Humulus lupulus
Hops
Common names: True Hops, Common Hops
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 50 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Hagen Graebner assumed (based on… · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Humulus lupulus is a fast-growing, perennial vine that can climb several meters in a single season. The female plants produce aromatic cones (bears) that are used for brewing beer, making tea, or as fragrant sleep pillows. The young shoots are edible as a fine wild vegetable in spring.
Care instructions
Plant in a sunny location with deep, nutrient-rich soil and provide a sturdy trellis or string for climbing. Keep the plant well-watered, especially during summer. Harvest the cones in late summer (August, week 35) when they feel dry and papery, and cut the shoots close to the ground after the first frost.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
PlantingMar–Apr
HarvestAug–Sep
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, nutrient-rich, moist
Hops want deep, humus-rich loam or sandy loam. The roots reach deep, so they need room below. Keep the soil evenly fresh-moist, but avoid waterlogging; heavy clay soils and pure sandy soils are unsuitable.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
Feed this heavy feeder in spring as new growth starts (March/April): work compost and horn shavings in shallowly around the root area. Well-rotted farmyard manure as a mulch layer complements this. Rake the materials in only lightly so that you do not damage the shallow roots.
Overwintering
Hops are a hardy perennial. Outdoors, they need no protection: the shoots die back after frost and the plant retreats into its rhizome; cut the dried-up bines off close to the ground in late winter. In a container, stand the pot on an insulating base and wrap it in horticultural fleece, as roots in containers are more sensitive to frost.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
The best way to propagate hops is vegetatively, so that you get female plants with known variety characteristics. From seed, the sex would be unknown and the cone harvest uncertain.
Rhizome division (simplest method): In early spring (March/April), before new shoots appear, dig up part of the rootstock. Use a sharp knife to divide the rhizome into pieces about 15 to 20 cm long, each carrying 2 to 3 eyes (buds). Make sure each piece has healthy roots. Lay the pieces horizontally about 5 to 10 cm deep in loose, humus-rich, free-draining soil, buds facing up, and water them in well. They shoot strongly even in the first year. Dividing in autumn works too.
Runners (rooted ground shoots): In spring, when the ground shoots are a few centimetres tall, carefully separate rooted side shoots from the mother plant and plant them straight away in the desired spot or in pots for growing on. This is a reliable special case of division.
Softwood cuttings: From spring to early summer, cut shoot tips about 10 to 15 cm long and remove the lower leaves to reduce evaporation. Insert the cuttings into moist, loose seed compost (about 5 cm deep) or put them in a glass of water to root. Keep them evenly moist, but without waterlogging, in a bright, partly shaded, warm spot, as warmth speeds up rooting. In compost, you can provide humidity with a cover (with air holes); rooting takes a few weeks.
For your garden
Grow Hops yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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