I’m going to start growing my own hops this year. It’s supposed to be quite easy, as long as you have something they can climb. They’ll grow on any soil, although the plants can be susceptible to wilt and mildew in some seasons. They grow fast, and crop abundantly. Only the female plants produce the conelike flowers, called lupulins, which are harvested in late August and September. Hops then need to be dried and stored away from air and light – most commercial growers vacuum pack, but home brewers will find that hops apparently freeze very well.
Anyhow, I plan to plant the following (and there may well be a surplus later in the year if people want some):
Wye Northdown (dual purpose bittering/aroma)
Wye Challenger (dual purpose)
Target (high alpha – bittering)
Cobb (Goldings variety) (aroma)
Fuggle (aroma)
and possibly some German noble hops such as:
Tettnanger
Hallertauer
Saaz
A Storm Brewing 