For years Cascade has been the most widely used hop in the beer industry. Very productive with large cones, ready to harvest mid-late August in central Maine. A customer wrote, “Cascade has gained impeccable renown as the charismatic hop in such unsurpassable ales as Anchor’s Liberty Ale, Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale and McNeill’s Firehouse Amber Ale. Nothing ‘light’ about these.”
Resistant to downy mildew. Z3. (female rhizomes)
Items from our perennial plants warehouse ordered
on or before March 7 will ship around March 26
through late April, starting with warmer areas and finishing in
colder areas. Orders placed after March 7 will
ship around late April through early-to-mid May, in the order in
which they were received.
ships in spring
7469
Cascade
Additional Information
Hops Humulus lupulus
Beautiful twining vine covers a trellis, archway or the entire side of a
barn. Our favorite live awning to shade out the summer sun. Green lobed
leaves,
bristly stems, and insignificant greenish flowers, followed in late summer
by
the hops: papery aromatic cone-like strobiles used medicinally and in
brewing
for more than 1000 years. Herbalist John Christopher recommended the
strobile
tea as “a powerful, stimulating and relaxing nerve tonic.” For
brewing, there are basically two types of hops. Aroma hops are used for
flavoring, finishing or conditioning brews. Bitter hops have more alpha
acids
and are used to impart bitterness. Native to Eurasia.
Growing Hops
Soil: Adaptable, but prefers rich light well-drained
soil. Top-dress with manure or compost each spring.
Sun: Full, but will tolerate some shade.
Pollination: You need only one variety.
Spacing: In hills 3' apart, 1 or 2 plants per hill.
Planting: Plant hops where you’re sure you want
them—they’ll be hard to get rid of once established.
Prepare planting holes with plenty of compost, manure or other
slow-release
organic fertilizer. Plant rhizomes with buds pointing up and cover with
1–2" loose soil. Appreciates frequent light waterings and
mulch
the first year.
Training: Vines may grow up to 25' in a single season,
and do best if they are trained onto strong twine 12–30' high,
supported by a trellis, wire, pole, tree branch or south-facing
building.
When young vines are about 1' long, select the most vigorous 2 or 3
shoots
per hill and remove the rest; gently wrap the vines clockwise on the
twine
to get it started.
Harvest: Pick the hops when they are papery but still
slightly sticky and filled with yellow powder. Dry hops thoroughly
before
use. Spread on screens in a dry room, they will dry in a few weeks.
Dried
hops freeze well.
Pruning: Vines die back to the ground in fall and
rebound vigorously in spring. Just cut back the dead vines after frost.
To
help control vigor, prune roots by cutting a 2–3' circle with a
shovel
around the base of the plant in spring.
