With the acute shortage of hops which struck homebrewers and commercial brewers beginning at the end of 2007, there has been a rapid expansion within the field of hop farming, with many homebrewers/gardeners beginning to plant and grow hops for the first time. In less than one year, the 'Grow-Hops' Yahoo Group gained 1,879 members, many of whom were first time growers but members also included a significant number of experienced growers and commercial hop farmers to help educate the public on this particular topic.
Step 1
Understand the purpose of growing hops. Since 'Grow-Hops' has accumulated far more than a hundred links to individual articles related to the topic of growing hops, which articles range from propagation and planting of rhizomes to harvesting and processing the crop, the resulting massive amount of information should be consolidated and summarized into a single document which efficiently outlines and incorporates all the vital information into one source with a minimum of repetition, and which provides both the majority viewpoint as well as credible minority viewpoints on any given aspect (with sources).
Step 2
Note that there are several main divisions of information which pertain specifically to hops, along with a large number of areas which apply generally to gardening and agriculture such as general composting, fertilization, pest control, etc. While such general side-issues can be incorporated in this article, our primary focus should be on information specific to growing hops, and therefore any information within general areas should specify how they apply to hops.
- General Information:
- When and where hops began to be used for beer, and why;
- Known varieties, the uses each variety is best for, and locations where each variety grows best.
- Methods of Propagation:
- Harvesting of 'Rhizomes' -- the most common and reliable method;
- Rooting of bines -- using either 'attached bines' or 'cuttings';
- Use of rooting hormones and substitutes for hormones;
- 'Potting' and starting rhizomes indoors;
- Seeds -- never recommended.
Step 3
Understand the issues around planting.
- Location -- considerations about sunlight, drainage, windbreak, and proximity to other 'stuff';
- Latitude -- length of daylight;
Step 4
Get the lighting right. Use of electric lighting to supplement daylight might be required.
Step 5
Prepare the soil in advance of planting. Consider:
- Soil analysis;
- Elevation and/or composition of soil to assist with drainage;
- Spacing of plants, and depth of planting;
Step 6
Consider the need for root-barriers. And perhaps also consider the need to move or transplant crowns.
Step 7
Create support structures. Examples include:
- Arbors;
- Fences;
- Trellises;
- The use of pulleys or 'bending' structures;
- String to use.
Step 8
Note that there will need to be trimming/limiting number of bines and stripping of bottom foliage.
Step 9
Get the watering sorted.
- Frequent watering for 'new' plants;
- Less frequent 'deep' watering for established plants;
- Drip-irrigation.
Step 10
Fertilize properly (also see 'Composting' under 'Weed and Pest Control', below).
- Nitrogen needs (when and how), and needs for other nutrients (phosphorus, potassium, etc.);
- Use 'Compost Tea' and 'Manure Tea';
- 'Green Manure' -- nitrogen-fixing crops grown soley for tilling into the soil.
Step 11
Consider the animal control issues. Animals likely to cause problems include deer, dogs, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, etc.
Step 12
Understand possible hops diseases. These include:
- Downy Mildew
- Powdery Mildew
- Vermicillium Wilt
- Virus
Step 13
Understand the possible pests. These can include:
- Aphids
- Spider Mites
- Grubs (root-eating/boring insects)
- Japanese Beetles
Step 14
Control the diseases, pests, and weeds. Control methods can include"
- Companion Planting;
- Natural (organic) Control;
- Use of predatory insects;
- Nematodes;
- Fungicides, Herbicides, and Pesticides;
Step 15
Be prepared to undertake root-pruning (see also section 1a - Harvesting of Rhizomes).
Step 16
Harvest the cones. How to determine readiness for harvest:
- Continuous or 'multiple' harvesting;
- Single harvesting.
Step 17
Dry the hops. Ways to dry the hops include:
- Dehydrators;
- Oasts;
- Screens;
- Other methods (e.g., drying inside hot vehicles).
Step 18
Use storage. Types of storage include"
- Packaging:
- Nitrogen packaging;
- Vacuum packaging;
- Zip-Locked bags.
- Pelletizing.
Step 19
Know about 'degradation' while in storage.
Step 20
Consider the needs for post-harvest care of plants.
- Testing for 'Alpha Acid' content.
Step 21
Use the hops. Hops are useful for:
- Aroma;
- Bittering;
- Flavoring;
- 'Wet-Hopping', also known as 'Harvest-Hopping'.
Step 22
Be prepared for commercial hop-farming if this is what you plan to do. Consider the issues such as feasibility and practicality of small farms, special equipment needs, etc.
Step 23
Consider other miscellaneous issues, for example:
- Possible 'Vernalization' Needs (experiment now pending);
- Methods to 'vernalize', when necessary;
- Survivability of varieties versus locations;
- Cross-breeding of hop varieties and 'hybrids'; and
- Allergic skin-reactions when picking hops, and recommended treatments.
Tips
- This will be a very authoritative document with cross references to governmental, industrial, and university sources. References are not provided yet because this is the first stage of development, and is just an outline at this point for further expansion into a hugely comprehensive article; there are no articles similar to this. This article will be a collaborative effort by anyone growing hops to use for brewing beer, and particularly by the members of the 'Grow-Hops' Yahoo group which focuses primarily on that topic. We have 1,880 members, including many who are commercial growers.
