Hops are absolute speed demons in the garden—growing up to four inches a day! But to keep up that kind of pace, these plants need a serious boost of nutrients. If you want your hops to thrive, regular fertilizing is the secret sauce to keeping them healthy and vibrant.
What’s the Best Fertilizer for Hops?
- Vegetable fertilizer
- Nettle tea (liquid fertilizer)
- Animal manure
- Compost
With their lush green foliage, hops make a stunning focal point in any backyard. They grow incredibly fast and produce those iconic, cone-shaped fruits we all love. However, shooting up several feet into the air while producing leaves and flowers takes a lot of energy, which means they need soil that is rich in nitrogen.
Your best bet is to prep the soil before you even plant. Mix in some compost, well-rotted manure, or horn meal to give the ground a head start. Homemade nettle tea is another fantastic way to enrich the soil before planting. If you already have hops established in your garden or you’re growing them in containers, a high-quality store-bought vegetable fertilizer works wonders.
When is the Best Time to Fertilize?
Once your hops wake up from their winter nap in the spring, it’s time for their first feeding. Spread some manure or compost around the base of the plant and gently work it into the soil with a rake. After that initial boost, aim to fertilize about once a month with a nitrogen-rich vegetable fertilizer.
If you’re into organic DIY solutions, you can also use nettle tea throughout the growing season since it’s packed with nitrogen. Just a heads-up: make sure to dilute it well before use, and avoid pouring it directly onto the roots or the foliage to prevent burn.
Don’t Go Overboard with Pruning in the Fall
When the season winds down, resist the urge to cut the plant all the way back to the ground. As hops go dormant for the winter, they actually pull nutrients back down from the vines into the root system. To help the plant stay strong, leave about 20 to 30 inches of growth standing until spring rolls around.
