Panicle-shaped flowers, deeply fragrant, open all summer on a vine that races up 16 to 23 feet of lattice, old barrel or pergola. Hops (Humulus lupulus) gives cones for brewing and for bouquets that stay scented for weeks; plant it in sun and soil rich enough, and it will perfume a whole passageway.
| Name | Humulus lupulus |
|---|---|
| Family | Cannabaceae |
| Type | climbing vine |
| Height | 16 to 23 feet (5 to 7 meters) |
| Exposure | full sun, part sun |
| Soil | rich enough |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | early summer to early autumn |
The care you’ll give this plant, from planting to pruning, will enable you to increase its growth and development.
Hops can be planted either in spring or in fall, in garden soil amended with soil mix and eventually organic soil conditioner.
It doesn’t need any pruning.
If you wish to reshape the bush or reduce the branches, wait for the blooming to end, or prune at the very beginning of spring.
Hops asks very little once it is in place: a planting slot, an optional tidy-up and one well-timed harvest. Here is what happens when, and what each step involves.
| Task | When | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Planting | Spring or autumn | Garden soil amended with soil mix and organic soil conditioner |
| Flowering | Right through summer | Fragrant panicle-shaped flowers, also used to flavour beer |
| Pruning | After flowering ends, or very early spring | Not needed at all; only to reshape or shorten the branches |
| Harvesting | As soon as the cones are full, before they open | Cones picked just before opening, then dried for brewing |
Watering barely enters the calendar, since no specific watering is recommended for this vine.
Hops seed cones are harvested just before they open.
To make beer, they’re first dried before sending to the brewery.
You can also use the hop plant to make beautiful dried flower bouquets because they tend to stay fragrant for many weeks.
This climbing plant is usually grown along a lattice, an old barrel or a pergola.
It will provide you with a beautiful blooming during the entire summer.
Its flowers shaped like panicles are very fragrant and they’re even used to flavor beer.
Also called the Northern vine, you’ll enjoy this plant even more if you set it up near a passing place so all can benefit from its fragrance.
Northern temperate climates are where it is grown industrially for beer production.
No specific watering is recommended.
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Organic mulch such as cocoa hulls provides nutrients to the plant and will keep moisture constant.
