a source of food for two native butterfly species. They may be a curiosity to passersby, and you can use the opportunity to show your neighbors this important key ingredient of beer!