Common Hop Care
Humulus lupulus
A very fast-growing herbaceous climber that regrows every year, grown for its cones (female flowers) used in brewing beer. It needs plenty of sun, rich soil, plenty of water and a very sturdy support structure to climb.
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
- General care: Repair or set up the support system it will climb (trellis, pole, wire).
- Frost risk: Not required; its roots (rhizomes) are very hardy.
- General care: Hoe the soil to a depth of 20-30 cm and enrich it with plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure or compost.
- Watering: Start keeping the soil moist as new shoots emerge.
- Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer or well-rotted organic fertilizer once when it wakes from dormancy.
- Pruning: Prune just before the shoots break. Because flowers form on this year's new shoots, hard pruning increases flowering.
- General care: Observe the new shoots.
- Pests & diseases: Snails and slugs can damage young shoots.
- Watering: If there is no rainfall, water 1-2 times a week.
- Fertilizing: Continue nitrogen fertilizing.
- Pruning: When the shoots reach 30-40 cm, choose the strongest 2-3 for each string/pole and train them by winding them clockwise. Cut all the remaining shoots at the base.
- Plant protection: Check for aphids.
- General care: Make sure the selected shoots have started to climb.
- Watering: Water 2-3 times a week. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm.
- Fertilizing: Continue nitrogen fertilizing once a month.
- Pruning: Continue removing new shoots that emerge from the base.
- Plant protection: Check for aphids and downy mildew.
- General care: Spread a 5-7 cm layer of mulch over the root zone; it retains soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Do not pile mulch against the trunk.
- Pests & diseases: Look for signs of downy mildew (oily spots, gray mold) on the undersides of the leaves.
- Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
- Fertilizing: Switch to a phosphorus- and potassium-heavy fertilizer (e.g. 10-20-20 NPK) to encourage flowering.
- Pruning: Remove the lower leaves (up to 1 m from the ground) to increase air circulation.
- Plant protection: Check for powdery mildew, downy mildew, aphids and spider mites.
- Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
- Fertilizing: At the start of the month, apply the last phosphorus/potassium-rich fertilizer.
- Plant protection: Continue checking for spider mites and downy mildew.
- General care: Watch for flower (cone) formation.
- Pests & diseases: This is the riskiest month for spider mites.
- Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
- Plant protection: Not required, avoid spraying close to harvest.
- General care: Watch the ripening of the cones. When you tear a cone open, the yellow powder (lupulin) inside and its smell indicate harvest time.
- Watering: Water 2-3 times a week. The area around the roots should be wetted to a depth of 20-30 cm.
- General care: Around now (20 September), it may be harvest time. Harvest the cones when they are papery and fragrant. After harvesting, cut the vines 1 meter above the soil.
- Watering: If there is no rainfall, water 1-2 times a week.
- Pruning: Cut the remaining ivy stems close to the ground once they have dried completely.
- General care: It is a suitable time to divide (separate) the rhizomes (roots) for propagation.
- Pests & diseases: Destroy diseased plant residues by burning them; do not put them in the compost.
- General care: Prepare and feed the rhizomes for winter by spreading a layer of compost or well-rotted manure mulch over the rhizome (root).
- Frost risk: Mulching protects the root.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
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