How to Plant a Hop Rhizome

Hop flowers are used to flavor beer, and can often be purchased at brewing supply stores. However, you can grow your own plants as long as your region has at least 120 continuous frost-free days. Hops are perennials that grow from rhizomes, which are thick roots. These roots spread out as the plant matures; if you are growing hops, make sure you have plenty of space for the plants to spread.

Things You'll Need

• Soil pH tester
• Compost
• Balanced granular fertilizer
• Tiller
• Post digger
• 5- to 6-foot-tall poles
• Twine
• Scissors
• Shovel
• Hops rhizomes
• Water

Instructions

1. Locate a planting site that has moist but not soggy dirt and full sunlight all day. Wait until early spring after the threat of frost ends. Insert the metal end of a pH tester into the ground until you find a location that has a pH of between 6.5 and 8.0. Choose an area near a vertical structure, if possible, to provide some support for the hops vines.

2. Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost on top of the area and apply a balanced, granular fertilizer using the amount indicated on the package. Mix the materials into the top 6 inches of soil using a tiller.

3. Walk to one of the back corners of the site and dig a 12-inch-deep hole using a post digger. Insert a 5- to 6-foot-tall post of any diameter into the bottom of the hole and back fill it with dirt. Stamp down on top of the soil to firm it. Repeat the process to install another pole on the opposite side of the site.

4. Tie the end of a piece of twine around the bottom of one post 6 inches from the bottom. Stretch the twine to the other post and tie it around it before cutting off the excess with scissors. Repeat to install additional pieces of twine up the poles at 6-inch intervals until reaching the top.

5. Dig a hole at one side of the area 4 inches in front of the posts and twine. The hole should be 1 inch deeper than the length of the hops rhizome. Insert the rhizome into the soil with the buds facing upward and back fill the hole completely. Plant additional rhizomes 3 feet apart if they are the same variety and 5 feet apart otherwise.

6. Water the area to a 5-inch depth immediately after planting.

References

• "Brewing Techniques Magazine"; Hops in the Backyard: From Planting to Harvest and the Hazards in Between; Stephanie Montell ; May/June 1994
• Alternative Beverage; Hop Rhizomes - Planting & Growing; December 2009