Hops Plants and Flowers

Native of the Northern temperate zones, cultivated commercially, especially in Northern Europe, North America and Chile.

Roman records from the 1st century AD describe hops as a popular garden plant and vegetable, the young shoots being sold in markets to be eaten rather like asparagus. Hop gardens did not become widespread in Europe until the 9th century. In Britain the hop was a wild plant and used as a vegetable before it became one of the ingredients of beer. It was not until the 16th century that the word hop and the practice of flavoring and preserving beer with the strobiles or female flowers of the Humulus lupulus were introduced into Britain by Flemish immigrants, and replaced traditional bitter herbs such as ale hoof and ale cost.

During the reign of Henry VIII, Parliament was petitioned against the use o the hop, as it was said that it was a wicked weed that would spoil the taste of the drink, ale, and endanger the people. Needless to say the petition was thrown out. The use of hops revolutionized brewing since it enabled beer to be kept for longer.

Hops have also been used as medicine for at least as long as for brewing. The flowers are famous for their sedative effect and were either drunk as a tea or stuffed in a hop pillow to sleep on.

SPECIES

Humulus lupulus

Common Hop

Hardy perennial, a herbaceous climber. Height up to 6m (20ft). There are separate female and male

plants. The male plant has yellowish flowers growing in branched clusters. They are

without sepals and have  1 5 tepals and 5 stamen. The female plant has tiny greenish yellow, scented flowers, hidden by big scales. The scales become papery when the fruiting heads arc ripe. These are the flowers j that are harvested for beer. • The mid-green leaves have 3 to 5 lobes with sharply toothed edges. The stems are hollow, and are covered with tiny hooked prickles. These enable the plant to  j cling to shrubs, trees, or    j anything else. It always entwines clockwise.

Humulus lupulus 'Aureus'

Golden Hop

Hardy perennial, a herbaceous climber. Ht up to 6m (20ft), The main difference between this

plant and the common hop is that the leaves and flowers are much more golden, which makes it very

attractive in the garden and in dried flower arrangements. It has the same properties as the common hop.

CULTIVATION

Propagation

Seed

Beer is made from the un-pollinated female flowers. If you grow from seed you will not know the gender for 2 to 3 years, which is the time it takes before good flowers are produced. Obtain seed from specialist seeds men.

Sow in summer or autumn. The seed is on the medium to large size so sow sparingly; if using plug trays, 1 per cell. Push the seed into and cover it with the compost. Then cover the tray with a sheet of glass or polythene, and leave somewhere cool to germinate - a cold frame, a cold glasshouse, or a garage. Germination can be very erratic. If the seed is not fresh you may need to give the hot/cold treatment.

Warning:

As the seed will be from wild hops these should not be grown in areas of commercial hop growing, because they might contaminate the crop.

Cuttings

Softwood cuttings should be taken in spring or early summer from the female plant. Choose young shoots and take the cuttings in the morning as they will loose water very fast and wilt.

Division In the spring dig up and divide the root stems and suckers of established plants. Replant lm (3ft) apart against support.

Pests and Diseases

The most common disease is hop wilt. If this occurs, dig up and burn. Do not plant hops in that area again.

Leaf miner can sometimes be a problem. Remove infected leaves immediately.

The golden variety sometimes suffers from sun scorch. If this occurs prune to new growth, and change its position if possible the following season.

Maintenance

Spring: Divide roots and separate rooted stems and suckers. Re-pot container grown plants. Check trellising.

Summer: Sow seed late in the season.

Autumn: Cut back remaining growth into the ground. Give the plants a good feed of manure or compost. Bring containers into a cool place.

Winter: No need for protection.

Garden Cultivation

For successful plants the site should be sunny and open, the soil needs to be rich in humus and dug deeply. It is not generally necessary to tie the plants if good support is at hand. A word of warning, you must dominate the plant. Certainly it will need thinning and encouraging to entwine where you want it to go rather than where it chooses. But remember that it dies back completely in winter. Cut the plant into the ground each autumn and then give it a good feed of manure or compost.

Harvest

Pick young fresh side shoots in spring. Gather young fresh leaves as required.

Pick male flowers as required. Pick ripe female flowers in early autumn. Dry and use within a few months, otherwise the flavor becomes unpleasant.

CONTAINER GROWING

Hops, especially the golden variety, can look very attractive in a large container with something to grow up. Use a compost made up of the bark, peat mix, and feed regularly with a liquid fertilizer from late spring to mid-summer. Keep well watered in the summer months and fairly dry in winter. It can be grown indoors in a position with good light such as a conservatory, but it seldom flowers. Provide some form of shade during sunny periods. During the winter months, make sure it has a rest by putting the pot in a cool place, keeping the compost on the dry side. Repot each year.

OTHER USES

The leaf can be used to make a brown dye. If you live close to a brewery it is worth chatting them up each autumn for the spent hops, which makes either a great mulch or a layer in a compost heap.

MEDICINAL

Hop tea made from the female flower only is recommended for nervous diarrhoea, insomnia and restlessness. It also helps to stimulate appetite, dispel flatulence and relieve intestinal cramps. A cold tea taken an hour before meals is particularly good for digestion.

It can be useful combined with fragrant valerian for coughs and nervous spasmodic conditions. Recent research into hops has shown that it contains a certain hormone, which accounts for the beneficial effect of helping mothers improve their milk flow.

To make a hop pillow, sprinkle hops with alcohol and fill a small bag or pillowcase with them (which all in all is bound to knock you out).

CULINARY

In early spring pick the young side shoots, steam them (or lightly boil), and eat like asparagus. The male flowers can be parboiled, cooled and tossed into salads. The young leaves can be quickly blanched to remove any bitterness and added to soups or salads.