I’ve been to a number of horticultural trade shows in my lifetime. Now mind you, these are trade shows with exhibitors who aim to sell plants and equipment to those who grow and then sell stuff to you, the home gardener. Whatever the item is—a new variety of basil, a new type of digging implement, even pots and packaging—it hits these shows before the gardening public gets to see it. That’s not to say the gardening public doesn’t drive what these horticultural industry people are producing. They certainly are. And here is a perfect example: hops.

I’m seeing more hops plants at trade shows each year. Hops are vining plants that produce small cones—not hard like pine cones, but soft and similar in shape.

Hops are a critical ingredient in brewing beer and also can be used as an herbal tea. With the popularity in recent years of craft beers, more and more folks have taken to brewing their own beer at home. While hops can be purchased online and in specialty stores, wouldn’t it be way cooler to say you grew the hops that went into your homemade beer? That’s serious stuff. That makes you a serious craft brewer.

How to Grow Hops

Hops need 6-8 hours of sun each day. They also need plenty of space, as the vines grow up to 25 feet long. Trellising them works best, so make sure to provide vertical supports. The supports can be poles tied together as a teepee or positioned in a row with rope between them, similarly to how grapevines are supported.

In addition to sun and space, hops also need rich, well draining soil. Plant in spring after the danger of frost, and fertilize plentifully when digging them into the soil to a depth of about 4-5 inches, taking care to place the hops rhizomes rootside down. Mound a foot of soil overtop.

Be sure to give them plenty of water to start and keep them growing. Several vines will grow from each mound. Keep the strongest vines and train them up the trellis, removing the smaller vines. The vines will eventually grow along the trellis on their own.

Harvesting

The cones will be ready to harvest in late summer when the petals are dry and soft to the touch and leave a golden powder on your fingers. They may not be ready to harvest all at once but do check and harvest each day. Place the hops in a paper bag to dry out completely in the sun (not directly in the sun). That should take a week or two.

Once the cones are harvested you can cut back the vines. They’ll die down to the ground with frost, and you’ll eventually cover the mounds with mulch for the winter. Before they start growing again in spring, dig down through the soil to trim the roots of the rhizome back to about a foot. This will help control the spread of the plants, which can take over the garden before you know it.

The best thing about hops is that they work double duty in the garden. They produce hops for beer making, but also are beautiful ornamental plants in the garden. Plant one or two in a location where it can beautify and shade a hidden garden bench or pretty up a shabby shed. It may be so pretty you don’t want to harvest its golden cones.