How to grow hops from seeds. Growing hops for decorative purposes at your own dacha: care, varieties, features

Hops are a member of the cannabis family. There are three types of this plant: ordinary, Japanese and heart-shaped. Areas of application include the perfumery and cosmetics, pharmaceutical, bakery, canning and medical industries. The most widespread common hop. it climbing plant characterized by unpretentiousness and external attractiveness, which made the culture popular in gardening. Consider the features of cultivation and care in more detail.

Hop is a perennial liana-like plant with a twisted stem. It is usually planted in decorative purposes. The root system is perennial, but the stem dies each autumn. A rhizome is formed from underground shoots. About 10 branched roots grow from it, they are subsequently divided into small roots. From these roots and rhizomes, a root system develops, which is deepened into the ground by 4 cm, then spreads to 3 m.

Culture features

The main part of the root is located in the upper soil layer. Buds form on the rhizome. A significant increase is observed in the fourth year. At this time, the number of buds from which shoots are formed reaches its maximum number. The stems grow up to 10 m in length, their thickness is 13 mm. It may be red or green color. The leaves of this plant are shaped like a heart. They contain essential oil and resins, the volume of which varies from 400 to 600 units.

During the growing process, only hops are left female, because male plants do not produce flowers.

Choose a place

We can distinguish the following features of determining a place for planting a plant:

Hop is a light-loving crop that should receive sunlight at least 6-7 hours a day.
This plant is not whimsical to the growing environment, but does not feel very comfortable on acidic soils. For this reason, if the crop is planned to be planted in the ground with increased level acidity, it must be limed.
The root system will grow rapidly, so it is recommended to choose a separate place for planting where hops cannot harm other plants.
An unfavorable factor for this plant is the wind. It is advisable to choose an area that will be protected from this impact. When grown in large areas, they are protected with fast-growing trees.

Do not plant hops near the house, it will prevent the penetration of natural light into the room.

How to grow hops

There are three ways of growing with which you can get this plant on the site:

seeds;
cuttings;
overgrowth.

Most simple option is the use of overgrowth, because it appears in sufficient quantity in spring period. If it is problematic to get it or a stalk, then you can get hops from seed material. In April, you need to start planting seedlings:

The soil for this purpose must be sufficiently fertile. Can be purchased ready soil at specialized points of sale or mix the earth with humus or leaf substrate in equal proportions.
The soil is poured into the prepared containers, after which the seeds are placed into it to a depth of 0.5 cm.
It is recommended to cover the containers with glass or film to create the effect of a greenhouse.
The most favorable temperature conditions for seed germination are in the range of 20°C - 22°C.
Crops need to be watered periodically. After a week, sprouts will begin to appear. From this point on, the shelter should be removed for 2-3 hours a day.
And when the first leaves appear, the film must be removed completely. Seedlings should be in a sufficiently lit place, but it is necessary to avoid direct sunlight.
After the seedlings reach a height of 5 cm, they are subject to a dive. That is, they need to be transplanted into separate containers.
This process must be carried out together with the earth. For this you can use peat pots, which, together with the plant, are subsequently planted in the ground. Such containers have a significant advantage - the root system of seedlings is not damaged during transplantation.
Seedling preparation is not mandatory requirement when growing this crop, the seeds can be placed immediately in open ground. Before autumn, it needs to be dug to a depth of 60-70 cm.

soil fertilization

Since the cultivation of hops must be carried out in a fertile environment, the soil is enriched with fertilizers. You can use manure or mineral components. Fresh manure mass is applied to a depth of 10-15 cm. It is preferable to use rotted manure, since seeds may be contained in fresh fertilizer weeds. This component enriches the top layer of soil with a thickness of 5-7 cm. Manure is applied only in autumn, so that winter period he was able to break down.

Mineral fertilizer components are applied both in autumn and in spring. These are ready-made nutrients that are absorbed by the root system of the plant. Potassium renders positive influence on protein and carbohydrate metabolism, its deficiency leads to a deterioration in the yield. Phosphorus and nitrogen accelerate crop growth.

Among nitrogen fertilizers, urea has the highest concentration of nitrogen. It is a granular powder of gray or white color, dissolves well in liquids. When it decomposes, ammonium carbonate is released. In order for the soil to absorb this component in sufficient quantities, it is applied before planting. On the square meter up to 20 g of this substance is used.

The next place in terms of nitrogen concentration is occupied by ammonium nitrate. It also goes on sale in a granulated state. It is introduced at the rate of 15 g per 1 m 2. The nitrogen content in ammonium sulfate is 1/5 part. It is a white crystalline powder. The dose of application is 30-40 g. The lowest concentration of the nitrogen component is found in calcium nitrate. Due to its alkaline composition, this fertilizer is well suited for growing hops, since acidic soils are not a favorable environment for this plant. For 1 m 2 of soil, 40-50 g of calcium nitrate is required.

Phosphate fertilizers include phosphate rock. It is used as independent component because it is poorly soluble. The dose of application is 50 g. Superphosphate is a gray granular powder. For one application, 30 g is needed. The potash fertilizer group includes potassium sulfate, potassium salt, potassium chloride and potassium chloride. From 20 to 30 g is applied per 1 m 2.

Planting seeds

Plant seeds in early spring. To do this, prepare trenches or pits. Seed material before planting must undergo a stratification procedure, which provides for the preparation of seeds for germination by creating certain temperature conditions. Within 3-5 days they need to be kept warm, and then lower the temperature of stay to + 8 ° C. Next, the seeds are placed in prepared pits and sprinkled with earth.

In autumn, after harvesting the fruits, compost mass is introduced into the soil. Dried shoots should be cut. autumn period- this is the most suitable time for planting or transplanting a crop. Hops are dug up and healthy rhizomes are selected, which are as thick as the size of a finger.

If you do not plan to grow hops for an extended period, annual seeds should be used. It is quite difficult to get rid of this plant even with the help of herbicides. This should be remembered when choosing a site for landing. Growing, hops will capture new territories.

care requirements

When the plant reaches a height of 50 cm, it must be provided with support. For this, high poles dug into the ground are suitable. Per summer period the stems will grow up to 3-4 m. If it becomes necessary to stop their growth, you need to cut off the tops before flowering.
Care involves periodic loosening of the soil and fertilization. You can speed up the ripening process of cones with a 40% solution of ammonium nitrate, which should be sprayed on the culture. For the first top dressing, mineral fertilizers are used.
To increase the yield, the lower branches are removed after 2 cm from the main stem.
In winter, the hops are spudded so that they do not suffer from being in low temperatures. With the onset of spring, dried stems must be removed. From the rhizome, 10-20 shoots are formed, most of which should be removed to prevent excessive spread of the culture. It is enough to leave the 5 most developed vines. The plant will bear fruit within the first year of life. But in the second year, the quality of the crop will increase markedly.
Hops can be attacked by pests and diseases. To avoid these troubles, the culture must be processed by special means. Chlorophos will help get rid of the alfalfa weevil. For 1 bush, 0.5 liters of a 0.3% composition will be required. If the plant is threatened by aphids or spider mites, a 40% solution of phosphamide or bitoxibacillin should be used.

An effective method of dealing with aphids is the use of soap. To protect hops from diseases, it is sprayed with a solution of polycarbacin, ridomil or cuprosan.

Harvesting

The fruits are harvested in late August or early September. You can determine the maturity of the cones by their appearance. They should have a yellow-green color and straightened scales. The bract in which the flower is formed should be brown in color.

To the touch, ripened hops are dry and resemble tissue paper. If they are wet, this indicates their insufficient maturity. With the collection of cones in this case, you should wait. Lupulin, a yellow powder resembling pollen, remains on the fingers after contact with ripe fruits. The specific aroma of hops should be felt. Ripe buds contain the maximum concentration of essential oil and alpha acids. If the fruits are not harvested in a timely manner, they will lose lupulin grains, which will adversely affect their quality.

Hops must be dried immediately after harvest, as 80% of their composition is water. If this condition is not met, the fruits will dry out and become unusable. To dry hops at home, you can use a regular fruit dryer. An oven is also suitable for this purpose. But the temperature level during the drying process should be low, about 50 ° C.

Under high temperature conditions, hops will lose some of the essential oil. A cone is considered dried when the stalk placed in the center becomes brittle. Fruit can be dried room temperature by simply laying them out on paper. In this case, the procedure will take 2-3 days.

Conclusion

The advantage of hops is their rapid growth. This is an unpretentious culture, its cultivation involves standard actions on making nutrients and loosening the soil. You can collect fruits in the year of planting. Hops are used in various industries industry and is also well suited for forming hedges or camouflaging buildings.
Features of growing hops. Video:

Hop cultivation is one of the most simple ways get the necessary component for home beer at home. Hops are quite easy to cultivate, and success is almost guaranteed to the horticulturally versed brewer. In addition, your hops will make your brews unique in their own way.

A bit of history

The place of origin of hops can most likely be considered Asia, from where it was brought to Europe by the Greeks and Romans. The young hop shoots were eaten, as was the asparagus. Hop cones began to dry and hop beer with them in the Middle Ages, only at the beginning of the 15th century hops reached England.

Today, commercial hop cultivation is concentrated in the Yakima Valley, located in central Washington State and the Willamite Valley, Oregon. Hops are also grown in Idaho. Historically, hops have also been grown in California, Wisconsin, New York and Massachusetts. In fact, hops are grown all over the States and Europe, so homebrewers have no problem with hops.

What hops need

Hops require good drainage, moderate watering, sunny place, trellises for growth and 120 days for a frost-free growing season. When dormant, hop roots can withstand harsh winters.

The upper part of the hop plants dies off every winter. Hop vines are technically shoots, with many tough hairs on them that the plant clings to a support. Unlike real vines, they do not have tendrils. Rhizomes - a perennial part of hop plants, are underground.

Over several seasons, hop plants grow a powerful root system and take up quite a lot of space. Someone manages to grow hops in large tubs. Kegs can be used instead of tubs.

Only female hop plants are suitable for making buds suitable for brewing. Hop leaves are not used in brewing. The males cause the seeds to ripen, which improves the quality of the hops and reduces the bitterness. For this reason, it is not advisable to keep wild plants next to their cultivated female plants. Some varieties of English hops are deliberately pollinated to produce a distinctive bouquet.

Where to find hops

Hops are available from many homebrew stores from late winter to early spring.

Rhizomes are the underground part of hop plants, they are vaguely similar to ginger roots (in fact, they are also rhizomes). You can usually find them on sale in the spring. Before planting, rhizomes should be stored in a cool room. For best results, wrap the rhizomes in damp newspaper, place them in a plastic bag, and refrigerate.

Availability of hop varieties may vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. Not all varieties grow equally well in all regions. If you have hop growers in your homebrewing club, you can get valuable information about varieties that don't grow well in your area. Most of the rhizomes sold will be the size of a human finger.

For most US homebrewers, US-selected beers are best. This is Willamette, Mt. Hood, Chinook, Nugget and especially Cascade, this variety is different high yields in almost any climate. The success of growing other varieties will vary, but no one forbids you to try. Be aware that the characteristics of German or English hops will change when grown in a different region of the world. In addition, most aromatic hop varieties do not like hot summers.

About sprouts

Hops begin to grow after the last frost, so they can be planted as soon as the land is suitable for cultivation, i.e. from mid-April to mid-May. If you are an experienced gardener, then planting hops is the same as planting peas. Hop sprouts tolerate some frosts, but temperatures below -3 °C during the day will damage them.

Place, place, place

Choose a sunny location with good drainage for planting. The hops will need support to grow, which requires twine and a frame of poles. The southern wall of the house is ideal for planting, and the twine lowered from the roof will become a support.

An excellent hop grows up, its lashes reach a height of 10 meters. However, the support can be launched diagonally or even horizontally. Plan your growing space however you like, because hops are very decorative.

Land for planting hops should be loose and rich in organic matter with a pH of 6.5-8. When planting at a depth of 30 cm, lay some sand. Holes should be at a distance of one to one and a half meters. At the bottom of the hole, put some compost or ready-made soil for seedlings. Plant the rhizome to a depth of 5-10 centimeters horizontally, but with the roots down, sprinkle with earth, lightly tamp it down. The hole can be covered with hay. Water generously.

Care

After a couple of weeks, the sprouts will begin to sprout. Commercial growers cut the first sprouts. It is best to select the 3 strongest shoots, cut the rest. As soon as the shoots have reached a length of 30-45 centimeters, they should be tied up by twisting the shoots onto the twine clockwise. On a sunny spring day, the shoot can grow 15 centimeters a day.

At the beginning of the growing season, hops require a lot of nitrogen. The compost added at planting will suffice, but it is better to add more fertilizer if the mature hop leaves are yellow or light green in color. Young leaves are usually lighter than older leaves, which should be dark green. small leaves can also be due to a lack of nitrogen or lighting.

Plants need to be watered quite often, water should not stay in the ground. If you have a dry climate, then you should organize a system with automatic watering. To avoid downy mildew, do not wet the leaves when watering.

cones

Hops have few enemies, they are as rare as IPA drinkers. Rabbits (hares) and deer love young hop shoots, chickens are also ready to peck at it.

Aphids, spider mites, Japanese beetle (a relative of the May beetle) can cause trouble. When growing hops, only low-toxic insecticides can be used. Can be used against aphids ladybugs(they are sometimes sold in garden stores). You can also use a mild soap solution. The danger from insects is most significant at the beginning of the growing season. Also, hops don't usually grow in your home area, so there aren't many hunters for them.

After the summer equinox, the hops switch their powers from growing greens to growing flowers and then buds. The yield depends on the age of the plant and growing conditions. Do not be discouraged if only a couple of buds ripen in the first season. In the first 2 years, the hop plant forms a powerful root system.

After flowering, the plant needs more phosphorus. Spring compost should probably suffice. However, adding a little phosphate fertilizer does not fit. If the lower leaves look healthy, then top dressing should be very light. Once the shoots have reached a length of 3-4.5 meters, some commercial hop growers trim the leaves to a height of 1.2 meters to improve ventilation.

Ripe

Hops can be harvested in late August or early September. It's not easy to tell if the buds are ripe, here are some clues.

Color
The color of a mature bud should be a light yellow-green, and the scales of the bud should start to loosen up. The bract (the leaf in whose axil the flower develops) should be brown.

Lupulin glands
Dots of yellow powder, similar to pollen, should be visible.

To the touch
When crushing the bump, there should be a slight sensation of dryness and tissue paper. The bump should spring back slightly when you open your fingers. If the bump is wet, dense, it is not ready. In addition, lupulin should remain on your fingers. You should be able to smell the specific hop aroma.

Ripening takes a couple of weeks, so you can collect the bumps gradually. To do this, you will need a ladder - after all, you will only have to collect ripe bunches. In production, hop shoots are cut off entirely, the collection of cones is mechanized. You can also use this scheme. It is more convenient to collect cones at a height of 4-5 meters. As a disadvantage - there will be a marriage with unripe cones.

Drying

After harvesting, the cones must be dried. Buds that are not dried will quickly dry out and become useless for brewing. Producers dry hops in the so-called oasts (oast - an oven for drying hops or malt). Homebrewers have several ways to dry hops.

You can use a home dryer for fruits, mushrooms. Hop producers dry it at an elevated temperature of 60-66°C, which is not very correct, as some of the aromatic oils evaporate. A compromise between quality and quantity. A home brewer should not spoil his product, the best temperature for drying will lie in the range of 49-54°C. Drying in such conditions will take most of the day. Drying should be completed when the central stalk of the bud becomes brittle.

Cones can also be dried in the oven at a low temperature. You can also dry hop cones at room temperature, spreading them out thin layer on a newspaper. In this way, the buds will dry out in 2-3 days at a temperature of about 30°C.

When the buds are dry, they should still be the same light yellow-green color, almost weightless. The scales will look like tissue paper. In this state, the cones must be carefully crushed, put in plastic bag and place in the freezer. There they will wait for their cooking.

Shoots dry out and die after harvest. Cut off dry hops, leaving 3 centimeters of the stem above the ground. Dry stems can be used as decoration on new year holidays or as compost. Mulch the plant holes and place straw on top. Now best time apply fertilizer to plants.

Add a couple of buckets of compost under each plant, create a small bed, 5-8 centimeters high above the soil level. You can gently mix the humus with top layer earth.

Late autumn is a good time to transplant or plant hops. Dig up the hops, select the healthiest parts of the rhizome, those that are as thick and as long as a finger. Put some earth and large sawdust (whatever remains after the electric planer) in a plastic bag along with the rhizomes. Store in a dark, cool area such as a basement or refrigerator. Hops are planted in early autumn.

bitter fruits

The hops that are sold are analyzed for alpha acids, so the brewer knows how much hops to add to achieve the desired degree of bitterness. Unfortunately, a homebrewer cannot determine the bitterness of their hops. You can only roughly rely on the values of % alpha acids in commercial hops. This indicator can vary significantly depending on the area of growth and season.

You can make a trial brew with your own hops and store-bought hops for a rough comparison. Many homebrewers use their hops purely for flavor and aroma - fresh homebrewed hops will outperform any commercial sample.

Bill Pierce and Chris Colby

Hops belong to the hemp family.

There are three types of hops found in nature:

Ordinary.
Heart-like.
Japanese.

Common hops are used in production. In another way, it is also called hop, hop or gorkach. It has sedative properties along with passionflower and motherwort.

Everyone knows that hops are used in the brewing industry, but these are far from all areas of its application. It is widely used in medicine, pharmaceuticals, cosmetology, perfume industry, for bakeries and canning. Hop stalks are 15% fiber, which are suitable for making rope, burlap, yarn and paper.

Characteristic features of hops:

The maximum length of an individual hop stem is 5-7 meters, it is a climbing plant covered with hooked thorns.
Female individuals produce dense cones, which consist of 20-60 flowers, and male inflorescences are leafless panicles, light pollen from them is transferred to a distance of up to 3 km.
The life cycle of a plant lasts up to 20 years, in rare cases more. The plant is common in the European part of the CIS, Eastern and Western Siberia, in the Caucasus.
You can grow it at home in any part of the planet, hop feels good in dusty areas of the city, it is completely unpretentious.

Harvested hop cones can be used for food purposes. They are rich in vitamins B1, B2, B6, PP, they include valeric and hop-tannic acids, flavonoids, ash, hormones, essential oils, lupulin, humulin alkaloid and a large number of macro- and microelements.

The leaves and stems are rich in vitamin C.

Hops are added to preparations to have an effect:

Anti-inflammatory.
Painkiller.
Anticonvulsant.
bactericidal.
Antiulcer.
Antiallergic.
Hyposensitizing.
Capillary-strengthening.

Hops are used to improve the digestive and of cardio-vascular system. Hops infusion is effective for insomnia, nervous excitement, oncology, diathesis, gastritis, ulcers, cholecystitis, nephritis, cystitis, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

It is forbidden to take hop-containing products to pregnant women, as the plant is poisonous.

Hops love moist fertile soils. AT vivo it grows in oak and ash forests, hides behind bushes and in ravines. Soils should be rich in humus.

Do not be afraid to grow hops in the city near busy roads, this will not affect the quality of hops.

Basic conditions for growing hops on the balcony:

Large pot (because the roots of hops are large).
Installing a support around which the shoots will curl.
Regular watering every 3 weeks.
Annual pruning of shoots.

In autumn, yellowed cones are cut and dried. Further, they can be used for the manufacture of medical and cosmetic recipes.

If you need a large number of plants for your own needs or for sale, the question arises: how to grow hops in a large area:

For planting, you need to find a sunny place, good drainage must be provided on the site. Near each plant, a support for growth is installed. Ideal place - South side at home. In addition, hops have high decorative qualities.
The earth should be loose, with a pH of 6.5-8. To a depth of 30 cm, you can lay out a layer of sand. Each hole is made at a distance of more than 1 meter from one another. Compost or soil for seedlings is laid out at the bottom of the hole.
The rhizome, that is, the creeping underground stem, deepens by 5-10 centimeters in a horizontal position, the roots look down. Now the earth can be tamped, and the hole covered with hay, watered abundantly.
The upper part of the plant dies off every winter, and the perennial part, the rhizome, develops underground. Hop roots are able to endure harsh winters.
When the first sprouts appear, they need to be cut off after two weeks. Only the strongest shoots remain, in the amount of 3 pieces. The garter is carried out when a single hop vine has grown to 40 cm.
Hops grow very quickly, in good spring weather the shoot can lengthen by 15 cm.

During the period of active growth, it is desirable to introduce a large amount of nitrogen. Is not compulsory procedure, compost will be enough for normal development, but nitrogen will save the plant if the leaves suddenly begin to turn yellow or shrink.

The plant is watered often, but the water should not stagnate. It is desirable that water does not fall on the leaves.

To make the cones ripen faster, the plant is sprayed with a 40% solution of ammonium nitrate. If an alfalfa weevil or fleas appeared, then the shoots are treated with chlorophos. From spider mite 40% phosphamide will help get rid of, 80% polycarbacin or 80% cineb, 80% cuprosan will cope with other diseases. Viruses can be killed with zinc sulfate.

Common hop reproduces in several ways:

The division of the bush.
The division of the rhizome.
cuttings.
layering.
Seeds.

Propagation by seeds is used less frequently, but this the way is fine if you need to sow a large area.

To propagate hops vegetatively, you need to wait until spring, until the shoots have begun to grow, dig out the rhizome and cut it into several parts. As a result, you will get several cuttings. Full kidneys should be clearly visible on each.

In the first year, the cuttings are already ready for independent development, so grow them in the garden or plant them on permanent place- the gardener's choice.

Reproduction by seeds is also a simple matter:

It is better to grow seedlings at home by sowing seeds in bowls.
When shoots appear, they require the same care as any houseplants.
Next, the sprouts are transferred to the ground and grown.
Only in the second year, the seedlings will begin to grow rapidly, in the first they will reach small sizes.
When propagating by seeds, there is a risk of getting a large number of males.
Because of this, seedlings are planted close to each other, and when the fruiting period begins, the males are isolated.

In order for the plant to develop well, in landing pit lay 3 kg of rotted manure.

Amateur gardeners grow several individuals, but if there is a need to plant a whole plantation, then it is important to observe the distance between rows and bushes. Between hops it will be 1 meter, and between rows 3 meters.

You can collect the first cones already in the first year, if you got hops vegetative propagation but the yield will be small. Full cones will grow in the second year. But plants that have grown from seeds will give the first fruits only after 4 years.

Cones can be harvested from mid-August to mid-September.

Buds at this point should be at the initial stage of ripening, so do not delay. It is even better to calculate the period when a few days remain before the ripening of the cones. This can be determined by the color, it will be greenish yellow. If the color is bright green, then the cones are not yet ripe, if there is a brown tint, then they are overripe. It makes no sense to collect cones with protruding scales, since they have few seeds and lupulin.

The cone is torn off along with the pedicels, if the cone is without a stem, then during the drying process it will crumble.

Growing hops is not difficult; it does not require special conditions and knowledge. Hops can be used in various fields: medicine, cooking, cosmetology.

More information can be found in the video.

As you know, the most expensive ingredient for homemade beer is hops. Today, popular varieties of brewing hops are not produced in Russia, but are imported from other countries. Gradually, the traditions of growing brewing hops and hop growing are being revived.

Growing hops in Russia.

Hop growing has always been considered a labor-intensive and labor-intensive area. Agriculture. There is a lot of information on the Internet that at the moment hop-growing in Russia is in decline, there is practically no development of the industry, but at the same time, there is an interest of brewers in the development of Russian hop-growing.

Now it is not difficult to buy varietal hop rhizomes! You can buy varietal hop rhizomes on our website! Available 34 varieties hop rhizome.

Browsing the websites selling ingredients for brewing, you can see that the main suppliers of hops on Russian market- USA, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland. Hops for brewing are also grown in Russia, but there are not very many varieties. It turns out that Russian hops are in demand, but so far they cannot be competitive.

the only large enterprise for the production of brewing hops in Russia is AgroResources LLC.

Main varieties:
"Early Moscow" - an analogue of Zhatetsky hop (Saaz),
"Istra" - an analogue of the variety Tettnanger (Tettnanger),
"Podvyazny" is an analogue of the Spalter Select variety.

The quality indicators of these varieties are low compared to imported counterparts. The average price of Russian hops per 100 gr. - 160 rubles. Imported will cost an average of 250 rubles.

Growing hops for home beer.

The idea to grow hops on your own personal plot appeared spontaneously. In other words, why not? If we're talking about homebrewing as an exciting hobby, then hop farming is one of the important areas of interest for the homebrewer. Moreover, work on fresh air always helpful.

Homebrewers often use wild hops or hops. It grows well in our lane and gives good harvest. I can’t say anything about the quality of the under-fence hops, since I haven’t used it. There are enough videos on the Internet on this topic.

It is not difficult to buy varietal hop rhizomes!

Should I start growing hops in my garden? Definitely YES! Breeding varietal hops will give additional development to home brewing in Russia. Moreover, interest in it is growing every day.

Its growth in the first half of summer is so rapid that hops are one of the first to weave around supports, far ahead of such decorative vines as parthenocissus, lemongrass, honeysuckle honeysuckle. The daily growth is several centimeters.

Hop stems are sensitive to direction of growth. In a vertical position, they quickly climb the supports, in a horizontal position, growth rates are significantly reduced. To grow a solid green wall, plants are planted at intervals of 1.5-2 meters.

Knowing this feature, you can quickly decorate even the most nondescript garden buildings. For example, a fence entwined with hops from a large-mesh chain-link mesh already in the second half of June turns into a dense hedge, and the frame of metal pipes becomes an openwork gazebo, as soon as the shoots close on its top. An adult, well-developed specimen of hop forms a dense interlacing of stems and leaves by mid-summer.

This must be taken into account if you plan to plant a plant near open veranda, porches or gazebos. It creates a solid shadow, and twilight will always reign under the "green tent". However, plant a vine at a distance of 1.5 meters from the windows or simply cut off some of the leaves blocking the sunlight, and the problem will be solved.

True, at the end of summer, another appears: the lower leaves turn yellow and fall off. To decorate the bases of the bare stems, astilba, ferns, peonies and other plants are planted near the vines, the foliage of which remains decorative throughout the summer.

Hops are easy to propagate. Rhizomes, especially on the lungs fertile soils, give numerous offspring. They can be planted in spring or autumn. True, the rhizomes of the plant, although soft, are very fibrous. It is difficult to cut them with a shovel, you have to resort to using a knife or secateurs. Propagation by seeds or cuttings is also possible, but these methods are more laborious and are used mainly in nurseries to obtain a large number planting material.

Hop care is easy. In the spring, as soon as the shoots reach a height of 40-50 cm, they need to make a support. The stems, covered with numerous sharp spines, are easily twisted and thick. metal pipes, and thin nylon ropes. And on our skin, they can leave painful scratches, so it’s better to work with vines with gloves and long-sleeved clothes.

At the beginning of summer, when the aerial part of the plant develops especially intensively, hops need abundant watering and fertilizing with a complex mineral fertilizer. Fertilizers can be applied directly to the soil or foliar top dressing - for this, the fertilizer is diluted in half concentration and watered or sprayed on leaves and stems.

The foliar feeding method is especially relevant if the lack of nutrients affects appearance plants: with nitrogen starvation, the leaves become small, light-colored, if there is not enough potassium, they acquire a convex (boat-shaped) shape, the bronze color of the leaves indicates a lack of phosphorus.

One of the main problems with hops in roasts and dry summer- aphids. They not only weaken the plant - if the gazebo is entwined with hops, then with every gust of wind, these unpleasant insects will fall on those who sit there. In order to prevent the reproduction of aphids, in the first half of summer it is necessary to treat the plants with any insecticides. If the insects have already multiplied, then only strong insecticidal preparations will help get rid of them. When spraying, keep in mind that aphids prefer to accumulate on the underside of the leaves.