Plant and care for indoor hops - Justicia brandegeana

Room hop (Justicia brandegeana) is actually quite undemanding, but needs a lot of water, especially during the growth phase. All care tips here!

Hops should not be missing in any brewery, because they serve as a raw material for beer production. With the indoor hops, the decorative plants, with their sprawling inflorescences, have also made it to the flower window. Justicia brandegeana is the only species cultivated as a houseplant. It is a flowering and easy-care plant. This means that indoor hops can also convince beginners. Some care mistakes are forgiven.

Room hops - special features

The house hop, also known as Beloperone guttata, grows as a subshrub and has overhanging shoots and soft, velvety leaves. The original home of the indoor hop is in Mexico. The plant has also become native to Florida. The Justicia brandegeana is valued for its striking reddish-brown inflorescences. A special feature of indoor hops is an extended growth phase. The flowers are pleasing to the eye for a full ten months and are formed continuously.

Room hop (Justicia brandegeana)
Growth:	30 - 60 cm
Flower:	February - November
Location:	bright, sunny, no blazing sun
Casting:	plentiful in summer, but no waterlogging
Fertilize:	in the growth phase every 2 - 3 weeks
Propagation:	possible through cuttings

Find the right location

The indoor hop needs a lot of light to grow into an attractive and lush flowering shrub. The plant should get a few hours of sunlight every day. The blazing midday sun is not tolerated. If the plant is in a sunny south-facing window, it needs appropriate protection. In summer, indoor hops thrive at normal room temperatures. Temperatures around 15 degrees are preferred during the cold season.

» Tip: Too warm a location in winter leads to leaf fall.

The plants are sensitive to frost. Already temperatures insingle-digit plus range are poorly tolerated.

Selecting the ideal substrate

The undemanding indoor hop thrives in normal potting soil. If you want to make the substrate yourself, you can do justice to the plant with a mixture of garden soil, clay and compost.

Planting and repotting indoor hops

When planting, make sure to use a sufficiently large planter. Then the indoor hops need to be repotted less frequently. Since the plant is sensitive to waterlogging, it is helpful to install drainage in the bottom of the container. A layer of gravel or broken pottery works well for this.

Planting indoor hops step by step

1. Select planter
2. Insert Drainage
3. fill in some substrate
4. Insert plant in the middle
5. Fill substrate
6. Press the earth lightly
7. Water the plant well

» Tip: The right time for repotting is early spring, when budding has not yet started.

The following are signs that transplanting is necessary:

• The substrate is barely visible.
• The substrate has collapsed.
• The plant pot is completely rooted.
• The roots are clearly visible on the surface.
• The roots emerge from the bottom of the container.

Transplant indoor hops step by step

1. choose a larger planter
2. Provide substrate
3. Remove plant from old container
4. Remove substrate from roots
5. Control Roots
6. Insert drainage into new planter
7. Fill in substrate
8. Insert plant
9. Fill the substrate up to the edge of the container
10. Press the earth lightly
11. Water the plant
Carefully remove the indoor hops from the old planter. If the transplanting was neglected, it can happen that the roots fill the plant pot completely and literally burst. In order not to damage the root ball, it is better to destroy the planter.

Once the plant is potted, the used substrate is completely removed. Repotting offers the indoor gardener a good opportunity to see the condition of the root system. Dead and dead root parts are removed. If necessary, intact roots can be easily shortened and shaped.

In general, indoor hops tolerate repotting quite well. In order to protect the plant, it is advisable to leave the planter the first two weeksset up in a sheltered and shady place after planting.

Watering indoor hops correctly

House hops need a lot of water, not least because of the extended growing season. The earth must not dry out. Proper watering requires a lot of finesse. If you water too much, waterlogging will form and the roots will be attacked. If you don't react in time, it can happen that the entire plant dies.

» Tip: Calcareous tap water does not suit house hops. Stale water at room temperature or rainwater should preferably be used.

During the short period of rest, there is only sporadic watering. However, the soil must not dry out completely.

Fertilize indoor hops correctly

During the growth period, the plant's nutrient requirements are correspondingly high. Liquid fertilizer for green and flowering plants is administered at monthly intervals. Fertilization is gradually stopped in October. The nutrient supply can be resumed at the end of April.

Cutting indoor hops

The indoor hop grows as a shrub about 60 centimeters high. In order for the plant to appear bushy, it is cut back annually. By regularly trimming the tips of the young plants, branching growth can be encouraged.

Propagating indoor hops

The propagation of indoor hops can be combined with annual pruning in early spring. The removed shoots can be used to propagate cuttings.

Proceed as follows:


1. Cutting
2. remove bottom leaves
3. Put shoot in the ground
4. water sparingly
5. cover with plastic hood
6. Wait for rooting
The cuttings are brought to a maximum length of ten centimeters. Care must be taken when removing the lower leaves. The shoot is cultivated in a sand-peat mixture, which is well moistened. Root formation will take about six to eight weeks. Very little watering during this phase.

» Tip: A foil cover keeps moisture in the soil and creates a beneficial microclimate.

If the first shoots appear, this is an indication of successful propagation. If you want to grow a bushy and lush plant quickly, place several cuttings in a planter in the manner described.

Important planting and care tips at a glanceLook

Activity	Explanation
Select Location	• bright • warm • no midday sun • in summer room temperature • in winter around 15 degrees
Plants	• choose a sufficiently large planter • drainage protects against waterlogging • potting soil or garden soil with compost
Casting	• high water requirement • regularly during the growth phase • sporadically in winter • the soil must not dry out
Fertilize	• Liquid fertilizer every four weeks • Do not fertilize between October and April

Diseases and pests on indoor hops

The following pests are observed in house hops:


• Aphids
• spider mites
• White Fly
• Red Spider
The pests can be fought with simple means if the infestation is detected early. A hard jet of water is often sufficient. Spraying with soapy water or garlic broth can also be helpful. House hops are hardly affected by diseases.

Some signs of damage indicate care errors:
The bracts don't change color
Fall of leaves in winter
Hops get out of shape
Hops don't grow bushy
Yellowing, fall of leavesToo dark location
Too warm location
Too warm location
Too dark location, no pruning measures
Waterlogging, attacked roots