Chronicle of growing my own.

[philm00x]

I'm setting up to grow my own hops for the first time. The rhizomes of Cascade and Northern Brewer have been sitting in my fridge for about a week, moistened, in ziploc bags. Because I live in a condo, I cannot plant them directly into the ground, so I took a trip to the local Home Depot and got a couple of pots, some garden twine, bamboo stakes, soil, and manure. Having done some research beforehand, I made sure to get potting soil that had sand in it to ensure that it can drain well. I will eventually have to get some mulch to put over top to keep moisture in, but in the meantime I'll probably just cover the soil with some dead leaves that are on the ground.

I'll be using three 5-foot high stakes in each pot, placed in a triangular formation into the soil, around the rhizome. The garden twine will be tied diagonally around the stakes, stepping up slightly higher with every coil so that the hops will climb in a spiral upward. Come harvest time, I can just unwind the spiraled bines to pick the cones off.

If any of y'all have experience in growing hops, I'd definitely appreciate any advice/insight you have to offer.

[DaYooper]

I really cant offer much as grow mine in the ground with 20' poles and even then they overshoot. I am guessing the string length is close to 25-30' (really should measure it next time). As far as spiraling around a cage, my fear would be light deprivation on the non-sunny sides as well as the interior. Hops like lots of sun. Also, in a pot make sure to water and fertilize on a regular basis as it will soak that up. Remember, these plants literally grow while you watch so whatever is in the pot will disappear very quickly. There are dwarf varieties of many plants that may make more sense for you but I am not familiar with them. Finally, hops do not come into their own until around the 3rd year so dont be disappointed by the 1st year's production.

[philm00x]

I guess I shouldn't have said spiraling, but more like zig zagging... something along the lines of this...



I know that if I get any cones this year, it won't be many, but I'm just hoping that something grows.

[Ibasterd]

Hope it works out. Thinking I might need to try this!

[John Sand]

My Cascades are starting their 2nd season. I only grow them to 6'. No poles, no ladders, a garden trellis. While 16'+ is ideal, the plants will adapt. There's a guy on HBT who grows his along a chain link fence. It's not commerce, have fun.

[philm00x]

It's been raining so much that I didn't get to string the twine to the bamboo stakes, but this is what it's lookin like...

[philm00x]

Got to string the twine today! Hooray sunlight!

[John Sand]

Cool! Mine are growing fast.

[Ibasterd]

just ordered some cascade and mt. hood rhizomes today! hope it's not too late but thinking I'll be ok due to Fl's long growing season.

[jimjohson]

I wish I could join in, but instead of a "green thumb" I got a "brown & withered" one. As a matter of fact that's how I get dandelions out of my yard... I just start taking care of them, dead in a week guaranteed.

[John Sand]

Ib, it's not too late. They don't produce well in the first year anyway, so you might as well get them started.
JJ, pretty funny, I laughed. Hops apparently grow like weeds anyway, so you might be okay.

[Ibasterd]

In the dirt! Have yours broke ground yet Phil?

I have mine growing in compost that I've supplemented with spent grains. The hops should be happy.

[philm00x]

Been about 2 weeks in the ground, and they're climbing! I manipulated the arms into position so they can start to train along the bamboo and the twine.

[mashani]

I'd like to grow my own, but I can't figure out how to do it safely. Problem is dogs, plural, as in lots of them.

My yard isn't big enough to do much besides put them behind a little fence, but I'm afraid they would then use the fence to climb and the dogs could still get at them. That and I think I would need to put a 7" tall fence, because often I have a dog that can jump my regular 5" fence easily if it puts its mind to it and I don't even think a 6" fence would be tall enough. It would probably need to be vertical slats with very spaced out horizontal ones, because I also get dogs that climb chain link fences sometimes. But I think the vines would easily end up poking out of there too.

My own pair of dogs would leave them alone if I told them to. But I can't trust the foster dogs.

I don't think I can get away with planting them on sizes of my house visible to the road, as there are "rules" about vegetation and dumb people would complain.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[John Sand]

A couple: While I think hops are dangerous to pets, dogs are unlikely to eat them. You could also use something to repel the dogs, some kind of spray? Or grow the hops on a trellis surrounded with chicken wire or sheep fence, those are too flimsy to climb easily. It's also a pretty rare dog that will climb any fence, though I have seen it. Is there any kind of community garden in your area?