Hops!!

I had a chance to gather the rhizomes for one of the 'wild' hop starts last fall. Overwintered them in the greenhouses with what appears to be good survival. We are looking to put in a hop yard starting with three "wild strains" of hops. Beer takes an intricate mixing of flavors, so we have found three different lots of hops that have survived the ravages of disease and insect pressure to survive naturally. They have great, but different tastes from strong bitters to a citrus taste - perfect for brewing beer! We'll see if the choices we selected from these natural populations give the disease and insect resistance needed for a true organic hops yard.