If you’re anything like me, you had no clue what a hops plant was before stumbling upon this blog..but I’m betting you are nothing like me. Splendid!
For good measure though, they’re one of the main key flavor ingredients in beer. Who knew?! I sure didn’t. However, people today are joining the hops garden family in their own unique way and it’s time you started too.
The experience of homegrown hops is quite rewarding and easy all wrapped up into one. The process of mastering this art is truly what it means to be a gardener today!
So let’s get started!
Knowing Your Varieties
There are literally thousands of varieties of hops, but listed below are our personal favorites. Want to know why? Continue reading and we’ll have you hooked!
Cascade
If the perfect combination of sweet and savory does not exist, it does now with Cascade Hops! Their featured spices with dashes of floral aromas create the ideal bitterness and aroma-type of craft beers.
No one does American craft beers like these.
To no surprise, they are the fan favorite, pick of the litter, cream of the crop in all things hops. Home growers eagerly wait for the arrival of abundant dark green cones each year!
Centennial
The bitter flavor, hinted with lemon and pine, makes Centennial Hops a complex ingredient in craft brew recipes. They have an alpha acid of 12%.
They pair nicely with all types of craft beers, which is exactly why they obtained the name “all-rounder.” This bittering hops plant is included in some of the most known craft beers.
Year after year, enjoy the bountiful mid-season harvests of compact cones! Then gaze at the small, fragrant flowers that envelop the bine.
Chinook
It’s known around the world of craft beers for the power behind the plant with a 14% alpha acid. Double the use as both a bittering and flavor type!
Chinook Hops can stand alone or provide a blended support system for the other varieties. But, the slight citrus, herb, pine resin, and smoke flavors mixed into this super plant will never go unnoticed.
Each late-season, the landscape will be bombarded with Chinook sticky, compact cones!
Saaz
The history behind Saaz Hops is far unmatched by any other as it's been used since the 1500s! Who doesn’t want to grow an ancient craft like that?
With a lower alpha acid content, they are best known as the “aroma-type” of beers. Its reduced oxidation even kindly extends the shelf life of all Saaz brews.
You’ll find yourself looking forward to mid-season each year as the historic hops continue to produce large yields. The number of hops will leave you speechless!
Zeus
Craft your own ales with powerful Zeus Hops to feel like a real garden god of today’s time! It’s known for having amongst the highest alpha acid content and supplying productive harvests year after year.
The exceptional bitter taste is dominated by black pepper and earthy herb flavors! Unique nonetheless.
And never have to worry about the Zeus Hops being overtaken with diseases because they are resistant. Stubborn as a greek god we are sure.
How To Use Them In The Landscape
These special plants aren’t merely used just for the sensation of taste; they are elegantly used for visual attractiveness in the landscape too! You just have to show them off the right way.
You might even spark the attention of neighbors to share your expert “ground to glass” story by decorating the outdoors with these nature specimens.
Hops are what is called a bine instead of a vine since they climb in a clockwise direction by wrapping themselves around any structure nearby.
This makes for the perfect backyard decor paired with a garden trellis here or there. Overtop your wooden oak bench with a natural sun guard so that reading a nice book while sipping warm tea never ends in a painful red sunburn.
Don’t have a trellis? No worries! A simple contraption of poles and sturdy twine will do just the trick as well.
Create a live green fence around the yard for those areas you’d enjoy a piece of privacy for a moment or two. The fragrant flowers make an excellent hedgerow!
When grilling outside, you’ll appreciate the shade so kindly provided by your hops.
Strategically drape them from end to end and create a lovely backdrop for a victory garden as well. This even doubles as an ideal picture taking scene for those dressed up nights.
Show off your hard earned work by placing hops bines in orchard-like rows for all to see when passing by in full production.
It's a sure way to start up a conversation with the new neighbor across the street!
Hops Growing & Care 101
Okay, this blog has me hooked on starting up my own hops garden! When do I plant them? How do I plant hops? I am a fish out of water!
Welcome to growing and caring 101 class.
These particular bines love to bask in the light, so be sure to find an outside spot where full sun can be achieved at least 6 hours of the day.
Their root system will be begging for moderate watering tactics on a regular basis while also wanting good drainage as well. Placing mulch over the root system can help keep the soil at a cool temperature!
Hops tend to grow rather tall, once it reaches 10 feet tall or so, take the lower leaves off the first few feet at ground level to allow for the proper air flow.
This also helps prevent mildew from possibly forming! You can schedule early protective treatments too.
Nature Hills will even help you out with proper care by shipping the ordered hops across the United States to your doorstep at the correct time for your growing zone!
So, what are you waiting for? Jump on the hops garden train today and start crafting homegrown beers right in the backyard!
