Has anyone on here grown their own hops

[Cory and trevor]

I'm going to get at least one variety this year and try it on the side of the house stringing it up to the fascia on the southwest side.  Anyone ever grow hops and/or use fresh hops?  Dried your own hops or anything of the sort?  Haven't even got my little root stick yet but I try to plan ahead and be ready so I'm researching.  Thanks,

[Maine Homebrewer]

They need full sun, but the best I can do on my property is a few hours a day.  So mine never did much.  I did get one harvest, but I think I pulled it too early. That or the lack of sun didn't allow the flowers to fully mature. Either way it was a bust.

If you can give them full sun, and keep them fed and watered, you should be fine. Keep in mind though that it takes at least three seasons for them to really start to produce. So don't expect a bumper crop the first (or second) year.

As far as usage goes, without sending them out to be tested you can't be sure what the AA% is. You can guess, but you won't know.  So it would be a good idea to choose your favorite aroma or flavor hop to grow, and keep buying your full-boil hops.

[brewark]

I'm growing several varieties.  Only two of them produce in quantity for me (Cascade & Magnum).  I must confess that some of the plants get less sun but my Saaz and Cluster get just as much sun, but aren't as fruitful.  Your results may vary.  Been doing it for about a half dozen years and get more hops than I can use.

Keep 'em watered give 'em sun and a place to climb.  They really only produce cones above 6-8 feet high.

[Beer_Tigger]

I grow 2 varieties, not sure what they are.  Frequency of watering is important as they do not have deep roots, they are rhizomes.  Also, they spread like crazy so corral them with landscape edging; again they don’t go deep so 4” is deep enough.  3 years to decent crop. 

Another tip from the pros is to snip off all but 1 or 2 shoots to let those concentrate on producing cones instead of leaves.  So I have them planted in a line across the back of my house in an area of 12 lineal feet total.  Every 3 feet I let the healthiest looking 2 shoots grow and trim off the others.

[Cory and trevor]

All good info buys, thank you.  I have full sun area and will string them from the ground to the roof fascia in a v pattern.  I also plan to make untreated lumber boxes to bury around them as a way to help coral them.  bailing twin and eye hooks, buried box to fascia should be 12-24 feet up.

[Cory and trevor]

I bought them!  cascade, magnum, williamette one other I don't recall at the moment in a four pack from jungseed.com.  now if I can just get some cooperation from the f**king weather!  I'll be stringing the bailing twine soon, got my untreated lumber for the boxes and the eye hook things......waiting....I ...hate ....waiting!  guess I'll go drink one and brew one and watch the snow melt and fall and melt.

[RiverBrewer]

Your trellis solution is good! Your profile gives no reference to your geographic location to give a clue as to if you can prolifically grow hops. Make sure you have good drainage. New rhizomes don't do well wet by heavy frequent rain. Make sure you don't plant under the eves of the house where you roof will dump water on them. Move them out a bit from the house.

Willamette is an aggressive growing hop. Cascade is moderate to aggressive, My experience with 2 yr. Magnum is that their yield is low. I have 150 hills & produced ~12 lbs dry weight last year, but my own rhizome cutting were quite disappointing last year because of all the rain we had in the North East last Spring & early Summer.

Good Luck (It is labor intensive for me!)
There are a couple of good videos on home hop growing at www.chopandbrew.com

[Cory and trevor]

saw those videos I'm in Michigan and the tip about the eaves was just in time.  boxes moved.  Thanks!

[Roadrocket]

I planted a nugget rhizome six weeks ago and I've now got one shoot about 3 foot long and another 8 inches long. I've strung some twine up a 10 foot metal post I already had in the garden. The twine goes horizontal at the top of the pole and is attached to a tree about 20 feet away.

If it grows OK I plan to put in a couple more plants next year, probably a traditional variety such as mathon or early bird.

[cmbrougham]

We finally have more visible ground than snow here, so I'm hoping to get some rhizomes in the ground soon. Where in the Mitt are you located? Michigan brewers represent

[Cory and trevor]

I'm 3 for 4 so far.  Willamette is up with 5 tiny shoot, nugget has 3 nubs showing and cascade has 1 tall shoot I thought was a weed at first.  The first 2 look very similar but cascade is totally different.  Waiting on mt. Hood now.  Got supplies to string from ground to fascia soon.  Got room for 2_4 more varieties next year if his goes well.  Good luck to us all.

[BILLY BREW]

put a Centeniel rhyzome in the ground two weeks ago and it promptly died...Had green shoots and started to cling to the line, then turned brown and RIP. Full sun (but in Chicago area so not hot)

[Cory and trevor]

That sucks!  my cascades are going nuts, 8 shoots about 3 inches tall.  the Mt. hood don't look great but the one tiny shoot that is present is green as hell and looks healthy.  the ones I use the most to brew are doing very well.  I'll have to put up the strings this weekend.  hope to take some pictures and post them once I get that done.  we've had a week of 70 degree days here and rain almost every day for at least an hour so its been picture perfect so far.

[Roadrocket]

My nugget seems to be doing quite well. It has two shoots. One is now about 9 feet tall and the other about 4 feet.  I had to spray them with insecticide to stop the leaves being eaten by some tiny red spidery things.

If I am lucky enough to get any cones this year I was thinking of making an English style IPA by blending them with challenger and WGV.

[BILLY BREW]

Update! My Centenial came back fro the dead and is now headed up the pole! using twine strapped to my Purple Martin house pole (20feet). In the fall, I will just lower the pole and harvest...Hope it works out.