So you want to be a hop grower?

My first year of hop growing is in the books and it was rather anticlamatic.  I got a handful of hops from the Cascade plant and that's about it.  The Hallertau didn't produce much of anything let alone hop cones.  The in-ground Centennial plant looked promising and then the entire main vine died.  So the Cascade plant in the container was the best performing plant in the first year.  The cones I did manage to harvest had only tiny amounts of luplin visible.  Without luplin the hop cones did not have the signature hop aroma and will most likely have no hop flavor.  My first year of hop growing was a scrub but it is pretty much what I expected from my research.  Hopefully year two will reap far greater rewards.  My advice for potential hop growers is to use Cascade plants and be sure to keep the plants pruned.  Until next year.

Cheers!