From the beginning of 2022 until the end of March, only 35,8 mm of precipitation fell, which is only 60% of the long-term average of 59,2 mm. Unfortunately, the period from January to the end of March can therefore be assessed as below average in terms of precipitation. The situation improved a bit in April, when 40-50 mm of water rained down in the Žatec region, which improved the water balance in hop gardens. In March, we started spring work in hop gardens on the farms of the TOP HOP group, and first the land was prepared for cutting of root stocks. The hop cutting was started last week of March. The first plants of Saaz Special and Sladek varieties were cut , followed by the Saaz semi-early red bine hops variety. The stringing began in mid-April, and immediately after the stringing, the temporary workers stabbing hop wire to the individual plants. The next step in the spring work is the training of hop shoots on hop wires. The first training began on May 7, and the work is now in full swing. Thanks to the sufficient number of temporary workers who managed to secure this year, the work is going smoothly. At present, chemical protection of the hop growths against pests is underway, currently mainly against the alfalfa snout weevil, as well as preventive protection against the downy mildew of hops. This year, the area of hop gardens in the Czech Republic is 4,971.2 ha, which is a decrease of 44.5 ha compared to last year. Hop growers are currently burdened by an enormous increase in costs, in particular rising prices for diesel, fertilizers and pesticides, so pressure can be expected to increase the purchase price of hops.