Common hop: planting, care and healing properties. Hops: growing from seed

Hop cultivation
biological features. Hop (Humulus Lupulus) is a perennial dioecious plant from the mulberry family, the hemp subfamily. Male plants differ from female plants only in structure. In the wild, hops are quite common in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. It grows mainly in wet places, in forests, shrubs, and vegetable gardens.
Hops - a typical herbaceous perennial, in which only the aerial part of the stem dies for the winter. Underground organs (uterus - a thickened underground stem, rhizomes and roots) live 15-20 years or more.
The root system of hops is well developed; it consists of the main roots, deepening by 2.5-3 m or more, and fibrous roots. In addition to the roots, many rhizomes leave the uterus in a horizontal direction.
The hop stem is curly, has a ribbed shape, covered with stiff hairs, the length of the stem reaches 8-10 m, and sometimes more. Normal stem growth occurs only when there are supports around which the stem wraps (always to the right).
The leaves of the hop are palmately dissected, the bottom is coveredhard hairs. Men's andfemale flowers are located on separate plants. Female ones consist of an ovary, pistils and a single-peeled bract scale, collected in pairs into spikelets. The last cones placed in pairs on the stem, 20-60 flowers per inflorescence. Male flowers are collected in - a brush. The fruit is a nut. Hop cones contain shiny, sticky, golden yellow glands filled with resinous aromatics. Depending on the hop variety, soil and climatic conditions and agricultural technology, their content ranges from 8 to 20% of the weight of the cone.
To receive High Quality buds should not be allowed to dust the female flowers, because this reduces the content of bitter substances in the buds. These hops give the beer bad taste. Therefore, on plantations and near them, all male hop plants must be destroyed.
Hop is considered a plant with little soil requirements, but it grows better on podzolized chernozems, gray, dark gray podzolized soils and slightly podzolic loams. Severe waterlogged as well sandy soils unsuitable for hops.
Up to temperature, hops have low requirements. It can grow both in the subtropical regions of Transcaucasia, and in the northern regions of agriculture to 57-60 ° N latitude. Hops tolerates big frosts well and spring frosts up to -3-5 °С. The deaths of hop growers from low temperatures not visible. The most favorable temperature for the growth of hops lies in the range of 20-25 °C.
Hops have higher moisture requirements. This is due to both well-developed above-ground organs and rapid growth rates. On some days, the growth of the main stems reaches 20-25 cm or more. Hops also have high requirements for nutrients (like hemp, shag, etc.).
Although wild hops grow predominantly in diffused light forests, in areas middle lane high yield and best quality production gives hops when grown on open areas. But since winds and storms harm hop plants in an open place, areas protected from the prevailing winds by forests or forests should be allocated for them.
growing season(from the beginning of the growth of shoots in the spring to the ripening of cones) is 100-120 days, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
Bookmark hops. Hop plantations with a high level of agricultural technology bear fruit for 15-20 years or more. The longevity of plantations to a large extent depends on the right area, variety and agricultural technology. Under the hop plant, you need to allocate flat areas or areas with slight slope south or southwest. The soil and foundations must be well permeable to water and air and have a large supply of nutrients; groundwater should be no closer than 1.5-2 m from the soil surface. In areas with high level ground water hops get wet.
The allotted areas are divided into quarters of 1.5-2 hectares each, in an aspect ratio of 3: 4. Roads 3-4 m wide are left between the quarters.
The area determined for laying the hop plant, the previous 2-3 years should be used under vegetable crops and perennial grasses, which will help improve soil fertility and clean it from weeds. Before laying the hop plant, the fall plowing is carried out to a depth of 35-40 cm. The best results are obtained by plantation plowing to a depth of 50 cm. For deep plowing, manure or peat compost is applied at a rate of 40-60 t/ha. On the acidic soils add lime and marl.
A plowed area to level the surface of the soil, and immediately begin breaking out the area and digging holes measuring 60X60X60 cm or 70x70X70 cm. This work must be done in the fall in order to plant hops in a timely manner in the spring. The best results are obtained by planting with a distance between the bushes of 2.1X1 m. Sometimes hops are planted with distances of 2.1X1.6 m.
Hops are planted by cuttings or annual seedlings grown in nurseries. Planting hop plants with seedlings has the advantage that already in the first year the plantation can produce a crop of cones - from 5 to 10 centners per hectare.
In the nursery, standard cuttings are planted, harvested from hop mills aged from 3 to 12 years, 12-14 long, 1.5-2 cm thick, with two to three pairs of cells. The row spacing is 70-80 and the distance between the cuttings in the line ZO-40 cm. The cuttings are planted in holes 18-20 cm deep so that their tops are 5-6 cm below the soil surface. From above, the cuttings are covered with a layer of earth 3 -4 cm. They are planted vertically.
Sometimes green sprouts are planted in the nursery, which are harvested during hop framing. The tops of the shoots should be at the level of the topsoil. For better engraftment, the sprouts are watered for 8-10 days. Wallpaper or poles 3-4 m high are placed on shkiltsy, which contributes to better growth of stems. Plant care in nurseries consists of weeding, loosening the soil, pest and disease control. A mandatory event is the establishment of stems on wallpaper or other supports.
Before planting hops, they start early - at the beginning of field work (along with pruning the uterus). In order to carry out planting in a timely manner, the pits dug in the fall are then filled with a mixture of humus with a fertile topsoil. If this work was not carried out in the fall, then it must be done early in the spring.
5-7 kg of humus or compost mixed with top soil are added to each hole. fertile soil. This mixture, after trampling, should fill the hole by 25 cm. A layer of fertile moist soil 15 cm thick is poured over the mixture, into which the cuttings are planted. A little soil is raked over the live bait.
When planting hop seedlings, a layer of fertile soil is poured over the mixture inside the hole, in which the plant is planted. You can plant hop seedlings both in spring and autumn. The upper part of the cuttings and seedlings after planting should be at a depth of 20 cm from the soil surface. The part of the hole not filled with soil is gradually filled in when caring for the plants.
When breaking down the hop plant, poles are installed for wallpaper equipment. This work must be completed before planting, so as not to damage the plants later. To install wallpaper on each hectare of the hop plant, 145-150 poles 8-9 m high and 60 wooden blocks for anchors are buried. The pillars are installed in even rows in the longitudinal and transverse directions. A galvanized wire is pulled along the top of the pillars, from which wire supports are hung to each bush, they are well pulled with wooden pegs 50-60 cm long; pegs are driven into the soil at a distance of 40 cm from the bushes.
Hop care. Every year during the growing season, the soil under the hops must be kept loose and clean from. Inter-row cultivation is carried out by tractor and horse cultivators, and in bushes - manually. Every year, hop growers fertilize both and. The average norm or peat compost is 25-30 t/ha. On the main types of soils where hop plants are located, it is recommended to apply mineral fertilizers in the following rates: ammonium nitrate - 3-4 centners, 40% potassium salt - 3 centners, superphosphate - 5-6 centners per hectare. On chernozems, the rate of nitrogen fertilizers is somewhat reduced, and phosphorus fertilizers are increased. Fertilizers are evenly crushed on both sides of the row and plowed to a depth of 15-18 cm. Fertilizing hops with local and mineral fertilizers, carried out in the first growing season, gives good results.
At the first top dressing, it is recommended to apply NPK at 30-40 kg per hectare each, and at the second top dressing - onlyNPin the same norms as in the first feeding. During feeding, pus is applied at a rate of 5-6 tons per hectare with the addition of 2 centners of superphosphate.
When fertilizing, it is recommended to wrap fertilizers in the soil to a depth of 15-18 cm, preventing damage to the roots. Hops are fed with the help of special aggregates.
Hoppers demand special care. Starting from the second year of hop life, queen pruning is carried out in early spring. This event increases the yield, improves the quality of hops, increases its durability. Trimming the uterus consists of the following processes: opening, trimming and closing. Rhizomes and underground stems of the previous year are cut off on the uterus. At the same time, rotten parts are removed. After pruning, the uterus is covered with a layer of moist earth by 8-10 cm.
Second important event care is framing, i.e. removal of excess shoots formed on the uterus. It is carried out during the period of formation of sprouts 12-20 cm long. The framing technique is as follows: at each bush, the ground is carefully unfolded, first with a chopper, and then with your hands. After the uterus is opened, 5-6 best shoots are selected from each bush, and the rest are cut with a sharp knife. The shoots remaining on the plant are pressed down with earth.
After framing, they begin to establish stems for support. This work is carried out when the stems reach 40-50 cm. When the stems are planted, their ground part is pressed with moist soil, which contributes to the formation of additional roots. For one support, 3 stems are planted. Excess stems are cut with a knife at the surface of the soil. AT last years at each hop bush, two supports are pulled and 2 stalks are planted on each of them. New system provides an increase in yield, but at the same time requires an intensive fertilization system for hops. AT further care for hops is in the fight against weeds and pests, loosening the soil, hilling bushes and the like.
In the complex of measures for the care of hops, timely control of pests and diseases is of great importance. Among them, the most dangerous are spider mite, hop aphid, flea, wireworm and transfer spore. In the system of pest and disease control measures, the destruction of dead stems in late autumn and the autumn plowing of row-spacings, roads and borders are very important.
Collection and drying of hops. The technical ripeness of hop cones is determined by the following features: the color of the cones from grassy green becomes golden green or yellow-green, they become tight, elastic, sticky, very odorous to the touch. Under normal weather conditions, the technical ripeness of the cones lasts from 10 to 14 days. In the future, the quality of the cones deteriorates.
Harvesting hops is a very labor intensive process. According to the standard, each bump must be cut off separately. For the convenience of collecting cones, mature bushes are removed from the wire with special hooks. After collecting the cones, the stems are wrapped in a small ring around the peg and left until late autumn. This is done in order to ensure the outflow of nutrients from the stems to the roots and uterus. late autumn the stems are cut, beyond the plantation line and burned, and the area is fertilized and plowed into fallow to a depth of 15-18 cm.
When collecting cones, their moisture content is 75-80%, and for long-term storage it should not exceed 10-12%. Hops are dried in air on grates or in fire dryers at a temperature of 40 - 45 ° C. After 10-15 days after drying, the hops are treated in special chambers with sulfur dioxide, pressed, packaged and sent to factories.

Hearing the word "hops", many immediately remember that this is one of the components for making beer. However, this perennial is a liana that has a wonderful decorative look and is very often used in landscape design.

Use this powerful plant in vertical gardening for decorating site fences, arches and other vertical supports. And the cones hanging from the shoots are a beautiful decorative component of the vines, which looks spectacular on the shoots.

Hops are used as an additive in baking and brewing, they are also used in the preparation of many dishes, and they are also eaten raw.

For food, young foliage, stems and mustaches of vines are used. And in folk medicine, this plant is used as an excellent sedative and restoring water-salt balance plant.

Description

This perennial is a dioecious plant, which has recently been classified as a cannabis plant. But at one time, botanists ranked hops with mulberry plants. Three varieties of these vines are known, but how cultivated plants only creeping (or common) hops are grown, which are grown for food, and climbing hops (Japanese) - it is used in landscape design.

cones- these are inflorescences consisting entirely of female small flowers growing on a single stem. At the lower end of these inflorescences are special glands containing lupilin - the main substance for which hops are valued. In cones, the concentration of this substance is much higher than in male cones. In fertilized cones, fruits are formed at the end of the season.

Branched panicles on which small flowers grow (about 5 mm) are male flowers. Their perianths are simple, the anthers of the stamens are elongated. The number of stamens is 5. There are very few glands with lupilin. After the end of flowering, the flowers fall off.

Japanese hop- a rather thermophilic plant, therefore it grows only in the same latitude with the Japanese islands. Common hop is common in our country, which is described in this article.

Cultivation and care

To grow common hops on your site, you need to know about the nuances of growing these vines: choose the right place for planting seedlings, prepare the soil before planting, and also properly care for this perennial after planting throughout the season.

Soil selection for planting

The planting site of this perennial can be in the sun, but hops grow better in the shade. BUT sunny areas attract pests to the plant, also in such areas the vines are more susceptible to diseases. It is better if the place is protected from gusts of cold wind, but hops grow quite calmly in a draft.

From right choice soil also depends on how well this perennial will grow. The soil should be light and loose, with enough nutrients. Creepers grow well in a humid and warm climate, but the soil in the near-stem circles should be moist, but without stagnant water in it.

Groundwater must be deep enough to root system hops did not rot.

The acidity of the soil should be close to neutral (or slightly alkaline), this perennial grows much worse on alkaline soils.

Fertilization

This plant is quite tall, and for the full growth of all shoots it is necessary a large number of nutrients. Therefore, usually the preparation of the site where the hops will grow is prepared in advance. Both organic matter and the necessary mineral elements must be introduced into the soil.

If seedlings are planned to be planted in the spring, then before autumn digging manure (only not quite fresh) and phosphate fertilizer are introduced into the soil. These creepers are extremely responsive to the introduction of organic matter into the soil, so it requires more than complex mineral fertilizers. However, fresh organic fertilizer do not apply, as it can burn the roots of the plant. And here peat fertilizer bring only in the form of mulch, and its layer should be about 10 cm.

Planting and propagating hops

You can plant young plants both in autumn and in spring period. These vines are propagated by cuttings, dividing the bush or seeds. Growing hops from seeds is a long process, so gardeners, in order to save time and effort, do not grow hops using seed.

Non-lignified cuttings of these vines are usually cut from those stems that are at least 3 years old. Cut cuttings are planted in dug trenches, immediately making a distance between them of at least 0.8 - 1 m. Next to the planted plants, suitable posts should immediately be dug under the support. In one place, creepers grow for at least 18 - 20 years.

This perennial is propagated by dividing the bush when transplanting it from one place to another. After digging, the youngest hop roots are planted. This method is as simple as growing these vines from cuttings.

The main nuances of hop care

The first 2 - 3 seasons, liquid top dressing is introduced into the near-trunk circles. Usually, cow dung, chicken manure or humus is used to prepare such a solution. You also need to make mineral fertilizers. Usually the application different types fertilizers alternate with each other.

Moisture is essential for this plant, foliage and flowers grow more actively if there is enough moisture in the soil. Therefore, in spring and in the first half of summer, these vines are watered regularly, at least once every 4 to 6 days.

In autumn, one of the main procedures for caring for hops is pruning the shoots.

Beneficial features

This plant contains many different active substances:

various resins;
bitterness;
essential oil;
flavonoids.

The main effect that hops have on the human body is a calming and relaxing effect. Therefore, a tincture based on it is often used instead of sleeping pills, as well as to relieve nervous tension and in various forms of depression.

Decoctions and infusions help to normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in inflammatory processes in the bladder or kidneys. In the form of lotions and compresses, hops infusion is used in the treatment of bruises and wounds, as well as to smooth wrinkles on the skin of the face.

Planting hops

The history of my relationship with hops is long. It began with an unsuccessful attempt to grow hops from hand-bought seeds to run vines up the wall of a high-rise building. There was also a full bag of rhizomes collected in the forest (in the Tver region), which was suffocating from bushes overgrown with hops. It was a strange forest. He had just freed himself from the snow, and all the bumps and hills were covered with a blue-blue carpet of blooming flowers. There was a lot of hops: leafless vines twined around tree trunks, shrubs and dry stems of last year's herbaceous plants. It was necessary to move in that forest with caution so as not to be trapped in loops of leafless vines of hops.

It was there that we managed to dig up or pull out with our hands from the loose and moist spring earth long bundles of common hop rhizomes ( Humulus lupulus). They were needed for landing on the site. The process of planting hops is not difficult. Now I know how easily even a tiny piece of rhizome that accidentally fell to the ground sprouts and shoots. But then, when I first planted hops along the fence, I did not even imagine how tenacious this plant would turn out to be. Therefore, everything was done according to the rules and taking into account the unpredictability of spring weather.

First, a trench about 25 cm deep was dug. A layer of partially decomposed compost was laid on its bottom. Pieces of rhizomes 15–20 cm long were overlapped on it. I made sure that most of the buds did not look at the ground, but up. The rhizomes were carefully sprinkled with a mixture of semi-decomposed humus, garden soil, peat and sand. The planting process was completed by abundant watering and light mulching of the landing site. A year later, it was decided to increase the length of the hop hedge. Like last time, everything was done very carefully, the only difference was that we had to adapt to the vagaries of not spring, but autumn weather. Therefore, peat and fallen leaves were poured on top. For insurance.

Hop is looking for support

The first year or two, hops are timidly mastered in any new place. Then he rapidly starts to grow. And in all directions at once. It is at this moment that you realize how good it is if there is a strong support nearby. Without it, the shoots spread along the ground, climb trees growing nearby and braid the raspberry stalks that are in their way. From this point on, hops left to themselves can become a headache not only for the owner of the site, but also for his neighbors. The stranglehold of hops is experienced even by thorny spruces growing nearby and rose bushes strewn with thorns.

The first year the transplanted hops were sick. He released thin, frail shoots, small leaves, and soon aphids attacked him. This grass louse, like the human one, pounces on the sick, frail, eaten by melancholy or other mental illness. In the second year, having been ill and settling in a new place, hops showed their strength (V.A. Soloukhin "Grass").

The problems associated with hops are especially visible on small area. It is safer to think “seven times” whether it is worth planting such a fast-growing and indestructible plant, which will then be difficult to get rid of. Hops are so actively exploring space that they need to be kept under control at all times. The best way out is to run the vines along the supports, removing those shoots that expand the area occupied by the perennial. Otherwise, problems associated with the redevelopment of the nearest part of the site are inevitable, and conflicts with neighbors are possible.

Its rough, as if immediately sticking tip, all the time, moving forward or upward, performs a uniform rotational movement in a clockwise direction. And if a tree, a telegraph pole, a drainpipe, a specially placed pole, any vertical pointing to the sky, comes across along the way, the hop quickly, within one day, takes off to the very top, and its growing end again fumbles around itself in empty space (B .A. Soloukhin "Grass").

Hop care

Spring. Shoots emerging from the ground grow very quickly. A tiny sprout in one day is extended by 20 - 30 centimeters, and sometimes more.

Summer. During the summer period, the vine grows up to 3.5 - 4 meters long. It happens that up to 8 meters. First, the shoots are directed upward along the support. But as soon as it ends, the movement continues in the same direction, clinging "to the air" and winding itself on its own stems. Because of this, numerous "air loops" appear. The top of the vine becomes heavier and acquires greater windage. It becomes difficult for her to withstand showers and strong gusts of wind. This leads to the fact that part of the green hedge sooner or later breaks off the support. It must also be taken into account that fragile supports and fasteners holding heavy upper part hop shoots are easily torn. To avoid falling hedges of hops, it can only be run on very reliable supports, tied up and prevent the appearance of "air loops". As soon as the height of the shoots reaches the top bar of the support, all ends of the shoots must be cut or directed downward.

Hops often suffer from powdery mildew. Aphids may appear on young shoots. Toward the end of summer, the decorative effect of hops decreases: the foliage begins to noticeably turn brown. True, such a disadvantage is often not evident due to the abundance of cones. Hops are a dioecious plant that is pollinated by wind and insects. Plants with male flowers have loose paniculate inflorescences.

What am I accustomed to, but I can’t stand it in a blooming hop plant for more than three hours - you inhale the ubiquitous hop pollen, and your head starts to spin. A friend of mine, a very talented herbalist, asked me to pick flowers with me. Much younger than me, short, thin. He climbed an elm, where, at a height of four or five meters, the hops formed a luxurious tent - one of them is enough for several baskets. An hour later I look - first a bag falls to the ground, and this friend of mine falls on top of it. Luckily, he landed successfully. They just laughed (R.B. Akhmedov “Plants are your friends and enemies”).

Female bushes have capitate inflorescences, in which the covering leaves grow and cover the fruit-nuts. This is how the famous hop cone clusters look like, which, first of all, brewers are happy with.

From time to time it is necessary to weed the weeds that have grown at the foot: nettles, dandelions, gout, etc. Hop easily tolerates both waterlogging and drought. He calmly refers to the different composition and structure of the soil.

Autumn. The entire above-ground part of the perennial common hop dies off every year. Dry whips look ugly: they are fluttered by the wind, they turn black from rain and snow. It should also be taken into account that later, during the spring fall, dry hops flare up like gunpowder. Therefore, it is better to cut off the entire aerial part, and not just dried stems. This painstaking work takes a lot of time, since you have to take out dried shoots from all the cracks in the fence. It is better to finish everything before the onset of cold and rainy weather.

Decorative hops

Common hop is one of the best available and unpretentious plants for vertical gardening. Especially when it is well-groomed and grown on loose nutritious soil.

In order for the hop hedge to look neat, you should not allow the appearance of echinocystis (mad cucumber). Otherwise, artistic confusion is inevitable, which turns hedge into an unattractive mop of assorted shoots.

Common hop has several registered technical varieties. Seeds and seedlings of ornamental golden hops (Humulus lupulus "Aurea") with yellowish foliage are on sale. The length of its shoots is 2.5 - 3 meters. Another species is also suitable for hedges - a fast-growing annual climbing hop, or Japanese hop (H. japonicus).

Hops as a medicinal plant

Golden yellow fragrant hop cones can be dried and brewed into tea. This drink is better to drink at night. They say that after it you sleep well. Water infusion of hop cones is traditionally rinsed with hair. A pillow is stuffed with dry hop cones. Many argue that sleeping on such a pillow is easy, in addition, it helps with headaches.

For insomnia, make a pillow filled with hop cones. I remember that my mother made such pillows for her younger brother, who had been ill with meningitis - so that his head would hurt less and sleep better (R.B. Akhmedov “Plants are your friends and enemies”).

Hops ordinary attracts the attention of many traditional healers. Moreover, not only cones and rhizome are harvested, but also other parts of the plant. So, an infusion of herbs (shoots with leaves) is drunk to improve vision and for colds. Pregnancy is a contraindication. The healing power of hops has long been known:

In Tibetan medicine, even in ancient times, hop flowers were used as a reliable antitumor agent. It was believed that cancer cured with hops did not relapse. I am not a Tibetan lama, but I look at hop flowers as a most valuable divine gift (R.B. Akhmedov “Plants are your friends and enemies”).

The hop plant is not only an excellent raw material for the production of hop drinks, but also valuable medicinal plant. The decorative qualities of this vine, densely strewn with green cones, are no less in demand. It is often used for landscaping various kinds of supports, arbors, pergolas and arches, planting around the perimeter as living fences. It has been proven that hop leaves and stems are capable of absorbing heavy metal ions.

Humulus lupulus - Common hop (curly), belongs to the hemp family. The genus is represented by three species of perennial and annual herbaceous vines, commonly used for vertical gardening. These are fast-growing vines that shed the entire above-ground part for the winter and are preserved thanks to underground rhizomes.

Here is the description of hops given by Dahl: “Hops are a pogony plant, whose pollen goes into drunken drinks; cones of this plant, which contain pollen. Intoxicated state. His hops overcame. Khmelishche bogatyrs will overcome. Brazhka cannot be brewed without hops” and so on.

The most interesting thing is that with its current very wide use, despite the fact that "hoppy" has become a synonym for intoxicating, hops are a relatively recent invention, although they are found wild in the forests of Central and Eastern Europe and large parts of Asia. It is difficult to say who was the first to brew beer with hops.

This page describes the properties of hops and how to grow them in your backyard.

Healing properties of hops

The Finns have the first mention of beer with hops, but it is only about 1200 years old, apparently, at the same time, the Slavs who inhabited it began to use it in the Baltic. At this time, hops began to be consumed in the Caucasus. AT Western Europe hops, judging by the mentions of it in chronicles and medical treatises, appeared even later, around the 8th-10th centuries, in different countries at different times.

Hops are added to beer not only and not so much to increase it, so to speak, “hoppy”, but to improve its taste and preservation. Although hops do indeed have a certain effect on nervous system. In medicine, it is used as a sedative and is part of many fees.

In medicine, hops also began to be used from about the 12th century, when it had already received wide use. They were even paid taxes and tribute, for example, in the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, which is mentioned in the chronicles in 967. In the Middle Ages, such a tribute was widely spread in Germany, Holland and Norway. At that time, hops became the only and main additive to beer, giving it taste and aroma, and completely replaced other additives - wormwood, gravel and others.

In medicine and brewing, hop inflorescences and hop glands are used, which are densely covered with leaves of inflorescences. When dried, some of these glands crumble, forming a golden fragrant powder. Mature inflorescences are harvested in August, in good weather, after the dew has evaporated. Inflorescences that are slightly yellowed, but not yet yellow, are considered ready for collection.

In medicine healing properties hops are used as a sedative for overwork, increased excitability, difficulty falling asleep. Hops give good results with low acidity of gastric juice, digestive disorders. Together with chaga (birch fungus), hops are used as a tonic in oncology. Hops are often used in cosmetics to strengthen hair.

Medicinal raw materials are seedlings ("cones") of hops. They found an essential oil (0.3-1.8%), which includes mono-and sesquiterpenoids (myrcene, geraniol, caryophyllene, farnesene); bitterness (11–21%) - humulon, lupulon, etc.; flavonoids, coumarins, phenolic acids (chlorogenic, coffee, etc.), coumarins, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B6, estrogenic hormones, resinous substances.

Biologically active substances of hops have a calming, hypnotic effect, bitter substances improve digestion, the amount of biologically active substances has a bactericidal effect, has a positive effect on metabolic processes and especially on the regulation of fat, mineral and water metabolism. AT scientific medicine hop preparations are used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, to stimulate appetite, improve digestion in gastritis, in diseases of the gallbladder and liver, spleen ("Hovaletten").

They are used as an analgesic, sedative, hypnotic for increased nervous excitability, sleep disorders, neuralgia, vegetative dystonia, mild spasms of the coronary vessels, tachycardia, in the early stages of hypertension ("Valocordin", "Valosedan", "Novo-passit").

Effective preparations based on hops for pyelonephritis, kidney stones, inflammation Bladder, dropsy ("Urolesan"); used for inflammatory diseases of the skin and mucous membranes, allergic reactions accompanied by itching; decoctions and lotions are used for radiculitis and joint diseases.

The main use of hop cones is brewing, they are also used in cosmetology to strengthen hair.

The use of preparations from the hop plant is contraindicated during pregnancy (disturbs hormonal balance) and lactation, hypersecretion of gastric juice, acute hepatitis, severe violations of the liver and kidneys.

Harvest "cones" of hops in the early ripening phase (late July - August), when they have a yellowish-green color; they are cut together with the stalks so as not to crumble.

Hops are often used and how ornamental plant, it curls well on balconies, verandas, fences and arbors, decorating them with its carved foliage. Liana does not lose its decorative effect for 20-30 years.

On plantations, the entire vine is usually cut off, then inflorescences are collected from it, which are dried in a ventilated dark place on the litter. If hops are dried without bedding, the glands with essential oil and resins that fall from it - the most valuable part of the raw material - will be lost. Hop cones contain up to 1.6% essential oil, and glands - up to 3%. More than 100 substances were found in the essential oil, its composition depends on the origin of the raw materials, the time of collection and climatic conditions.

Hops use not only the cones that go into brewing, but also young shoots, while they have not yet blossomed leaves. These shoots are boiled and served like asparagus. Before the revolution, it was specially recommended to grow hops for vegetable raw materials, covering young shoots from light, bleaching them like asparagus. Such shoots are not only more tender, but also grow faster. By pruning hops and covering new shoots from the light, you can have them almost all summer. Of course, you can not cut the same bush all the time. Therefore, if you need young shoots, leave a few old large shoots on the bush to feed it. Young shoots are tied into bundles, boiled in salt water and served with breadcrumbs.

Here is the description of ordinary hops given by the famous Russian gardener Steinberg: “Hop sprouts usually appear from the ground quite early, already in April and May, therefore, at the indicated vegetable-free time, you can eat hop sprouts, which are considered very tasty. Since hops are often found in the wild, this circumstance is of particular importance, although, in view of the indicated value of hop sprouts, hops should be bred on a small scale in every gardening and horticulture. In the spring, the hop sprouts are allowed to come out of the ground a little, and then they are crushed and used like asparagus.

What does liana hop look like and how does it grow (with photo)

Hop is a climbing herbaceous plant, perennial. Stems up to 6 m long, tetrahedral, covered with hooked spines. The lower leaves are opposite, long-petiolate, rounded, 3–5 deeply palmately lobed, serrated along the edges; upper leaves entire. Flowers unisexual: staminate flowers - in axillary panicles, five-membered; pistillate - in pineal axillary drooping catkins, growing into seedlings.

As you can see in the photo, the fruits of the hop plant are nuts collected in yellowish-green cones:

They, like asparagus and cauliflower, can be eaten in spring time. Blossoms in July-August, fruits are harvested in September.

Hops grow like a vine, its faceted stems twist around the support to the right, counterclockwise. And in order to better hold on, the stems are covered with special anvil-shaped hairs, from below the hairs are wide and thick, from above they have two “horns” directed to the sides along the stem, impregnated with silicon salts and very durable. Sticking with sharp ends into the support, these hairs firmly hold the shoot. At the same time, they also play a protective role. Try to get through the hops in short sleeves - you will get a lifetime unforgettable impression. This method of struggle was used on my advice in one kindergarten - the kids immediately stopped all attempts to climb over the fence into the street. The scratches are very painful and take a long time to heal.

Hop is a dioecious plant, female and male inflorescences are located on different bushes. Of practical importance are only female bushes, forming inflorescences in the form of cones. Since inflorescences that do not have seeds are more valued in brewing and medicine, only female plants are usually planted on plantations.

Hops have underground branching rhizomes that produce new shoots. Segments of these rhizomes are used to propagate hops in culture. Green shoots die off annually after fruiting, and grow back in spring.

This is a South Boreal-nemoral-forest-steppe North American-European-West Asian species. It is widely distributed in the south of the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in the south of Western Siberia, in Altai and in Central Asia. In the Ural region, it occurs in the Middle and Southern Urals. It grows in thickets of coastal shrubs, in moist forests.

The most decorative variety with bright yellow leaves - humulus lupulus 'Aureus'.

These photos show what a hop plant looks like:

The following sections of the article are devoted to how to plant hops and how to care for the plant.

Planting and care conditions for growing hops in open ground

Hop creepers are commonly used for vertical gardening. However, when growing hops, it should be borne in mind that before winter, the above-ground mass of leaves and branches dies off completely every year, only the underground thickened rhizomes of hops remain. In the spring, after the snow melts, the hops begin to grow actively.

An important condition for growing hops is to provide a semi-shady area, protected from the northern winds. On the sunny places hop plantings are more prone to disease, attack by aphids and other leaf-eating insects.

For planting and caring for hops in open field permeable fertile loam with sufficient moisture, but not waterlogged, is best suited.

In the vertical position, the hop lashes quickly climb the supports, in the horizontal position, the growth rate is significantly reduced. To grow a solid green wall, plants are planted at intervals of 1.5–2 m. A well-developed specimen of hop forms a dense interlacing of stems and leaves by mid-summer. Knowing this feature, you can quickly decorate even the most nondescript garden buildings.

How to plant, grow and care for hops in the garden

To plant hops in poor soil, pits or ditches 60 cm deep are dug in autumn, into which manure is laid up to half, and covered with earth from above. Planting is carried out in the spring as seedlings and cuttings. Common hop seedlings are planted at a distance of 80-100 cm from each other, Japanese hops can be planted even more often (30-50 cm).

Like most vines, it needs support. It consumes a lot of nutrients and water, therefore, to ensure good and rapid development, the plant must be fed and watered. In the first year, common hops can produce many shoots - weak and substandard hops should be cut off so as not to deplete the plant. Then in the second year there will be fewer shoots, and flowering will be more abundant. In the third or fourth year, the rhizomes grow, and if you give them free rein, hops will be a real disaster for your garden, so you need with an iron hand keep this vine in the place allotted for it. When the shoots reach 60 cm, they are substituted with a support up to three or more meters long, around which they will curl. During the first half of summer, adult plants develop a powerful crown of intertwining shoots with lobed leaves and decorative cones.

After planting, when caring for hops in the garden, it is important to protect the plant from pests. Although this is not the most "tasty" plant, leaf beetles can damage it. The old method of spraying with a bitter infusion of wormwood is recommended. And it’s easier to purchase a modern chemical agent to combat leaf-eating insects. In autumn, after dying off, hop vines are cut.

The plant creates a solid shadow, and under the "green tent" twilight will always reign. This must be taken into account if we plant hops near the gazebo or veranda.

In autumn, the pits for planting hops 0.5 m deep are half-filled with manure, and covered with earth on top. In the spring, hop seedlings or cuttings are planted in them. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 1 m.

In the first half of summer, hop lianas grow so rapidly that this plant is the very first to weave pergolas, supports, far ahead of lemongrass, parthenocissus, honeysuckle honeysuckle. During the day, hops grow by several centimeters. As soon as the shoots grow by 40–50 cm, a support is built for them. In the first year of planting, weak shoots of the plant should be removed, leaving strong ones.

To care for hops in the way that proper agricultural technology suggests, timely weeding, periodic loosening and watering during the dry season are necessary. In the first 3 years after planting, to ensure rapid and good growth, hops should be regularly watered and fed with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer. Top dressing should be alternated: once fertilizer is applied to the soil, then foliar top dressing is carried out on stems and leaves (fertilizer should be diluted in half concentration). The method of foliar feeding is also carried out in the case of nitrogen starvation of the leaves, when they become light and small, in case of a lack of potassium, the shape of the leaves becomes convex, and the bronze color of the leaf indicates that the plant lacks phosphorus elements.

In the process of growing hops, care must be taken to ensure that the roots do not grow beyond the plantings. You can use limiters or bury the remains of slate to a depth of half a meter.

Hop propagation: how to propagate a vine with cuttings and division of rhizomes

Reproduction of perennial hops is carried out by dividing rhizomes, root offspring, less often by seeds. Rhizomes are separated with a sharp shovel, without digging up a bush, right in the ground. Do this in the spring when new shoots appear. For planting, the rhizomes are cut into pieces 10–15 cm long with two or three pairs of buds and planted. Annual roots with a diameter of about 2 cm take root better. In vertical gardening, the Aurea hybrid form with golden yellow leaves is often used. It perfectly sets off plants with dark foliage and creates a charming ensemble with coniferous plants which are now in vogue.

Between the rows make intervals of 2–2.5 m, plants are planted at a distance of one meter. After the emergence of seedlings, the soil is loosened, systematic weeding and watering are carried out. During the summer, 2-3 times they give top dressing with slurry. When the length of the shoots reaches 60–90 cm, the plants are sent along the trellises. The fruits appear already in the first year, in the second year of life, hops give quite decent yields. In order for the hops to winter better, the shoots are spudded in the fall.

To propagate hops by cuttings, they are harvested from plants aged 3–8 years.

In spring (from mid-March to mid-April, depending on the weather), shoots are collected that are at least 4 mm thick and not more than 8 cm long. They should be light in color, from cream to pale yellow. When the shoots turn green, their taste becomes slightly bitter. The tops of the shoots during harvest should still be tightly closed. In place of the removed shoots, new ones are formed, which can also be collected. Harvest of hop cones is harvested in September-October.