How to Prepare Hops for the Winter

Posted in: Gardening

Date: October 15, 2009

After the Hops growing season, it's important to begin preparing for next year's growth.  We're looking for two things in preperation for winter:

  1. Protecting the roots from cold
  2. Putting nutrients back in the soil

Here's how to do it.

Step 1:  Clear Out Old Growth

Right before the first frost (or after if you've forgotten like me), cut off the old foliage right at the ground level.

Cut Old Growth on your hops plant before winterizing

Step 2:  Cover the area with a mound of compost

I used some worm compost in my back yard for this.  This has a double function of putting nutrients back in the soil, as well as protecting the plant from extreme cold.

put compost over your hops roots to provide nutrients and protect from frost

 

Winterizing Hops Plants