Hops (photo) planting and propagation. Growing hops on the site: planting, care, how to restrain the growth of vines Propagation of hops by cuttings

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The fashion for green hedges is always relevant. Lianas, such as hops, are often used. It is grown to decorate an inconspicuous fence, make an arch more spectacular, or braid pillars, turning them into trees. In a short period of time, the lashes will wrap around any support - a gardener’s dream for the implementation of a bold and fantastic composition. The length of the shoots reaches 12 m. Life activity is up to 30 years.

Planting hops in April. Flowering begins in July, and the fruiting phase begins in August. Hop fruits are cones; they hang down unusually and look like New Year's tree decorations. They are collected when fully ripe, when they become yellow color and half open. At this time, a wonderful aroma emanates from the vine, for which this vine is a favorite among many gardeners.

Disadvantages of hops on the site

Despite the temptation to grow hops in your garden, think twice. This is the option when “If you get caught once, you won’t get kicked out”:

the roots grow quickly, trying to take over the entire area. Don’t be surprised that over time, vine shoots will appear in the flowerbed in a place where it was not planned;
in time, unpruned shoots begin to entwine their “neighbors,” including fruit trees and shrubs;
Hops in a humid environment and shade attract aphids, weevils, nematodes and spider mites. The liana becomes a breeding ground for diseases;
absorbs all the nutrients of the soil, actively depleting and inhibiting the growth of other crops. After hops, fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizer and humus is necessary;
gives self-seeding, from which .

Landing – confident and without doubt

If all concerns are not scary and you are ready to keep the hops under control, then go ahead and plant!

The best place for this will be the perimeter of the site, where the soil is not so bad and will not disturb anyone. Prefers a slightly acidic pH, with deep groundwater.

Seedlings and cuttings

Hop planting is carried out in the spring at a stable warm weather. Make a groove or separate landing holes. The distance between seedlings is maintained at 1 m. Near each specimen, a support is installed along which the lashes will go up.

Seeds

At the beginning of April, fill the seedling box with soil mixed with humus. Spread the seeds and sprinkle a layer of no more than 0.5 cm of soil on top. Cover with transparent film or glass and place in a warm place (22°C). Water occasionally and open for ventilation, removing condensation. When leaves appear, the cover is removed.

Transplanted into open ground at the beginning of May, when the period has passed return frosts. When transplanting, leave the earthen lump. The distance between plants is maintained at 0.5-1 m, depending on the desired density of landscaping.

Liana care

As soon as the hops begin to grow, take a closer look at the shoots and immediately remove the weak ones. In the first 2 years, organic matter is added, watered regularly, especially in the first half of summer, and formed. Then fertilizers are applied every 3-4 years.

To avoid pest attacks, plantings are sprayed with infusion or wormwood is planted between rows. When a white coating appears on the leaves, treat with fungicides.

Hop control

To prevent the vine from turning your area into a jungle, its growth must be restrained, namely:

plant hops in metal barrels, without a bottom, the height of which is not less than 1 m, so that the roots cannot spread to the sides and sprout;
collect cones that fall to the ground, they will begin to sprout new shoots;
Trim the lashes regularly to give the desired shape to the composition. Don't let the vine expand its boundaries;
in the fall, cut all stems at a height of 15-20 cm from the soil surface and burn to destroy pests and diseases.

Collecting cones

Collect fruits to get maximum benefit needed when fully ripe. They can be used to make pillows and mattresses with a massage and calming effect. Dried specimens are added to bread and drinks.

When the cones reach full maturity become dense, dry, and when pressed, the mark quickly disappears. The color changes from bright green to yellowish. Stickiness appears and the aroma intensifies.

The cones are collected individually, leaving the petioles. The easiest way is to pick off the largest ones first, then the smaller ones, thus sorting. Fold loosely, do not compact.

Some people don’t know how to get rid of hops, but for some they don’t grow, but they are needed because they have a lot of useful properties, and besides, it is used for making beer at home.

Planting hops

I prepare planting holes for hops in the fall.

I make a deep and at the same time wide hole - approximately 0.7 x 0.7 m. Since I plant hops there on long time(and sometimes even for his entire life, I don’t like dragging plants from place to place), the hole needs to be well filled. I fill it 2/3 full fresh manure, and sprinkle a layer of earth on top.

You can also put it inside leaf humus, if you have one. I water the top a little and forget about the hole until spring. And in May I plant plants.

Just remember that hops are actively growing, they are still the aggressor. It will spread so quickly that you won’t have time to blink your eye.

Therefore, along the edges of the hole you need to dig in the sides - the deeper, the better. You can use roofing felt: it bends quite easily and takes the shape you need.

Hop propagation

How to propagate hops? The simplest thing is division. It will not be difficult to find offspring from an overgrown bush. These are the ones that need to be separated with a shovel.

Just don’t make it too small – cut off a good piece the length of your palm (12-15 cm). Each one should have several buds.

It is best to divide the plant in the spring. As soon as you find young leaves of shoots around it, immediately take up the shovel, do not delay this matter. The sooner you plant, the faster the hops will take root, grow and begin to bloom.

IN landing pit, which I filled with manure in the fall, I make a small depression, put the rhizome there, sprinkle it with earth and water it.

By the way, hops are water lovers, so water them often. He will thank you for this good growth and numerous inflorescences.

Benefits of hops

And I use hops not only to make a well-known drink (my husband does this more), but also for health.

The cones help with insomnia, which has become especially pronounced with age. In the evening I brew three hop cones and five mint leaves in a cup. It helps very well - there are nights when I sleep like a baby.

Hops: growing benefits and harm, recipes

Growing

Prefers to grow in semi-shaded areas of the garden, reliably protected from the north wind.

Winters well under snow cover.

The best soil is air- and moisture-permeable nutritious loam, without waterlogging or stagnation of moisture.

Watering is only necessary during drought.

It especially needs watering and fertilizing (for example, with complex mineral fertilizer - according to the instructions) in the first 3 years after planting.

Aggressive, its growth needs to be controlled.

You can propagate in the summer by root suckers, dividing the rhizomes (without digging them up entirely), and in March sow the seeds for seedlings.

Contraindications

Allergy to hops, hypertension, severe nervous excitement, hypertensive crisis, febrile conditions.

Recipes

For arthrosis and arthritis, mix 2 tbsp. sweet clover and St. John's wort herbs, hop cones. Add 50 g of Vaseline, mix in a ceramic or porcelain mortar. Rub the ointment into sore joints

For arthritis and arthrosis, mix sweet clover, wild rosemary and thyme, burdock roots, juniper berries, and hop cones in equal parts. Fill the bottle with the mixture and fill it with 40-proof vodka. Leave for 10-14 days in a dark place, shaking once a day. Use for rubbing sore joints and spine.

For osteoarthritis, pain due to osteochondrosis, radiculitis, mix 5 tbsp. wild rosemary herb, 3 tbsp. birch buds, 2 tbsp. elecampane root, sweet clover herb, 3 tbsp. St. John's wort herb, 2 tbsp. nettle leaves, 1 tbsp. linden flowers and peppermint leaves, 3 tbsp. chamomile flowers,

1 tbsp. dill fruits, 3 tbsp. hop cones, 2 tbsp. seeds or root of horse sorrel. 2 tbsp. collection, pour 1 liter of boiling water, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. in a sealed container, pour along with the ingredients into a thermos, leave overnight. Take 100-150 ml during the day in 30 minutes. before meals. The course of treatment is 3 months. After a 15-day break, it can be repeated.

HOPS WILL GIVE YOU A STRONG SLEEP

For many years, this herbaceous perennial plant not only decorates my garden, but is also a valuable raw material used for cosmetic, medicinal and culinary purposes. It's about about fragrant hops. Most consider it something exotic. To dispel this misconception, I will try to talk about how you can grow hops in your dacha.

Peculiarities

This plant has horizontal shoots extending from the main root, rooting at the nodes and producing vertical shoots. The stems reach a length of 6 m, have a tetrahedral shape and characteristic feature- they curl to the right. In a vertical position, they quickly climb up supports; growth in the horizontal direction is much slower.

In the first half of summer, hop vines grow very rapidly, ahead of lemongrass and virgin grapes, and are the very first to entwine pergolas and “ladders”. They grow several cm in a day!

This plant blooms and gains full strength in the second half of summer. Clusters of cones and cascades of red leaves are what hops are all about at this time of year.

Reproduction

To plant hops, in the fall they dig holes 0.5 m deep, fill them half with manure, and cover them with earth on top. In the spring, seedlings or cuttings harvested from plants 3-8 years old are planted in them. The distance between them must be at least 1 m.

It is best to propagate this crop by cuttings 8-14 cm long with a well-filled core, 1.5-2 cm thick, with 2-3 lars of buds. Unlike many other crops, the cuttings are completely buried in the ground, and in an inclined state. To do this, you need to dig a groove 15-20 cm deep. The upper end should be 4-5 cm higher than the lower end and located 10 cm from the surface. The cuttings are covered with loose soil and watered abundantly.

Care

Shoots appear in about 10 days. Caring for plantings consists of timely weeding, periodic loosening and regular watering to keep the soil moist throughout the season. Feeding with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer is also important. Moreover, they should be alternated: once - at the root, the next - along the stems and leaves (the concentration is half as much). Method foliar feeding It should also be used in case of deficiency of some element, which can be determined by the leaves. With a lack of nitrogen they are light and small, with a lack of potassium they take on a convex shape, and with phosphorus starvation they turn bronze.

As soon as the shoots grow 40-50 cm, you need to build a support for them. In the first year after planting, weak shoots should be removed, leaving strong ones.

Collecting cones should begin when they are not yet fully ripe. Only high-quality raw materials are harvested, brown and yellow cones are rejected, and the collected ones are dried and then stored in linen bags. In autumn, hop stems should be cut and burned.

Healing properties

Our ancestors valued the benefits of cones, which were used to stuff pillows, which contributed to sound and healthy sleep. This raw material is an excellent tool for slowing down skin aging and smoothing out wrinkles. Recommended for use by women over 40 years of age. For colds and viral diseases hops can also provide invaluable help as a natural immunomodulator. I will give you my favorite home cosmetology recipe.

Cream for mature skin

1 tbsp. l. pour 0.5 cups of boiling water over the cones and cook for 5 minutes in a water bath. Strain, add a little starch and 1 tsp. glycerin. Apply to skin after evening wash.

Hops are a member of the hemp family. There are three types of this plant: ordinary, Japanese and heart-shaped. Areas of application include the perfumery and cosmetics, pharmacological, baking, canning and medical industries. The most widespread common hop. This climbing plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and visual attractiveness, which has made the crop popular in gardening. Let's look at the features of cultivation and care in more detail.

Hops are a perennial vine-like plant with a twisted stem. As a rule, it is planted for decorative purposes. The root system is perennial, but the stem dies off every 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 develops root system, which is buried 4 cm into the ground, then extends to 3 m.

Features of culture

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 and their thickness is 13 mm. It may have 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 behind female, because male plants do not produce flowers.

Choosing a place

The following features can be highlighted in determining the location for planting:

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

You should not plant hops near your home; they will prevent natural light from entering the room.

How to grow hops

There are three growing methods by which you can get this plant on your site:

seeds;
cuttings;
shoots

Most simple option is the use of shoots, because it appears in sufficient quantities in the spring. If getting it or a cutting is problematic, you can get hops from seed material. In April you need to start planting seedlings:

The soil for this purpose must be sufficiently fertile. You can purchase ready-made soil at specialized sales points or mix the soil with humus or leaf substrate in equal proportions.
Soil is poured into prepared containers, after which 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 a greenhouse effect.
The most favorable temperature conditions for seed germination are between 20°C and 22°C.
Crops need to be watered periodically. After a week, sprouts will begin to appear. From this point on, the cover should be removed for 2-3 hours a day.
And when the first leaves appear, the film must be removed completely. The 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 diving. That is, they need to be transplanted into separate containers.
This process must be carried out together with the earth. To do this, you can use peat pots, which, together with the plant, are subsequently planted in the ground. Such containers have a significant advantage - when transplanting, the root system of seedlings is not damaged.
Preparing seedlings is not a mandatory requirement when growing this crop; the seeds can be placed directly in open ground. Before the fall, it needs to be dug up to a depth of 60-70 cm.

Soil fertilization

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

Mineral fertilizer components are applied both in autumn and spring. These are ready-made nutrients that are absorbed by the root system of the plant. Potassium has a positive effect on protein and carbohydrate metabolism; its deficiency leads to deterioration in 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, dissolves well in liquid. When it decomposes, ammonium carbonate is released. To ensure that the soil absorbs this component in sufficient quantities, it is added before planting. On square meter up to 20 g of this substance is used.

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

Phosphorus fertilizers include phosphate rock. It is used as an independent component, as it does not dissolve well. Application dose: 50 g. Superphosphate is a gray granular powder. For one application, 30 g are required. The group of potash fertilizers includes potassium sulfate, potassium salt, potassium chloride and potassium chloride. Apply from 20 to 30 g per 1 m2.

Planting with seeds

Seeds are planted in early spring. To do this, prepare trenches or holes. Before planting, seed material must undergo a stratification procedure, which involves preparing the seeds for germination by creating certain temperature conditions. They should be kept warm for 3-5 days, and then the temperature should be reduced to +8°C. Next, the seeds are placed in the prepared holes and sprinkled with earth.

In the fall, after harvesting the fruits, compost mass is added to the soil. Dried shoots should be cut off. Autumn is the most suitable time for planting or replanting crops. The hops are dug up and healthy rhizomes, which are the size of a finger in thickness, are selected.

If you do not plan to grow hops for an extended period, you should use annual seeds. It is quite difficult to get rid of this plant even with the help of herbicides. This should be kept in mind when choosing a site for planting. As the hops grow, they will invade new territories.

Care requirements

When the plant reaches a height of 50 cm, it needs to be provided with support. High poles dug into the ground are suitable for this. During the summer period, the stems will grow to 3-4 m. If there is a need to stop their growth, you need to cut off the tops before flowering.
Maintenance involves periodic loosening of the soil and application of fertilizers. You can speed up the ripening process of cones using a 40% solution ammonium nitrate, which should be sprayed on the crop. For the first feeding use mineral fertilizers.
To increase the yield, the lower branches are removed 2 cm from the main stem.
In winter, hops are hilled up so that they do not suffer when exposed to low temperatures. With the onset of spring, dried stems must be removed. The rhizome produces 10-20 shoots, most of which should be removed to prevent excessive spread of the crop. 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 noticeably.
Hops can be attacked by pests and diseases. To avoid these troubles, the crop must be treated with special means. Chlorophos will help get rid of alfalfa weevil. For 1 bush you will need 0.5 liters of 0.3% composition. If the plant is threatened by aphids or spider mite, you should use a 40% solution of phosphamide or bitoxibacillin.

An effective method of controlling aphids is the use of soap. To protect hops from diseases, they are 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 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.

Ripe hop fruits are dry to the touch and resemble tissue paper. If they are wet, this indicates their lack of maturity. In this case, you should wait a little while collecting cones. Lupulin, a yellow powder resembling pollen, remains on the fingers after contact with ripe fruits. A specific hop aroma should be felt. Ripe buds contain the maximum concentration of essential oil and alpha acids. If the fruits are not collected in a timely manner, they will lose lupulin grains, which will negatively affect their quality.

The hops must be dried immediately after harvesting, since 80% of their composition is water. If this condition is not met, the fruits will rot 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.

In conditions high temperature the hops will lose some of their essential oil. The bud is considered dried when the stem located in the center becomes brittle. You can dry the fruits at room temperature, 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 crop; its cultivation requires standard application steps. nutrients and loosening the soil. The fruits can be collected already in the year of planting. Hops are used in various industries and are also well suited for forming hedges or camouflaging buildings.
Features of growing hops. Video:

COMMON HOPS

Almost all of us instantly associate the common hop plant with the epithet “hoppy,” but it is used not so much by brewers as by masters of poetry. Intoxicating aromas turn the heads of lovers, evoke philosophical thoughts about the meaning of life, touch, delight, conquer, bewitch, enchant. But in fact, that same ordinary hop has almost no smell, and its appearance is also not particularly charming, although it does have some zest of its own. Photo: Common hop (Humulus lupulus)

origin of name

Common hops grow both in the wild and carefully cultivated wherever it is not too hot. You can even find it in North Africa. No one can say for sure where the name “hop” came from; they only assume that it is either Slavic, or Chuvash, or German, or someone else. Each of these peoples has a word that sounds like “hops” and denotes some of its characteristic feature. For example, among the Germans it is “hummeln”, that is, “groping, feeling”, as if crawling and entwining everything that comes in its way, and in Latin it is “humus”, which means “earth”, a plant spreading along the ground . In Russia, common hops are found everywhere, with the exception of regions with a very harsh climate. We call this plant differently - hop flower, beer flower, wild grapes, bitterweed, beer cone.

Botanical description plants

Common hops can be described as unusually tenacious, creeping, twining, and very tenacious. This plant has interesting feature- in the fall, its entire above-ground part dies off, and in the spring, new shoots develop from the overwintered rhizomes with fantastic speed, stretching to a length of more than 6-7 meters. These herbaceous vines grow literally before our eyes and in just a month they are capable of climbing several meters up supports, entwining a fence or gazebo. Moreover, it wraps around supports and obstacles only clockwise. Its stems themselves are hollow inside, tetrahedral. The rhizome is also long, and also creeping, only underground. Common hops are attractive with their rich green leaves, a bit like grape leaves and creating thick veils. Interestingly, lower leaves it has three or five blades, and the upper ones, slightly smaller in size, are solid, similar to hearts.
Not everyone knows that the cones, thanks to which common hops are so valued, are female flowers, more precisely, cone-shaped inflorescences. The flowers themselves are hidden under the scales. They, as expected, have a pistil, with the help of which fruit ovaries are formed in all plants.
In addition, these unusual flowers nature has endowed it with special glands that contain the substance lupulin, which has a very rich chemical composition, thanks to which common hops are used in medicine and brewing. And here male flowers The plants are completely inconspicuous, looking like small green panicles, but they cope with their role of pollinating females and producing fruits perfectly. Common hops belong to the group of dioecious plants (male and female), that is, in order to get fruits, they need to be planted side by side. Hops bloom in the second half of summer, closer to August, and its small fruit-nuts ripen in about a month.

Just a little history

Despite its modest beauty, common hops have long been honored by many peoples. What impressed people most of all was the plant’s extraordinary endurance and vitality, its rapid growth and ability in the spring to seem to rise from the dead. Thanks to this, even in the times of paganism, common hops became a symbol of fertility, well-being, resilience and vitality, and later they added flexibility, wisdom, and the ability to cement a union. Therefore, in the old days, newlyweds were showered with hop cones, and huts were decorated with twigs on holidays and weekdays, and girls wove them into wreaths.

Photo: Common hop, vine leaves

The first historical mention of hops dates back to the reign of Prince Vladimir. The oath when he concluded peace with the Bulgarians states that if it is suddenly broken, the hop will sink and the stone will float.
In that era, our ancestors had a very bright ritual deity Yarilo, that is, a symbol of fertility. It turns out that common hops were often present with this Yarilo in the same company, it was even called Yar-Khmel. With his participation, ritually of course, our glorious ancestors organized festivities in honor of harvested, sang songs until the morning, danced around the fires. They had a belief that the guy or girl who Yar-Khmel looked at would definitely fall in love. Hops were also favored by players who were not afraid to risk their fortunes. They firmly believed that the plant, symbolizing well-being and prosperity, would definitely help them become rich. And ordinary hops “saved” honest people from the machinations of witches, ghouls and other evil spirits, so hop cones were always carried in the pockets of clothes, in boots and bast shoes, and of course, hung from front door.

But our ancestors did not use hops as the main component of beer - they did not know that it was an assistant in this matter. In general, the ancient Slavs drank little (according to historical data), they used intoxicating drinks mainly on holidays, so they saw nothing wrong with glorifying a plant that intoxicates the head. Later, when these almost fabulous traditions were broken and people began to drink a lot, common hops fell into the category of plants given to people by devilish powers. It must be said that the ancient Romans and even the wise Greeks, who preferred grape wine and relegated beer to the role of an unworthy drink, were biased towards hops. The Bible also mentions hops as an unseemly plant, because at the instigation of the insidious serpent it helped to drug Noah and destroy his ark. But the ancient Jews, on the contrary, it was thanks to beer with hops that they saved themselves from a terrible disease - leprosy, which was once a real punishment from God.

Hops and beer

Be that as it may, ordinary hops, having lost their significance in Rus' as an aid to fertility and a protector from evil spirits, gained new recognition as a component of the drink beloved by many - beer. They cooked it in Rus', as they say, even under Tsar Gorokh, but they didn’t know how to preserve it for a long time. That is, it was only a seasonal drink. Only when the ancient brewers came up with the idea of adding ordinary hops to beer recipes did things start to improve. Now this plant is used everywhere in brewing. It turns out there are many varieties of hops. The type, strength, taste and aroma of beer depends on which one is used in recipes. So, there are Alpha hops, Aroma hops, Bitter hops and others. It is added to both hot and cold wort, which also affects the quality of the final product. Nowadays they have already learned how to make extracts and compressed concentrated tablets from hops, which are increasingly used in breweries, gradually replacing the original raw material - hop cones.

Photo: Common hop, female cone-shaped inflorescences

Hops in landscape design

Gardeners and summer residents use common hops not to make beer, but to decorate their plots. This amazing and energetically bright plant can extravagantly decorate a gazebo, weave a fence, or cover an unseemly place, for example, a barn or a garbage dump. The only inconvenience it can cause is that in the fall you will have to remove its dried vines to make room for new ones that emerge from the ground in the spring.

Common hops, planting and care

Anyone who is planning to keep hops needs to get acquainted with the simple rules of caring for them. It is not difficult for him to find a suitable place. It can be partial shade or a bright corner, but the sun should not be hot there all day. The soil for hops is loamy, neutral, slightly alkaline or slightly acidic. Of course, on fertile soils Common hops grow better. It loves moisture very much, so it needs watering, but you can’t overwater the hops, since an excess of moisture can be detrimental for it. Elements of plant care include building supports for it if it is planted away from them, weeding and fertilizing. As a rule, ordinary hops do not cause any special difficulties. Planting and caring for it can be done even by those who do not understand gardening at all. This plant is so unpretentious that it can grow without any care. In addition, it is quite frost-resistant. Its rhizomes tolerate winters well with temperatures down to -30 degrees. The only difficulty that can await lovers of green hops is the super growth of its rhizomes. To prevent the plant from turning into a malicious weed, you need to use available materials (pieces of slate, bricks, etc.) to create a barrier in the ground for its roots.

Reproduction

Photo: Common hop, fragment of creeping rhizome

An unpretentious, unobtrusive beauty, the common hop, planting and caring for which is so simple, and does not cause difficulties in propagation. This is most often done by vegetative methods. It is most rational to use fragments of rhizomes with living healthy buds, and they are separated without digging them up mother plant from the ground. In the spring, as soon as the plant wakes up and the first shoots appear from the ground, small pieces are picked out with a shovel, but carefully, and planted in their favorite place.
You can also propagate common hops by rhizome cuttings, which are harvested before sap flow begins. The rhizome is dug up, divided into fragments with living buds and planted again where they have a place. Anyone who wants can grow these cuttings in a separate bed, and transfer them to permanent residence in the fall. By the way, hops live for about 30 years.
A very simple way to propagate common hops by layering. For planting and care in this case, I have the following technology: the selected vine is tilted to the ground somewhere in the middle of summer, pinned and sprinkled with the same soil. The structure is left in this position until spring, when it will be necessary to dig up the resulting new rhizome and plant it in a favorite place.

There are cases when you can only propagate hops by seeds, for example, when you want to grow an unusual variety, or when large plantations are planted at once. The seed propagation method is also simple, but it is better to start it in a greenhouse or at home. To do this, containers (boxes, bowls, whatever you have) are filled with prepared soil and watered. The care for seedlings is the same as for any flower. Grown-up plants are transferred to open ground and cared for, just like adult hops. Common hops will begin to delight you with their rapid growth in the second year, and cones will appear on it in another couple of years. Not really convenient feature growing by seed is that you can end up getting too much male plants, that is, to remain without cones. To beat this situation, experienced hop growers plant hop seedlings closer to each other, and then remove the excess sterile plants.

How to properly plant common hops in open ground

In order for young seedlings to develop faster (seedlings grown from seeds, or fragments of rhizomes), in the fall, where the place is chosen for hops, they dig holes up to 50 cm deep. They are half filled with rotted organic matter (preferably manure), add soil on top and leave everything this is until spring. During planting, the seedling is placed in ready-made holes, covered with soil, compacted, and watered. If there is no difference, male or female plants are needed, and also, when the “sex” of the seedling is already known, they need to be placed at a distance of about a meter from each other, and the row spacing should be maintained at about 3 meters. If you plan to dig through seedlings, you can make holes more often.

Photo: Common hop perfectly camouflages fences and creates a hedge itself

Diseases and pests

Common hops withstand weather conditions, but suffer from some pests. It is especially bothered by aphids, nematodes and other leaf-eating small things, which are best combated with insecticides.
Unfortunately, common hops are also susceptible to plant diseases. This:
- powdery mildew;
-downy mildew;
- Verticillium wilt of hops;
-fusarium;
-root rot;
- bacterial cancer;
-mosaics (hop, chlorotic, arabis);
- curliness.
All this fungal diseases. They develop under weather conditions favorable for fungal spores, improper agricultural practices for growing hops, vegetative ways reproduction (many fungi, such as root rot, cancer, fusarium, enter the plant through wounds on the rhizome) and lead to a decrease in yield, and bacterial cancer and root rot can cause the death of the entire plant.
You can tell that common hops are sick by the spots on the leaves, white coating (with powdery mildew), withering of shoots, their weakening, and other external modifications unusual for hops. Diseases must be dealt with appropriately chemicals, plus strictly follow all the rules for caring for the plant.

Photo: Common hop at flowering time, female plant

Varieties

Breeders do not ignore common hops. Thanks to their efforts, about a hundred were bred interesting varieties with green, red and red-green vines. Red varieties are considered the best. Their advantage is the early ripening of the crop, but the disadvantage is that their cones open very quickly and lose lupulin. Green varieties are late-ripening and easier to harvest, but the lupulin in their buds has a less subtle aroma and more low quality. Both red and green varieties exist regionally and selectively.
Here are just a few of them:
"Brewer". This variety belongs to the average growing season. It will delight with lush greenery for about 4 months. “Brewer” copes well with frosts in the growth phase and frosts in the resting phase, with drought and prolonged heavy rains, and is resistant to many diseases. Its yield is average, but the buds have a refined aroma, which is why this variety is used with pleasure in brewing. The leaves of “Pivovar” are again medium in size, slightly wavy, but if this variety is planted for the purpose of intertwining barriers, it will not form a particularly lush crown.
"Triumph". This variety is equally good for creating landscape designs, and for the production of delicious beer. Its cones are medium in size and contain alpha acid.
The following varieties are also popular: “ Gaydamatsky", "Alta"(alpha acids in it are up to 12%, which is much more than other hops), "Slav", "Clone-18"(alpha acids only up to 4%), "Zagrava", "Miss it".
The value of each variety is determined by yield, uniformity of cones, ripening, structure of cones, lupulin content, color and aroma. Less valuable are varieties in which the cones are formed unevenly, ripen poorly, have a small amount of lupulin, spotting and multiple traces of pests.

Hops is a perennial climbing plant with a long creeping rhizome covered with small thorns. When mature, the plant reaches more than 10 meters in length; the stems bear petioles, headed by wide, “tenacious” leaves. Flowering is accompanied by the appearance of unisexual flowers, hidden in the axils of the leaves; round, scaly hop fruits appear in August, resembling fir cones in appearance, only in miniature.

The growing area of hops covers almost all of Russia and Asia. The plant is stable, the survival rate is high, due to this, many summer residents call hops a cultivated weed that cannot be gotten rid of. However, this opinion is erroneous, and if you follow some tricks when planting hops, which will be described in the article, the plant will not become a “nightmare” on the site, but, on the contrary, will help protect the plantings from negative climatic influences.
The content of the article:

Hops: benefit or harm in a summer cottage?

IN ancient Rus' hops were in great demand; yeast was prepared from it and beer was brewed. Now hops have completely replaced chemical compounds in “hop” drinks, and hop cones have lost their former importance, both in brewing and in the production of natural yeast.

Today, most often the plant is grown for decorative landscaping, but some summer residents still grow hops and malt to make homemade beer with an incomparable taste.

As for hedges, hops are a fast-growing, climbing plant that can easily weave around the perimeter of an area and save it from wind and drafts. In addition, birds love to live in hops, which will undoubtedly affect the number of harmful insects. Conversely, if the area needs to be hidden from birds, the problem can be solved with the help of hop vines and plastic bags. Hanging bags and long rags on the hedge reflective film you can get rid of unwanted guests on your site.

Due to the replacement of hops in alcoholic drinks with artificial substances, its value has suffered, and its rapid growth on the site completely frightens summer residents, who short-sightedly call it a weed. Complaints about hops and their resistance even to herbicides are often unfounded.

If you plant hops at a reasonable distance from agricultural crops, collect cones in time and prune the plant, then the hops will not cause inconvenience to the gardener, but on the contrary, will delight him with its aroma and its uniqueness.

To all of the above we can add that correct landing hops, can completely rid the area of the threat of uncontrolled growth. For example, planting a climbing plant in artificial ridges or barrels, as well as creating protective root structures, the material can be glass, slate and clay mixed with sand and gravel mixture, and timely pruning of flower stalks will save you from uncontrolled ripening and spreading of seeds.

Homemade hops

Hops can be designated as a dioecious vine, and since only female inflorescences are valued in brewing and pharmacology, a plant of this particular sex is in demand. Male plants do not form those same “bumps”. At the beginning of the growing season, hop fruits look like round spikelets, initially green in color, and brown as they ripen.

If you decide to plant hops on your plot specifically for making homemade beer, it is better to purchase seeds of homemade (varietal) hops or take cuttings from your neighbor gardeners. The fact is that wild hops have small cones, bear scant fruit quickly and grow randomly. In addition, varietal hops have a more attractive decorative look and a great variety of flavors.

The most popular varieties of homemade hops are:

Traditional- This is a German hop variety with a very delicate aroma, which is still used to prepare intoxicating drinks in Europe.

Vanguard– a French variety used for the preparation of French and Belgian ale, dark wheat beer, with a bright aroma and an unsurpassed typical hop aftertaste.

Sterling– a variety of European hops with spicy, floral aroma, is also widely used for the preparation of intoxicating drinks, and in pharmacology.

Japanese hop varieties are almost all hybrids; they differ from traditional varieties by the lemon aftertaste of alcoholic beverages brewed from them and by their intrusive bitter aroma.

Traditional Czech varieties: Sladek, Zatec Bagryanec and Agnus, imbue drinks with a mild taste and a pleasant, rich aroma.

Homemade (varietal) hops are a perennial plant with annual shoots. The ground part dies off with the arrival of winter, and in the spring the rhizome produces new shoots. During the growing season, hop vines reach a length of more than 4 meters and require support. The plant prefers well-lit areas with moderate humidity.
Female varietal hop plants do not require male pollination unless you are collecting the seeds. Pollination of female varieties by male representatives will cause a deterioration in the quality of the hop cone and the future drink.

It is recommended to plant homemade hops using rhizomes - sprouted roots. When choosing a variety, take into account its growing environment, otherwise the plant you choose may not take root due to unsuitable conditions. climatic conditions. Use only high-quality and proven material for planting, avoiding crossed varieties bred by summer residents themselves.

It is better to additionally drain the planting area by adding sand or peat to the soil. Hop rhizomes are sensitive to waterlogging. Plant rhizomes in spring in loose soil fertilized with organic matter; planting depth varies from 15 to 20 cm, depending on the type of soil. After planting the rhizomes, the plantings are watered abundantly and continue to be moistened at least twice a week.

After the shoots appear, you can prepare the supports, and given the length and weaving of the vines, you can stretch the twine from the supports to the roof itself, and then the plant will cover the entire house. So hops will provide the house with shade, coolness and aromatic accompaniment throughout the growing season.

Hops have long been used in homeopathy as one of the bases of herbal mixtures for the treatment of the genitourinary system and kidneys. The plant is used to regulate the water-fat balance of the body, as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent.

Homeopaths testify to sedative and antispasmodic properties, and oil from hop cones is used as a local, analgesic, and distracting agent.

Pharmacists claim that hop cones are rich in flanoids and tannins, which have antiulcer and bactericidal effects on human mucous membranes and skin.

Hop cones when extracted, in large quantities contain essential oils and resins that are used in herbal medicine to relieve depressive syndrome. Herbalists use decoctions and infusions as an anticonvulsant and anthelmintic. Hop oil is used as a laxative; it serves as an auxiliary component in the treatment of colds, dropsy, malaria and herpes.

Infusions are used in the form of compresses, the oil is used to prepare ointments to treat arthritis, radiculitis and joint sprains. A phytolamp filled with hop oil and lavender will help with insomnia. In ancient Rus', pillows were stuffed with dried hop cones, and hair was rinsed with the decoction.

To make hop oil at home, fill a jar with crushed hop cones, then fill olive oil, leave for two weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking the mixture daily. After the expiration date, strain. The finished oil can be used for rubbing joints, added to nourishing masks and mixed with other oils. Ready-made concentrated hop oil can also be purchased in pharmacies; it is made using an extract from cones.

Many girls use hop oil as a means to enlarge their bust. There is no reliable information about the effectiveness and efficiency, however, doctors do not prohibit rubbing the chest with oils, due to inhalation essential oils a calming effect is achieved, and the skin receives a dose of hydration.

To prepare a decoction of hop cones, just brew a spoonful of hop cones with boiling water and let it brew. This decoction is useful for insomnia, and a more concentrated one (a glass of hops and two glasses of boiling water) is for rinsing hair and strengthening hair roots.

Hop tincture is used as a sedative, a sedative; for this, pour a tablespoon of hop cones into a glass of alcohol and infuse in a tightly closed glass container for two weeks in a dark place. Take the tincture drops, in the amount of 20 drops per dose at night.

Growing hops, secrets of a good harvest

Brewing hops do not like cold winds, so be careful when choosing a site for your hop plantings. The area for the plant should be well-lit, quiet, and the soil should be loose and aerated.

Many harmful insects will undoubtedly want to feast on the foliage of varietal hops, so try to place the plant away from cultivated plantings to reduce the risk of insect attacks on other green “neighbors”.

Hops are an unpretentious plant, so global problems rarely arise with its cultivation. However, in order for the fruits to be large and fragrant, it is worth caring for the plant and not letting its growing season take its course. Hops are propagated by cuttings or rhizomes (part of the root).

Hops easily survive drought, but if the plant performs in your area decorative function, then the lack of moisture will affect the greenness of the leaf and the size of the fruit.

Prepare the area for planting in advance, in the fall, by clearing it and digging it up. Place organic fertilizers in prepared holes up to half a meter deep, and sprinkle leaves or soil on top. In the spring, rhizomes can be planted in the mixed contents of the prepared holes.

It is better to plant the plant a meter apart from each other, so that there is room for the growth of vines and enough sunlight foliage. It is very important to harvest rhizomes in the fall, and the plant producing rhizomes must be at least three years old.

At the beginning of summer, hops grow rapidly and entwine supports and twines, involving all neighboring vegetation. It is necessary to strictly monitor the plant’s vines and tie them to supports in time so that they do not harm neighboring crops. In the first year of planting, it is better to remove weak shoots, sometimes leaving two or three per root, this will allow the plant to take root and produce strong shoots and large fruits by the next year.

Caring for plantings is primitive and consists of watering, weeding, fertilizing at the beginning of the growing season and protecting them from pests. Hops respond well to both organic and mineral fertilizers. Two or three feedings per season will be enough. If you notice that the leaves on the plant have begun to shrink or dry out, add nitrogen to the soil using foliar feeding and increase watering to three times a week. A lack of potassium and phosphorus will also affect the shape of the leaf, it will become convex or curled and turn brown.

To prevent the roots from growing throughout the entire area of the site, use limiters for the rhizomes by burying tin sheets or slate when planting hops next to the roots.

Control of hop pests consists of timely processing plants Bordeaux mixture or any other barrier preparation that will deter the onslaught of aphids and leaf-eating insects.

When to Harvest Hops

A valuable product of hops is its cones. Harvesting hops should begin in August, collecting cones slightly unripe, so that the fruits retain their full potential. medicinal substance lupulin and tannins.

Hops are collected away from the highways and industrial enterprises, since there will be no benefit from the fruits of plants with such a growing area.

In early August, the bracts fit tightly together, forming a cone, the scales of which can be checked to check its quality. Inner side The scales should be covered with a yellowish powder, which can be mistaken for pollen - this is the substance lupulin.

You can start collecting cones when they begin to change color from green to light brown. Well, if you missed the harvest time and the cones are overripe and turn brown, don’t be upset, such cones are perfect for preparing decoctions and making pillows for insomnia.

Hop seeds, collected and stored “according to science”

Hop inflorescences are panicles hanging from vines. Flowering occurs in June. Fragrant garlands of blooming hops look beautiful on the plant, and in August the seeds begin to ripen. Summer residents are advised to start collecting a few days before full ripening, when the hop cone is just beginning to turn yellow, then the seeds will not be able to spontaneously spread throughout the area.

A fluffy hop cone contains more seeds. After collecting, the cones are dried in the shade, spread out in a thin layer. A properly dried hop cone retains its elasticity and aroma. It is not recommended to hang hops in bunches, as the seeds become scattered and the lupulin substance is lost.

Dried raw materials can be stored for three years, but it is better to use them immediately for their intended purpose. The aroma of the raw materials is specific, bitter and tart, and proper storage it does not lose its properties over the years.

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