Hop Garden

[griffo17]

Hey everybody,

Did a search on this topic, but didn't turn anything up.

Just wondering if anybody out there has experience at growing their own hops?

A mate has a new veggie garden and whilst over there the other day suggested that hops would be a worthy addition.
We're in the Central Highlands area of Victoria, so hopefully the frosts are finished now.

If so, do you have any tips to achieve a good harvest?

I'm guessing there's going to be some varities that grow better in the temperate environment.

Cheers (& beers)

Griffo

 

[trevc]

Lots of hop threads on here Try Google search instead of the forum option.

2008 Hop Plantations

 

[Wasabi]

Hey everybody,

Just wondering if anybody out there has experience at growing their own hops?

We're in the Central Highlands area of Victoria, so hopefully the frosts are finished now.

Griffo,

I'm in Ballarat and had Tet and Hals in the round last year. They all reached about 2m and I got one cone from all three plants. That said it was their first time in the ground as they were small cuttings from a larger plantation. The massive water problems in Ballarat last year didn't help, but the dams have reached double digits again.

However when i dug them up, the rhizomes were about 5 times larger then what I put in, so hopefully this year they will be better. Also have a washing machine now that is draining into the hop/rhubarb patch, so I'm hoping for more this year.

The the last frost in Ballarat is always 2 days after I put the tomatoes in. We now raise two lots and sacrifice the first ones to the frost God.

 

[braufrau]

Has he got a lot of space?

I wouldn't put them in the vegie garden, .. you should treat them more like a passionfruit, or a fruit tree .. something that has a permanent and large spot in the garden.

 

[Katherine]

Braufrau....

Is that your hop forest??? Im even more envious!

 

[braufrau]

I wish! Try as I might I can't think how to fit that into the garden.
Its the redhill brewery's hop garden.

 

[trevc]

It would be fun to just laze around in that hop garden all day, drinking lots of beer, getting lots of sun....