My Hops Are Growing Gangbusters

Two years ago, I planted two rhizomes for Cascade hops. Fairly new to home brewing at the time (still very much an amateur), I sought advice on growing hops. Several people passed on their wisdom, but there was no consensus. Clearly, there were two schools of thought.

One held that hops were difficult to grow, requiring careful site selection with close attention to soil pH, drainage, and pest control.

The other school of thought was They’re basically weeds. Throw them in the ground and they’ll grow.

Fortuitously, the second school of thought seems to have won out. Or maybe I just happened to plant them in a spot with ideal growing conditions. Don’t know, don’t care. Other than watering them a bit during particularly dry conditions, I’ve just let them thrive on their own.

In front of them are a gazillion hostas. I call these elephant ears but have no idea what their real name is, they were there when my wife bought the house. People actually buy hostas? The things multiply like crazy.