30 replies to this topic

[Greatfookin]

I moved this last harvest season, and now have a huge yard, so I am gonna set up a trellis similar to utility poles. I have 7 established crowns in containers, ready to put in the ground.What kind of materials have you had success with????

[dnb]

What size twine (diameter) makes a good support for hop bines? This is my first year growing hops and I've got a boat load of rhizomes in hoping at least 50% make it. I just picked up some sisal twine at a local store, its maybe an 1/8th inch diameter if that... more like 1/16th plus thick and its single ply. I'm wondering if I should have went with 1/4" rope maybe

[MoreAmmoPlz]

For poles I ended up going with 4x6x18' because they were the relatively cheapest. For the main support line for the rows I've been using 1/2" aircraft cable. For the twining I've used both binder and sisal but have had much better luck with the binder twine. For some reason the sisal had a high failure rate especially during wind storms.

Edited by OprFilth, 30 March 2009 - 12:04 PM.

[Genesee Ted]

I am starting my first crop this year and was planning on just running the vines up a short (5 ft or so) post and then running the twine they sell on freshops up to my front porch roof. Simple design, but easy enough to improve on in the future. I am going to plant in the barrel I used for my sour red cut in half and filled with good compost, dirt, etc...

[Recklessdeck]

Gonna grow 'em horizontally along an old clothsline. figure I can get 2-3 plants this way. Growing horizontally also helps if you don't have an sun-exposed side of your house. I had a buddy who did this with great results-his cascades are in the RyePA i have in primary

[DuncanDad]

I have a "May Pole" design. 12' 4X4 that I stained and I put a finial on top of. At the top I screwed in 4 eye bolts and strung clothes line down to 4 tent pegs and tied them off.I raised the bed of the plants and put a surround of cement pavers to mark off the bed.Looks good and works for me.

[Stout_fan]

I have a "May Pole" design. 12' 4X4 that I stained and I put a finial on top of. At the top I screwed in 4 eye bolts and strung clothes line down to 4 tent pegs and tied them off.I raised the bed of the plants and put a surround of cement pavers to mark off the bed.Looks good and works for me.

Picture, we need pictures!

[ncbeerbrewer]

BYO latest edition has some ideas for hop trellis I saw. This is going to be my first year to grow hops at home and I second the thought. Pictures please!! I would love to see what some of you do for this to get more ideas.

[DuncanDad]

Picture, we need pictures!

Let's see if I can make this work...

[Darterboy]

I did this at my Mother's place as hers had more room and sun than mine. Thus it needed to be non-permanent. She also backs up to creek and has a pump for free water during the summer for her gardens. During the nasty drought here two summers ago, she was never without water and her lawn and gardens (and my hops) stayed lush.

[BrewerGeorge]

Don't you guys with the Maypole setups run out of height? My single bine climbs 25 feet or more up my chimney.

[BeerMaker]

Don't you guys with the Maypole setups run out of height? My single bine climbs 25 feet or more up my chimney.

This what I am wondering also. What does the bine do when it runs out of something to climb up?

[MoreAmmoPlz]

This what I am wondering also. What does the bine do when it runs out of something to climb up?

They flop over the top of the support and then start producing their laterals. Supposedly the low height will reduce your yield but I don't have anything to compare against as my whole trellis is 15ft.

[DuncanDad]

Once they reach the top, they quit growing up and start "bushing out".I'm not too worried about the production, most of the beers I brew are pretty low on the hop side except my AIPAs.I need to get the rhysomes I got from the government in the ground. I don't know if they are even alive. I got them last late summer, (in the middle of a drought). They've been in the fridge since.

[Hooperjetcar]

Do you guys just use trial and error for determining your hop bittering amounts? From what I understand, testing the hops to determine actual Alpha numbers is pretty expensive.Another Question, How strong do they smell when growing. The best place I have to grow them would utilize part of our back deck for support, which we hang out on alot. I am not sure that my wife loves the smell of raw hops.Thanks.

Edited by Hooperjetcar, 31 March 2009 - 08:12 AM.

[BrewerGeorge]

I just estimate their bitterness, yes. Just pick a number in the middle or low-middle of the published range for the variety and go for it. Varieties with higher average bitterness make this a little trickier because your guessing errors get magnified.I don't think the plant smells very "hoppy" at all for most of the year. Right around harvest time, it starts to smell a little, but it smells GOOD, although I suppose that depends on whether you think hops smell good. Most of the season it just smells green. A little like grape leaves, IMO.

[DuncanDad]

I never really smelled the hops until right before I harvested The amazing thing is, how fast they grow. I'm talking about 1.5 inches ever day fast.

[Stout_fan]

The problem is they go up, then they bush out.This is fairly early in the season.A lot of cones in a bush that is about 18" deep on both sides of the latticework.However, despite training, most of the bush stays at the vertical to horizontal transition.That's why I'm putting up poles this year, and installing a drip watering system.I'm using 1/4" hemp rope through pulleys.In between are five bines made out of that hemp package twine.Hopefully they will be strong enough for the wind load.

[BeerMaker]

Supposedly the low height will reduce your yield but I don't have anything to compare against as my whole trellis is 15ft.

The problem is they go up, then they bush out.This is fairly early in the season.A lot of cones in a bush that is about 18" deep on both sides of the latticework.However, despite training, most of the bush stays at the vertical to horizontal transition.

Ok, I thought I had read this before about low height. I have had several people tell me to grow them on my fence and train the bine horizontal. It is also not something I want to have to tend every day. That and with my luck the neighbor's dog would eat then and die...

[Stout_fan]

Ok, I thought I had read this before about low height. I have had several people tell me to grow them on my fence and train the bine horizontal. It is also not something I want to have to tend every day. That and with my luck the neighbor's dog would eat then and die...

Yep, they grow fast!Perhaps every other day.