The growth of hops is impressive. The climbing plant reaches a height of seven to nine meters in one summer - depending on the variety. Hops are deciduous and shrink in winter. The plant sprouts again in spring.
How high can hops grow?
Hops can reach impressive heights of up to nine meters for wild hops and seven meters for real hops. However, in a pot or on the balcony railing it usually grows between three and four meters high. The average daily gain is about ten centimeters.
This is how high hops get
Wild hops grow up to nine meters high. Real hops remain slightly smaller at seven meters. The climbing plant reaches its impressive height in one garden season.
If you grow the hops in a bucket or on the balcony railing, the plant will reach a height of between three and four meters.
The prerequisite for rapid growth is an adequate supply of nutrients. Hops must be fertilized monthly with vegetable fertilizer (€19.00 on Amazon) or nettle manure.
Average gain per day
You can literally watch the hops grow. On average, the plant grows ten centimeters taller every day.
Agree with temperatures, location and care, the weekly increase can be one meter.
Restricting the growth of hops
If you don't want the hops to grow that tall, feel free to cut them back in height.
Another way to limit growth is to leave many shoots standing. The hops then have to distribute their power over several tendrils so that the individual shoots do not receive enough energy.
Without a trellis, hops stay smaller
In order for the hops to grow very tall, they need a climbing aid on which the shoots can wind up. You only do this to the right, i.e. clockwise.
If the tendrils turn the other way, the hops will no longer grow and will take care of themselves. Only when the direction of rotation is correct again will the climbing plant continue to grow. If necessary, you have to support the shoots when climbing. Place them right around the stretched ropes or plant stakes.
If the hops grow on the balcony and climb the balcony railing, they fall down as soon as they reach the upper edge of the railing. Although this looks very decorative, it slows down growth significantly.
Tip
Altitude can be a problem when harvesting hops. In commercial cultivation, the tendrils are therefore cut off completely and placed on the ground. The hop fruits can then be picked there without a ladder.
