[redrocker652002]

OK, I have done a bit of searching, but my wife has it in her head that she wants to have a hand at growing hops for my beer.  I live in the San Francisco Bay area, and we are talking for personal use in my home brew.  I am not looking to have a huge farm, just a few plants to start with.  I am looking for feedback on what might grow better in this climate.  I am thinking of starting with just two or three varieties and go from there.  Cascade, Centennial and maybe Columbus?  She is all fired up so I don't want to rain on her parade so to speak.  The cost for the Rhizomes is minimal so i figure what the heck.  lol.  Any input, good or bad, is welcome.  Thanks all   RR

[hopfenundmalz]

OK, I have done a bit of searching, but my wife has it in her head that she wants to have a hand at growing hops for my beer.  I live in the San Francisco Bay area, and we are talking for personal use in my home brew.  I am not looking to have a huge farm, just a few plants to start with.  I am looking for feedback on what might grow better in this climate.  I am thinking of starting with just two or three varieties and go from there.  Cascade, Centennial and maybe Columbus?  She is all fired up so I don't want to rain on her parade so to speak.  The cost for the Rhizomes is minimal so i figure what the heck.  lol.  Any input, good or bad, is welcome.  Thanks all   RR

Those would be good choices, except for Centennial, which is finicky. My Centennial has very low yield. Chinook does great for me.

You can find a lot of information on the feeding and care of hops.

The San Francisco peninsula was a center for hop growing way back when. Hope you have some sunny spots to put the in. They grew Cluster, as that was what was the primary hop back then.

[erockrph]

The crowns will spread rapidly if left unchecked, so I'd recommend a containment strategy. Otherwise, go for it. It's certainly fun to experiment with, and it's always pretty cool to brew a beer with your own hops.

[pete b]

I agree to not grow centennial and recommend cascade. It goes gangbusters for me and many others.
You will need to build a sturdy trellis as high as you can. Plant in a sunny area but be aware they will grow tall and thick and therefore cast shade. If you can plant north of any gardens that is a good idea. If you can, plant them where you can mow right up to them, it's the easiest way to control their tendancy to spread that Eric mentioned.
Give them plenty of attention the first year: mulch, feed, water, weed. The first year they should be watered regularly if you don't get a lot of rain but they should not be in soaking wet soil. After the first year they are super easy. In the spring I top dress with composted manure and a balanced organic fertilizer and mulch with old wood chips. A couple times in May and June I will give them some nitrogen in the form of blood meal or fish/kelp emulsion to encourage the rapid growth at that time but that's pretty much it. If they grow in nice and full by early July the Japanese beetles and other pests that come in August won't matter because there is so much leaf area even if they get munched a lot.

[pete b]

I also cut back to the three or 4 best bines in May. Don't do this the first year, you want as much green material for photosynthesis to develop roots.

[denny]

Growing hops is fun and easy.  I found picking and processing to be a PITA.

[pete b]

Growing hops is fun and easy.  I found picking and processing to be a PITA.

True, but still only a few hours work each season if you just have a few plants.

[denny]

Growing hops is fun and easy.  I found picking and processing to be a PITA.

True, but still only a few hours work each season if you just have a few plants.

For 15+ years I grew a single Cascade plant. The last year I grew it, I got 23 lb. of wet hops from it.  It took much more than a few hours.  I finally realized I could buy all the Cascades I needed for a year for $8 or so, and they were much better quality than what I grew. Just wasn't worth it for me to grow them.

[dbeechum]

For 15+ years I grew a single Cascade plant. The last year I grew it, I got 23 lb. of wet hops from it.  It took much more than a few hours.  I finally realized I could buy all the Cascades I needed for a year for $8 or so, and they were much better quality than what I grew. Just wasn't worth it for me to grow them.

But where's your sense of homegrown pride? Just think - you could plant some barley and malt it and use your Cascades and your yeast strain and have a 100% Denny's Homegrown!

[denny]

For 15+ years I grew a single Cascade plant. The last year I grew it, I got 23 lb. of wet hops from it.  It took much more than a few hours.  I finally realized I could buy all the Cascades I needed for a year for $8 or so, and they were much better quality than what I grew. Just wasn't worth it for me to grow them.

But where's your sense of homegrown pride? Just think - you could plant some barley and malt it and use your Cascades and your yeast strain and have a 100% Denny's Homegrown!

But why? For then first few years I grew, it was kinda cool and fun.  But the novelty wore off as the labor need increased.

[dbeechum]

But where's your sense of homegrown pride? Just think - you could plant some barley and malt it and use your Cascades and your yeast strain and have a 100% Denny's Homegrown!

But why? For then first few years I grew, it was kinda cool and fun.  But the novelty wore off as the labor need increased.

Work with me... it's light hearted.

[kramerog]

I am in Denny's camp. Hop growing is too little reward for too much work. I pulled up all my hops except one CTZ that I grow as an ornamental, i.e., I don't use it in beer.

[chinaski]

I'm in the other camp entirely- I grow and process more than enough hops to supply my avid (12-15 batchs/year) brewing hobby.  I'm fortunate that I have time in the late summer to pick and process them and I don't view it as too much work.  Anything that gets me outside and off my butt is a good thing in my opinion.  My best varieties (I'm in Vermont) are Cascade, Chinook, and Saxon.  I took this on as a personal challenge; now I'm adding a challenge to develop/refine recipes but with locally produced malts.

[denny]

I'm in the other camp entirely- I grow and process more than enough hops to supply my avid (12-15 batchs/year) brewing hobby.  I'm fortunate that I have time in the late summer to pick and process them and I don't view it as too much work.  Anything that gets me outside and off my butt is a good thing in my opinion.  My best varieties (I'm in Vermont) are Cascade, Chinook, and Saxon.  I took this on as a personal challenge; now I'm adding a challenge to develop/refine recipes but with locally produced malts.

How long have you been growing?

[Kevin]

Someone says growing hops is easy. Yes of course it is because hop plants are pretty invasive.The bines underground will spread unless you take strong measures to contain them. Once you get them established they are going to spread and grow whether you want them to or not. So be sure you are committed before you start.