Growing Conditions for Hop Rhizomes

Hop Rhizomes in the field

A well placed rhizome plant can provide you with more hops then you can ever imagine. If you place it in the wrong area you will end up with very little production plant may even die. Let's tell you about what the ideal conditions are for planting your hops.

  1. First of all, hops like sun. They like a lot of sun, so find a spot that gets at least 10 hours of sun everyday.
  2. The soil you want is a sandy, dirt mix. You do not want a very compact soil for the rhizome to start off in. The hop roots need to be able to grow underground, so they need soil that is lose enough to allow them to do that. If you have compact soil, just break it up, add some sand, and mix it together. You only need to create an area bout 2-3 feet from the center of the plant. The depth only needs to be about 12-15" deep.
  3. Hops do not like a lot of water, so be careful that you pay attention to things like roof lines, gutters, or down spouts when planting a rhizome. A lot of people like to plant the hops next to their home, which is great, but forget to look up or around the area. Think about if it rains will water runoff be an issue.
  4. Hops can handle hot temperatures very well. We've noticed that it doesn't really matter the variety of hops, but if you have a long hot, dry spell, make sure the plant is getting enough water.
  5. All you have to do is go out a water the plant every few days or so. Too much water will rot the root. Hops are different from other household plants, so you want to keep them on the dry side. Don't worry, they can handle a few days without water.
  6. Try to water the plant in the morning to prevent mildew forming on your plant.

Hops are a very hardy plant that can survive just about anything. A lot of people worry about is one variety will do better in a climate then another. From what we've personally seen, and from the information we collect from our customers, we really don't see any problem with growing any variety wherever you want. We would say that the German varieties do grow particularly well in Minnesota, but we have had luck with just about any variety we've ever sold.

There are a couple reasons why people may experience a problem when trying to grow hops. One reason is they over water. Do not water these like you are used to with other plants. Every couple days go out and water. Don't worry if the soil is dry. The soil should not be wet all of the time. Second, people grow their hops way too close together. Give them as much space apart as you can. Finally, plants are living things. Ignoring them for 3 weeks is not a good thing. Yes, sometimes life forces you away from your beloved hops, but try to pay as much time to them as you can.

More information on Growing and Using Hops: