The herbaceous, perennial hop plant is best known as a component of beer that adds a bitter flavor, but it can also be used in nonalcoholic beverages and herbal medicine, and it can be grown here in Kansas with a little special treatment.

The flowers are a unique crop of special interest to homebrewers and herbalists. Spring is the best time to plant hop plants.

To start growing hop plants (Humulus lupulus), purchase rooted plants at garden centers or order rhizomes. Rhizomes are underground stems capable of producing roots and shoots and are the most cost-effective way to transplant hop plants. However, if you’re only planting one or two hop plants, purchasing already-rooted plants will give you a head start on growth and production. Where plants are available, they can usually be found with fruit plants such as grapes and blackberries. They are sometimes also marketed as ornamental vines.

Hop plants produce long flexible stems called bines. They are often referred to or confused with vines, which are similar. Botanically, vines produce tendrils or other appendages that help them climb and attach to structures while bines have short, stiff hairs.

Hop bines require some sort of structure to support them as they grow. Producers use formal specialized trellis systems. Backyard growers can get by with a standard trellis, a tall post or some other simple support. Most recommendations suggest using a pole or trellis that is at least 10 feet high. A pergola or something similar could be used and would give bines additional space to grow at the top. A hop plant can grow up to 25 feet in a single season.

For larger-scale hop production, formal hop trellises are recommended. There are a few options for trellises, which are typically around 20 feet tall.

Hop plants need full sun and well-drained soil. In Kansas, they will also benefit from an area that is protected from winds. Soil testing prior to planting can provide information about needed soil amendments. Additions of organic matter or building of planting mounds/ raised rows may also be beneficial.

After you’ve chosen a site, prepared the soil and installed a trellis or other support, transplant the hop plants or plant the hop rhizomes into the planting area. Plants of the same variety can be planted about 3 feet apart. If planting more than one variety, keep about 6 feet between varieties.

Water plants or rhizomes after the initial planting and keep a close eye on plants and weather. The plants should be watered when the soil is dry, especially over extended dry periods in the initial season. However, it’s better for the plants to be too dry than too wet.

As plants grow, train them onto their trellises or other supports. They may need to be wrapped or tied to stay in place. Also, check them regularly for pests and take appropriate measures if you find any. Aphids, spider mites and powdery mildew can be problematic.

Plants should produce a limited number of hop flowers the first year and larger harvests in the years following. They should be ready to harvest in August or September. A good guideline to know when to harvest is to check the flowers when the edges of the bracteoles (leaf-like structures on the flowers) turn papery and brown. Look for yellow, sticky lupulin in the bracteoles. Use the flowers right away or dry them for storage and later use.

In the first year after planting, wait until the bines die in late fall and cut them off a few feet from the ground. In the second year of harvest and following years, you can cut the bines at harvest time. Be careful not to harvest too early — hops that are picked green will lack flavor.

The Pacific Northwest is the most ideal place for hop production in the U.S. In 2019, according to the Hop Growers of America, 96% of the nation’s hops were produced in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Several other states have hop research programs, though, and the Nebraska Hop Growers Association says the demand for local hops is greater than the supply.

The Nebraska Hop Growers Association (nehopgrowers.com), the University of Nebraska, and Iowa State University have resources for backyard gardeners and hop producers that are applicable for Kansas as well.

— Jennifer Smith works in regulatory horticulture and has worked as a horticulturist for various government entities. She has experience in landscape design and maintenance and as an educator.