Hops aren’t just for professional brewers! You can actually grow this hardy, perennial climbing vine right in your own backyard. While starting hops from cuttings is usually the go-to method, you can grow them from seed if you’re looking for a lush green screen—just keep in mind you probably won’t be harvesting any usable “cones” for brewing this way.
Start with Stratification
If you’ve gathered your own hop seeds, they’ll need a little “winter wake-up call” before they’ll sprout. This process is called stratification. Simply pop your seeds into the crisper drawer of your fridge for a few weeks. This cold snap breaks the seed’s natural dormancy and tells it that it’s time to grow.
How to Sow Hop Seeds Step-by-Step
- Start your seeds indoors during the spring.
- Fill a seed tray with a high-quality seed-starting mix.
- Scatter your hop seeds across the surface.
- Lightly cover them with a thin layer of soil.
- Give them a gentle misting or watering to settle them in.
- Place the tray in a warm spot, but keep it out of direct, harsh sunlight for now.
- Once the seedlings are strong enough, thin them out and move them into individual pots.
- Come May, you can transplant your hops into the garden or a large container.
Male vs. Female Plants
Here’s the tricky part: you won’t know the gender of your hop plant until it actually blooms. Male plants don’t produce the cones used for beer, and in some commercial hop-growing regions, they’re actually banned! Because of this, I only recommend growing from seed if you just want a pretty ornamental vine and aren’t worried about the harvest.
Why Cuttings are Usually Better
If you’re serious about your hops, propagating through cuttings in the spring or root division in the fall is a much better bet. This is the only way to guarantee you’re getting a female plant. This is super important because male plants can cross-pollinate nearby females, changing the flavor and quality of the cones—which is a disaster for commercial growers. Stick to vegetative propagation to ensure your backyard hops stay top-quality!
