Putting in the Guy Line

So it's time to complete my growing environment for my hops. They've thrived up to this point and now it's time to grow their way up the guy line. My Cascade hop started to lean -this is a good indicator that it's ready to grow up (pun intended...) The Zeus and Centennial are just behind it in growth, while my Willamette is still trying to surface.

The first thing I did was attach four screw hooks (easy to find at a local hardware store) into my tent pole. Then I strung the twine I got through the loop holes and down to the tent stakes. I inserted the tent stakes just to the right of the hop plant; being sure not to puncture the root but close enough for it to attach. I then just took the hop plant and kinda circled it around the guy line. The hops attached really easy to the twine and after just a few days, it's continuing the same circular pattern right up the guy line. This is a very simple/quick process, and up to this point I am amazed at how easy it has been to get a hop garden started. I planted them, gave them great soil, watered about every other day and they are growing very fast. I highly recommend growing hops -even if you don't home brew.
You can use hops for garden aesthetics, for use in oils or lotions -they have even been linked to helping with anxiety or insomnia. This must explain why I am so de-stressed and pass out when I have a lot of IPA...Now that the hop garden is planted, it is now just a waiting game until they produce. Most likely it won't be until next spring/summer that I will actually be able to pick, dry and use them for my home brew. Until then, it's just taking care of them.


Enough of the gardening, IT'S TIME TO START BREWING!