My experiments with growing hops in Arizona are proving that hops are a very determined plant. The desiccating effects of one hundred seventeen degree temperatures combined with the blistering desert solar radiation are creating a very harsh existence for my delicate first-year plants. So far they are meeting the challenge, but their leaves are beginning to dry out at the edges and I am beginning to worry. If my hop plants can make it through this record-breaking hot summer, I think their roots will develop a deep enough perfusion to enable the plants to go beyond mere survival and on to bearing cones next season. Here in the desert, the importance of water is constantly being underscored.
Hops are a thirsty plant.
Their great amount of foliage creates a large surface area for water evaporation. So be sure to monitor your hop leaves for signs of dehydration, and give them plenty of water. This page accessed times.