Hop hedge ^Favorite

This plant is unpretentious, does not need special care, durable (can live up to 30 years) and fast-growing (shoots over the summer can grow up to 6-10 meters). Its growth is so rapid that already at the beginning of summer, any frame covered with shoots of hops turns into a charming openwork arbor, and a fence from a mesh-netting - into a real green fence. If you need to quickly disguise some nondescript household building, then hops for this are ideal.

By the end of summer, however, the lower hop leaves fall off, exposing the stems. It looks ugly, and the transparent hedge ceases to fulfill its purpose. The solution to the problem can be planting near the bare stems of plants with large decorative leaves.

Hop is an annual plant; therefore, in the fall, a hedge from it acquires an unsightly appearance and can no longer serve as protection for the site. Its roots tend to occupy as much space as possible, interfering with the development of other plants. They have to be constantly restrained, otherwise hops will fill all the available space. Because of these two features, there is an opinion that hops should not be bred at all in a summer cottage. It spreads like horseradish, and it is impossible to bring it out.

Hops propagate easily, a small piece of rhizome is enough to get on fertile soil. In spring or autumn, you can plant numerous offspring launched by rhizomes. Propagation by cuttings or seeds is very time-consuming and is only possible for nurseries to obtain planting material in large quantities.

In the spring, as soon as the young shoots grow by 40 centimeters, you need to lean them against the support - only touching it will they themselves begin to braid it, whether it be at least a thick pipe or a thin kapron thread. It is preferable to work with gloves, and clothing should have a long sleeve: very small hop spikes are very sharp and scratch quite painfully.