Time To Order Hop Rhizomes

Growing your own hops is relatively easy, a great stepping stone for intermediate home brewers, and it might even save you some money. The “rhizome” is the stem of the hop plant, which will eventually send out roots and grow above ground. Rhizomes are usually ready to order around mid to late March and there is no shortage of online vendors willing to ship across the country [see below]. These plants are perennials and will return year after year, going dormant during the winter months. The average yield from a plant is around 2 pounds of dried hops, which means you can save anywhere from $12 to $40 on the cost of pellet or leaf hops (depending on the variety) for an investment around $10.

WHERE TO ORDER

A quick search of the beer forums brought a few online vendors to the top of the list. Of course if you are fortunate enough to live out in Oregon or other growing regions, check out your local farmers as well. I have excluded supply shops and online distributors and focused this list on buying direct from the growers themselves.

• Thyme Garden Herb Company – Organic farmers in Oregon who offer a variety of hops around $5.95/rhizome and a low $3.00 shipping rate anywhere in the country. This is the only grower that actively promotes its crop as fully organic. We purchased our rhizomes from this company and they should arrive next week.
• Freshhops.com – Also from Oregon, this site is a favorite among home brewers. They offer an exhaustive list of hop rhizomes (many of which I had never heard of … Wye Viking, Zeus, Hallertau) for around $5 – $7 with standard shipping rates.
• HopsDirect.com – This Washington state family farm has been operating since 1932 and offers the basic hop varieties for $7.00/rhizome and standard UPS Ground shipping rates from WA to your address apply.

WHICH HOPS TO PLANT

While hops are a generally a hearty plant, able to withstand the cold winter months, some are easier for the first time grower (which is the category we fall into). Our research has shown that the best hops for early success (assuming your climate is amenable to growing hops) include Cascade, Magnum and Nugget. These are all high alpha hops that can be used across a variety of beer styles.

When you obtain your rhizomes, they should be kept in a slightly moistened plastic bag and in a refrigerator until planting time. Find a spot with lots of sunshine and a structure on which to grow vertically; for example a fence or trellis. More pictures to come once the rhizomes arrive and we start planting. Cheers to growing your own hops!