Hop Production

Hops are one of the four key ingredients for making beer (along with grain, water, and yeast). Hops give beer its unique flavor and aroma and are key to preventing spoilage. The hop industry in North America was originally centered in the northeastern United States, but disease pressure spurred the relocation of hop production to the drier climate of the Pacific Northwest. The growth of the craft brewery industry in the Northeast, coupled with a series of hop shortages in the Pacific Northwest from 2013 to 2015, renewed interest in hop production in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

The hop plant, Humulus lupulus, is native to North America. It is an herbaceous perennial that can grow to a height of 20 feet or more on a high trellis system. Hop plants die back to ground level each winter and regrow from fleshy rhizomes located just beneath the soil surface. Hop plants are considered long-lived and may remain productive on good sites for 25 years or more.

In 2019, the average yield of dry hops in the United States was 1,981 pounds per acre at an average price of $5.68 per pound for total sales of $637 million. Pennsylvania growers should expect to harvest 1,100 to 1,500 pounds of dried hops per acre using standard commercially available hop varieties.

Marketing

Hops are a global crop with production emanating from China, Europe, Canada, and the United States. The majority of U.S. hop production occurs in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Production of hops in the eastern United States has proved to be more difficult due to disease pressure that is not as common in the production areas of the Pacific Northwest. East Coast growers will need to be aggressive in their approaches to disease and insect management in order to harvest high-quality hops.

 Harvested hops can be sold fresh (as wet hops to be used immediately by breweries) or dried, processed, packaged, and held in cold storage until they are used. Fresh hops are very perishable, and while popular in some brewery circles, they are not utilized in large amounts by the majority of craft brewers in Pennsylvania. Dried, packaged hops are typically sold in two forms, either as whole-hop cones that have been compressed or cones that have been blended, hammermilled, and pelletized. Both types of dried hops are stored frozen until sold. Craft brewers typically prefer dried hops for use in the brewing process due to the consistency of the final product.

Dry, pelletized hops are considered the norm for commercial craft brewers due to consistency of supply and ease of use, and they are typically packaged in 11- or 44-pound vacuum-packed or foil bags. These bags lock in the aroma and essential oils that are so critical to the quality of the final brewed product. Some small growers have been able to carve a niche for themselves with fresh, wet hops at the local level, but continued expansion of their business enterprise will require additional investment in processing equipment and freezer storage. Before embarking on hop production, contact brewers in your area to determine their market preferences for wet and dry hops.

Site Selection  and Preparation

Hop plants prefer a deep, rich, well-drained soil. Prior to planting, you should have a clear understanding of the soil types on your prospective planting sites. Sites underlain by rock may make the erection of the trellising system difficult and expensive. Sites that have perched water tables or that are poorly drained are not suitable for hop establishment and growth. Hops require full sun to maximize the oil and aroma characteristics of the hop cone (Figure 1). While the hop plant will tolerate light shade, it is also often more susceptible to foliar diseases if shaded.

Plant-parasitic nematodes can effectively transmit fungal and viral diseases to the hop plant. Nematode assays should be conducted at least two years before the anticipated establishment of the hopyard. Soil samples for nematode assays should be taken in early fall and shipped overnight to the closest nematology lab. A listing of nematode labs can be found in the "For More Information" section below. If nematodes are detected at levels where injury could occur, you should locate another site free of nematodes or postpone planting until biofumigation has been undertaken. Several biological nematicides are entering the market, but little research has been conducted on their efficacy and application in existing or new hop yards.

Because hops are a long-lived perennial crop, care must be taken to eliminate perennial weeds and brush from the site before planting. Growers who are planning to establish a hopyard should also consider chisel plowing followed by disking and harrowing. Planting a biofumigant crop like rapeseed in the fall for two years before establishing the hopyard can reduce nematode numbers naturally. Planting sorghum-sudangrass in the summer following the initial rapeseed planting will also reduce nematode numbers.

Trellis Design

Hop plants require a tall trellis to accommodate annual growth, which can often exceed 20 feet. Most growers will work with a consultant to lay out the hopyard to ensure its structural integrity. Larch, cedar, or locust posts are frequently used by growers to support the network of cabling that is required to support the hop plants. Hop poles can be sourced locally from sawmills or specialty suppliers.

Post holes for the trellis poles must be dug approximately 3 to 4 feet deep. Approximately 100 poles are required per acre to support approximately 1,000 hop plants. The presence of bedrock or limestone near the soil surface can significantly impact the cost of erecting the superstructure for your hopyard. Dig several test holes before choosing your final hopyard site.

Trellis systems should be erected prior to planting hop plants or rhizomes. The use of bucket trucks and gasoline-powered augers at the site would make it difficult or impossible to work around newly set hop plants.

Varietal Selection and Planting

Growers should select varieties that are adapted to the area, disease tolerant or resistant, and marketable (Figure 2). Craft breweries and beer enthusiasts are often excited about specific varieties, but many of the varieties in the greatest demand are proprietary and cannot be obtained by the new hop grower. A summary of commonly available hop varieties and their production characteristics can be found in Table 1.

Planting stock for a hopyard can be obtained as either live plants or rhizomes. Hop rhizomes sourced from other growers and specialty propagators are often the cheapest source of planting stock, but there is also a greater risk of introducing diseases and viruses into the hopyard from infected rhizomes. While it is critical to know your source when purchasing any vegetatively propagated planting stock, it is even more critical when sourcing hop rhizomes. Purchasing rhizomes that have been certified disease-free is highly recommended. Because of concerns about importing diseases into your hopyard, it is recommended you use transplants sourced from a clean plant program instead of rhizomes. While this does not eliminate disease risk, the planting of greenhouse- or screen-house-grown transplants has proved to be the best alternative at this time for eastern hop growers.

Hop cultivars are rated on a scale from 1 to 5, where 5 = high for vigor, Japanese beetle damage, and disease incidence, and excellent for cone quality.

 Hops can be planted as dormant rhizomes as soon as the field can be prepared in the spring. Hop transplants that are grown in the greenhouse can be very succulent and injured by late spring frosts. It is advisable to plant tender hop transplants after the danger of frost has passed.

Irrigation

Hops can require 1–2 inches of water per acre per week, depending on crop stage, soil texture, and evapotranspiration rates. Proper irrigation management is essential to optimizing hop yields and preventing root diseases that can be linked to overwatering.

Trickle or drip irrigation systems are the primary methods employed to irrigate hops, and they can also be used to apply fertilizers more efficiently. Overhead sprinkler irrigation is not recommended because it increases the risk of disease and could adversely impact cone quality. For more information covering drip irrigation, see "Agricultural Alternatives: Drip Irrigation for Vegetable Production."

Tensiometers can be employed in the hopyard to determine irrigation frequency (Figure 3). Hops are deep-rooted, so tensiometers should be placed at depths of 6 inches and 12–15 inches in the hop row. Tensiometers measure the tension of water and how tightly it is bound to the soil. The higher the reading (in centibars) on the tensiometer, the drier the soil. Most crops perform best when the tensiometer reads between 10 and 25 centibars.

Irrigation water quality is of critical importance to hops. Elevated alkalinity levels in irrigation water can lead to an increase in the soil pH, which can make certain nutrients like zinc, manganese, and iron less available for plant uptake. Elevated levels of sodium, chloride, boron, and arsenic have been found in irrigation water in some areas of Pennsylvania. You should test your water sources to make sure they are suitable for use as irrigation water. If the water quality is poor, you may need to find another water source or consider the feasibility and expense of water treatment.

Fertility

Hops prefer a rich, well-drained soil with organic matter levels in the 5–7 percent range. Soils that contain organic matter levels above 5 percent are highly buffered and may require 50 percent less nitrogen than hops grown on soils that have an organic matter level in the 1–2 percent range. Hops prefer a soil pH of 6.0–6.5. Soil pH levels below 5.7 increase the risk of manganese toxicity. Nutritional monitoring with tools like leaf petiole analysis, tissue analysis, and regular soil sampling is essential if hop yields are to be optimized.

Leaf petiole testing is a recommended practice to determine hop plant nutrient and micronutrient levels. Leaf petiole testing is initiated when the hop plants are halfway to the top of the trellis. Thirty to 50 leaves are selected from at least 5–6 feet off the ground. Samples should be confined to one variety because combining multiple varieties into a single sample will yield inaccurate results. Most labs provide paper bags with their plant analysis kits. Do not use paper lunch bags for lab submission purposes since some paper bags may contain boron, which could skew the test results.

Hops require 75 pounds of nitrogen per acre in the first year and may require from 90 to 150 pounds of nitrogen per year thereafter, depending on petiole analysis. Hops do not require nitrogen immediately after emergence due to the stored energy reserves in their rhizomes. Nitrogen should be applied as a split application 30–45 days after emergence (mid-May to mid-June) and during the primary nitrogen uptake period from late May/early June through mid-July.

 Phosphorus is relatively immobile in the soil, and hops typically only require 20–30 pounds of phosphorus per acre per year. Excess phosphorus fertilization can increase weed development and growth, which can adversely impact hop growth and yield.

Hops can remove 120–150 pounds of potassium per acre annually. Soil potassium levels should be monitored with a soil test and adjusted to the optimal level each spring.

Boron deficiency is common in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic areas. As a rule, 1–2 pounds of boron per acre should be applied to the soil annually. It may be prudent to determine the boron level in your soil and irrigation water prior to making routine annual applications of this nutrient to reduce the potential risk of boron toxicity.

Low soil pH (below 5.7) increases the risk of manganese toxicity in hops. The application of wood chips and sawdust as mulch in hop yards can increase soil manganese levels to above 100 pounds per acre. The use of acidifying fertilizers like ammonium sulfate can also reduce the soil pH below 5.7, which increases the risk of manganese uptake and toxicity. Plant tissue levels above 300 ppm are reported to cause toxicity symptoms in many plant species.

Zinc deficiency is frequently observed in soils where excessive levels of phosphorus occur, such as in fields that have a history of heavy manure applications. Low organic matter, light soil textures, and a high soil pH can also lead to zinc deficiency issues. Most labs recommend applying 2 to 4 pounds of zinc per acre if soil test results indicate that zinc levels are below 1 ppm.

Sulfur deficiency can be observed in hops due to less atmospheric deposition of sulfur in the environment from the burning of low-sulfur fuels. As a result, many hop growers are applying 30–40 pounds of sulfur per acre annually after noting sulfur deficiencies in their soil or tissue/petiole tests. Verify that a sulfur deficiency exists in your hopyard prior to making a sulfur application.

If fertilizers are being applied through a drip irrigation system (fertigation), all fertilizer applications should be terminated once female inflorescences (burrs) are detected. Continuation of fertigation past this point may increase the risk of pests and diseases while potentially reducing cone quality and hop yield.

Cover Crops and Compost

Leguminous cover crops are best used the year prior to planting to increase soil organic matter levels while providing an organic source of nitrogen for the hop plants after transplanting. Leguminous cover crops require incorporation to maximize the return of nitrogen to the soil. The existence of the hop plants and their rhizomes in the row limits tillage options and restricts the process of soil incorporation of cover crops after planting.

Many growers prefer a sustainable approach when growing hops and may consider applying compost at a rate of 5–6 tons per acre to the hop planting annually. While the application of compost can be useful in building soil organic matter, most compost contains just 1–2 percent nitrogen per ton, of which only about 10 percent will be available for uptake by plants in the first year. Compost applications alone could leave the hop crop deficient if additional nitrogen is not applied in a newly established planting. A nutritional analysis of the compost to be utilized will help you determine the best application rate for your hopyard and the potential nutrient excesses or deficits that you may observe in the early establishment years.

Weed Management

Weed management in the hopyard is critical if hop yields are to be optimized (Figure 4). Western growers report yield reductions of 20–25 percent due to weed competition in the hop row. Weeds can be managed in the hopyard by cultivation or the utilization of plastic mulches or woven weed barriers. Although it is generally effective, cultivation is very labor-intensive. As a result, plastic mulches and woven weed barriers are commonly used and very effective. However, their use restricts the application of less expensive dry granular fertilizers. Because of this, growers using mulch films or weed barriers must rely on injecting most of their fertilizer through the drip irrigation system.

Preemergence herbicide applications in the hopyard are often the most cost-effective means to reduce weed pressure. Growers should apply preemergence herbicides to bare soils prior to weed seed germination for best results. Nonselective herbicides can be used as a directed or shielded spray to "burn down" weeds that are growing within the hop row.

Before purchasing and using any herbicide in your hopyard, make sure the product has a current pesticide registration in your state and a legal label governing its use in the hopyard.

Pest Management

Aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites, and Japanese beetles are the primary pests associated with Pennsylvania-grown hops. Routine cover sprays with broad-spectrum insecticides and miticides should be avoided. You should consider implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) program in your hopyard to monitor insect populations. When pest issues arise, consider selecting insecticides and miticides that do not adversely impact the natural enemies that help keep certain hop plant pests in check.

Downy mildew is the most serious disease detected in Pennsylvania hop yards (Figure 5). Unfortunately, this pathogen has been detected on newly delivered hop transplants, even those coming from clean plant programs. If downy mildew is observed on freshly shipped plants, contact your supplier immediately and resist the urge to plant them in your field. Downy mildew is very difficult to eliminate once it has been introduced into a field.

Besides downy mildew, the most widely observed diseases in hop yards include powdery mildew, Alternaria cone disorder, Verticillium wilt, Fusarium canker, apple mosaic virus, and Botrytis. Fungicides can be used to protect the hop plant from some but not all diseases. Fungicides are not curative by their nature and must be applied regularly to prevent infection. Depending on humidity and rainfall during the growing season, hops may require eight or more applications of fungicides to protect cone quality and minimize infection.

Harvest

Hop cone maturation varies depending on the weather, cultivar, and local growing conditions. Hop cones are at their peak maturity when their dry matter content reaches 23 percent. Visual cues for peak maturity include the cone turning from light green to yellowish in color and feeling light and papery, and the lupulin gland inside the cone changing from a pale-yellow to a dark-yellow hue. If the cone is brown and the lupulin gland is dark orange in color, the cone is overmature and could have a rancid smell. Overmature cones are not marketable.

Hop harvesters range in price from $14,000 to over $200,000, depending on the size, make, and model, and can typically process 120 to 400 bines per hour with a two-person crew. Because of the high cost of owning and operating a harvester, most small-scale hop growers hand harvest their crop. Hand harvesting hop cones can take 1–1.5 hours per bine to harvest 1–1.5 pounds of cones.

Hop harvesters typically remove most of the leaves and chaff, but the remaining leaves and chaff should be removed prior to drying to preserve cone quality and purity. Hops are dried in an oast (dryer) at a temperature of 122°F to 140°F. When the hop cone moisture levels reach 8–10 percent moisture, they are cooled to 68°F, compressed, vacuum sealed, and placed in cold storage to await further processing or sale.

Environmental Regulations

All agricultural operations in Pennsylvania, including small-scale and part-time farming enterprises, operate under the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law. A specific part of this law is the Nutrient Management Act. Portions of the act may or may not pertain to your operation, depending on whether you have livestock on your farm. However, all operations may be a source of surface water or groundwater pollution. Because of this possibility, you should contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District to determine what regulations may pertain to your operation.

Risk Management

 You should carefully consider how to manage risk on your farm. First, you should ensure your facilities and equipment. This may be accomplished by consulting your insurance agent or broker. It is especially important to have adequate levels of property, vehicle, and liability insurance. You will also need workers' compensation insurance if you have any employees. You may also want to consider your needs for life and health insurance, and if you need coverage for business interruption or employee dishonesty. For more on agricultural business insurance, see "Agricultural Alternatives: Agricultural Business Insurance."

Second, check to see if there are multi-peril crop insurance programs available for your crop or livestock enterprises. There are crop insurance programs designed to help farmers manage both yield risk and revenue shortfalls. However, individual crop insurance coverage is not available for all crops. If individual coverage is not available for what you grow, you may be able to use the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program to insure the revenue of your entire farm operation. Information from your Schedule F tax records (or a "Substitute Schedule F for WFRP Purposes" if you do not file a Schedule F) from the past five consecutive years is used to calculate the WFRP policy's approved revenue guarantee. Operations that have expanded over time may be allowed to increase the approved revenue amount based on an indexing procedure. Depending on the number of commodities grown, you have the choice of coverage of 50–85 percent of your approved revenue. Coverage and premium costs depend on the level of diversification in your operation; the maximum level of insured revenue is $8.5 million (based on maximum adjusted gross revenues of $17 million and the 50 percent coverage level). WFRP also provides replant coverage if it not already covered under an underlying individual crop policy. More information on WFRP can be found at the USDA Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) website.

Finally, the USDA Farm Service Agency has a program called the Noninsured Assistance Program (NAP) that is designed to provide a minimal level of yield risk protection for producers of commercial agricultural products that don't have multi-peril crop insurance coverage. NAP is designed to reduce financial losses when natural disasters cause catastrophic reduction in production. A basic level of coverage (50 percent of expected production at 55 percent of the average market price) is available for a fee of $325 per crop per county (fees are capped at $825 per producer per county, but not to exceed a total of $1,950 for producers growing crops in multiple counties). Higher levels of protection at the 50, 55, 60, and 65 percent levels at 100 percent of the average market price are available for an additional premium. NAP coverage is available through your local USDA Farm Service Agency office. The application fee for this program may be waived for eligible limited-resource farmers.

Sample Budgets

Included in this publication are three budgets for hop production using plasticulture: cover crop establishment, hop crop establishment or planting, and mature hop production. The mature production budget summarizes the receipts, costs, and net returns of a hop enterprise. These budgets utilize custom hire for most of the field work, which could be more economical for a smaller acreage. If you have your own equipment, you should substitute your costs for the custom-hire costs. There is also a charge for lift rental, as the trellis is constructed at a height of 20 feet. These sample budgets should help ensure that all costs and receipts are included in your calculations. Costs and returns are often difficult to estimate in budget preparation because they are numerous and variable. Therefore, you should think of this budget as an approximation and make appropriate adjustments in the "Your Estimate" column to reflect your specific production and resource situation. These budgets are developed for one acre; however, your scale of production should be based on your market considerations. More information on the use of crop budgets can be found in "Agricultural Alternatives: Budgeting for Agricultural Decision Making."

You can make changes to the interactive PDF budget files for this publication by inputting your own prices and quantities in the green outlined cells for any item. The cells outlined in red automatically calculate your revised totals based on the changes you made to the cells outlined in green. You will need to click on and add your own estimated price and quantity information to all of the green outlined cells to complete your customized budget. When you are done, you can print the budget using the green Print Form button at the bottom of the form. You can use the red Clear Form button to clear all the information from your budget when you are finished.

Sample Budget Worksheets

• Sample Hops Budget - Establishment
• Sample Hops Budget - Mature Production
• Sample Hops Budget - Cover Crop

Net returns for five different yields and six prices

For More Information

Darby, Heather. "Fertility Guidelines for Hops in the Northeast." University of Vermont Extension, 2011.

Gingrich, Gale, et al. "Hops Fertilizer Guide." Oregon State University, 1994.

Godin, Ron. "Fertilization of Hops." Colorado State University Extension.

Harper, J. K., S. Cornelisse, L. F. Kime, and J. Hyde. "Agricultural Alternatives: Budgeting for Agricultural DecisionMaking." Penn State Extension, 2019.

Kime, L. F., J. A. Adamik, J. K. Harper, and C. Dice. "Agricultural Alternatives: Agricultural Business Insurance."
Penn State Extension, 2019.

Kneen, Rebecca. "Small Scale and Organic Hops Production, Notas de estudo de Engenharia Mecânica." Docsity, 2003.

Lamont, W. J. Jr., M. D. Orzolek, J. K. Harper, L. F. Kime, and A. R. Jarrett. "Agricultural Alternatives: Drip Irrigation for Vegetable Production." Penn State Extension, 2012.

Morton, R. Gary. Nova Scotia Hop Grower's Guide. Morton Horticultural Associates, 2013.

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. "National Hop Report (December 2017)."

Sources for  Nematode Testing

Contact individual sources below concerning fee for out-of-state nematode sample submissions.

Clemson University
Plant Problem Clinic
511 Westinghouse Road
Pendleton, SC 29670
Telephone: 864-646-2133
Fax: 864-646-2178
Email: ppclnc@clemson.edu

Cornell University
Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic
334 Plant Science Building
Tower Road
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607-255-7850
Fax: 607-255-4471
Email: slj2@cornell.edu

Michigan State University
Diagnostics Services
578 Wilson Road, Room 107
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-6469
Telephone: 517-355-4536
Fax: 517-432-0899
Email: pestid@msu.edu

Rutgers NJAES
Plant Diagnostic Laboratory
PO Box 550
Milltown, NJ 08850-0550
Telephone: 732-932-9140
Fax: 732-932-1270
Email: clinic@njaes.rutgers.edu

University of Massachusetts
UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab
#3 French Hall, 230 Stockbridge Road
Amherst, MA 01003
Telephone: 413-545-3208
Fax: 413-545-3075

Prepared by Tom Ford, extension educator; Tanner Delvalle, extension educator; Thomas Butzler, extension educator; Jayson K. Harper, professor of agricultural economics, and Lynn F. Kime, senior extension associate in agricultural economics.

This publication was developed by the Small-scale and Part-time Farming Project at Penn State with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture–Extension Service.