If you’re not familiar with hops, they are the flowers of the plant species Humulus lupulus. Hops have been used to make beer since as far back as the year 736. Depending on the variety of hops used, they can add floral, fruity, or citrus flavor to your brew. They are also responsible for beer’s signature bitterness (although bitterness can be controlled during the cooking process).

Hops can also be used medicinally. They have been shown to have a relaxing effect and can be brewed into various teas and other drinks. Some hops can even be eaten as is. It’s very important to note that hops are highly toxic to dogs, so if you have a furry friend you should take special care to keep them away from any plants you intend to grow.

John Pedersen posted a great tutorial on Instructables on how to build your very own hops trellis. You don’t need much a lot of different materials for this, but you need a lot of materials. You’re looking at around 60′ of 2 x 4 and 38′ of 2 x 6. Other than that you just need some weather-resistant rope and a ton of screws and bolts.

As you can see in the picture above, John starts by bolting together his three legs at the top, allowing them to spread to form the tripod legs. After that you’ll work on the base. It won’t be too long before you’ll be able to start growing your own hops.

Head on over to John’s in-depth tutorial here to get yourself started on your very own backyard hops trellis!