How to grow Hops in Australia

Where to plant

Plant hops in full sun in well-drained soil improved with compost and a balanced fertiliser. Above all they need vertical room: put up a strong support before planting, such as strings or wires running up to a high beam, a tall pole or a pergola. The vines grow very fast, up to about 15 cm in a night, and can quickly take over a garden.

Hops flower in response to day length. They grow best at latitudes of about 35 to 55 degrees, where long summer days build tall vines and the shortening days of late summer trigger cones. That is why high-country Victoria and Tasmania suit them. In Brisbane the longest days are about three hours short of what the plant needs, so flowering and yields are unreliable without extra lighting.

• Hobart, Melbourne, Canberra and the cool tablelands: the best hop country. Plant rhizomes from July to September.
• Adelaide, Perth and Sydney: plant from July to September. These cities sit at or just north of the latitudes hops prefer, so expect smaller crops than further south, and water deeply through hot weather.
• South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers: plant from July to September, but expect shorter vines and light, unpredictable cone crops, as summer days are too short.
• North Queensland and Darwin: our calendar marks these as unsuitable, as hops need winter chill and long summer days.

Choosing a variety

Hops plants are either male or female, and only female plants produce the cones. Buy rhizomes or plants of a named female variety from a supplier. Cascade is a popular American aroma variety; others such as Chinook and Fuggle are also sold. Newer varieties such as Vista were bred for drought tolerance and disease resistance.

How to plant

1. Put up the support first: strong strings, coir twine or wires running from the ground to a beam or pole several metres high.
2. Dig compost and a little balanced fertiliser into the planting spot.
3. Plant each rhizome shallowly and horizontally in late winter or early spring, with any buds facing up.
4. Space plants about 90 cm to 1 m apart, or grow one plant per support.
5. Water in and mulch.
6. As the shoots grow, wind a few strong ones clockwise around each string, the way hops naturally climb, and remove the extras.

Watering and feeding

Keep the soil moist through spring and summer while the vines grow; hops are thirsty in hot weather. Water deeply at the base rather than wetting the leaves. Ease off once the plant dies back in autumn, and keep the rhizome from sitting in soggy soil over winter.

Feed in spring with compost and a balanced fertiliser.

Pruning and care through the year

• Train new growth onto the strings for the first few weeks; after that the vines climb on their own.
• After harvest or once the vines brown in autumn, cut them down to near the ground. The rhizome regrows in spring.
• Hops spread by rhizomes. Dig out unwanted shoots each spring to keep the clump in its place.
• Wear gloves and long sleeves when handling the vines and cones, as some people get dermatitis from them.

Harvesting

Hop cones are ready from late summer into early autumn, when they turn papery and slightly brown at the tips, feel dry and springy, and are sticky with yellow, oily powder inside. Pick them by hand, or cut the whole vine down and pick the cones off.

Fresh hops last less than a day, so brewers use them straight away. Home brewers usually dry the cones in a warm, airy, shaded place and store them sealed and cold.

Propagation and saving seed

Hops are grown from pieces of rhizome taken from female plants in late winter. Dig around an established clump, cut off a piece of rhizome with buds, and replant it. Plants grown from seed may be male, so they are not used for cones.