Growing Hops

[gigums]

Hi I am so very new new to this Forum - it seems fantastic.

My very first question is ther much information amongst the fraternity on growing hops. I have just entered the home brew (beer) stage of my life wishing to move from kits to making it all myself from grain etc. However hops seem to be an important flavouring ingredient and great herb to grow and I wondered what information is available and even to where some seedlings may be bought. I believe I could grow it around my allotment fence.

Thanks Gigums
:D

[gigums]

[flossy]

  Hi gigums,

  There was a Hops topic some while back  --  someone will show us where,    ;D

  I wouldn't mind having a go at Hop growing but they do grow pretty big don't they ?

  --  and I beleive there are other uses and advantages to hop growing,   which we will here

  about   soooooon,  ;D

[Unwashed]

I'm growing hops on the allotment.  My advice is not to plant it somewhere where you're likely to be brushing against it because its stems are quite abbrasive.

[shirlton]

Someone gave me a couple of shoots from theirs earlier in the year and its a yellow hop. I'm growing it to mix the hop flowers with lavender to help me sleep. Thinks I may have to wait a couple of years for it to flower though

[caroline7758]

Thinks I may have to wait a couple of years for it to flower though

Interestingly, when I planted a small hop that I got from ebay about 6 yrs ago, it flowered much better in the first year than it ever has since. It still covers my trellis very year and I have to be quite brutal to stop it from taking over too much, but would be glad to hear any tips on getting it to flower again.

[flossy]

  Shirlton,  love the sound of your hop flowers and lavender  --  do you make into a pillow

  for sleep  or as Pot Purr   [ have to leave that --  it was a spell check , aaah, ]      :)

[shirlton]

Yes Flossy you just mix them together put them into a pillow and bingo you are asleep. They reckon that the hop pickers used to fall sleep whilst working with them. I have got the lavender just waiting to see if I get some hops. If not I might buy some from somewhere just until I can produce my own.

[Barnowl]

From memory Hops have male and female vines, don't they? Would this affect flowering?

With regards to size there are dwarf varieties  which I think means they grow to about 9ft instead of 15 ft.