How to plant and care for Hops

Humulus lupulus

🌿 Herb 🔁 Perennial

A vigorous, twining perennial climber that dies down each winter and races up 3 m by summer, with papery, aromatic cones for brewing or dried flower garlands.

At a glance: harvest in September.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Harvest

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Hops: what it needs

Light: Full sun · 6+ hours a day
Watering: Water well in dry spells
Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained soil
Spacing: 1 m
Height: 3–6 m
In pots: Only in large containers
Feeding: Mulch with manure in spring; liquid feed in summer
Hardiness: USDA zones 4–8

Step by step

On planting day
Plant
Plant at the same depth as in its pot, 1 m apart, in a sunny, sheltered spot. Firm in.
0–1 days after “Plant”
Water In
Water well, then keep just moist while it settles in.
30–51 days after “Water In”
First Light Harvest
Once it is growing strongly, snip a few sprigs — never more than a third of the plant at once.

Every year

April
Train New Shoots
Choose 3–4 strong shoots per plant and twist them clockwise around strings or a trellis. Remove the rest.
June
Summer Feed
Give a liquid feed every two weeks and water well in dry spells.
September
Pick the Cones
Pick cones when papery, springy and sticky-yellow inside. Dry them on a rack for a week.
Starts from year 2.
November
Cut Down Old Bines
Cut all the dead stems to the ground and mulch the crown.