horizontal trellis

Donthoseme · 04-13-2009, 09:23 PM

Does anybody have pics/plans for a horizonal trellis. in my appartment i have a deck that leads out from my living room on the 2nd floor. I'm thinking about putting some 2x4s up on the deck and running a tough twine across the deck about 8 ft off the deck. I will grow the hops in big 55 gallon barrels that will eventually make a super nice hop canopy!!! Do you think that will work? Will i not get a very good yeild if i do it this way.

Clonefarmer · 04-13-2009, 09:30 PM

Are these what you had in mind pergola.

Donthoseme · 04-13-2009, 09:35 PM

As a man who just considered staining his tap handles a huge feat that sure seems intimidating. Perhaps something simpler. I'm thinking one 2x4 with a wire running to another 2x4 on the other side of the deck. Those sure are nice though.

Brewsmith · 04-13-2009, 09:39 PM

You can string them horizontal, but the plants will still want to grow "up." Once they get going it will take a little maintenence to wrap the bines around the twine. A couple minutes every day or so.

Donthoseme · 04-13-2009, 11:25 PM

I read they don't produce as many cones. Any validity to that statement?

CatchinZs · 04-14-2009, 12:24 AM

I grow mine up about 8 feet and then across my pergola. I don't have a problem with yeild but I don't have anything to compare it to so what I don't know doesn't hurt me.

buzzkill · 04-14-2009, 12:25 AM

a hop plant will over run you and what ever you make for it,as long as she gets good soil,sun and a nice drink.

mine grow on horizontal lines and they turn into a big green curtian by the end of summer.

**JVD_X** · 04-14-2009, 01:11 AM

I've found that my hop plants really prefer to grow vertically. They reach reach reach vertically and just keep wrapping around the same spot. Sometimes they just fall down to the ground.

In either case, they also love getting under siding.

desertbronze · 04-14-2009, 05:40 PM

I planted some hops for shade near my father's deck. The hops grow up a string for the first 8 feet - to the roof - then I train them horizontally on strings attached to the roof posts. As noted above, you have to keep training them onto the horizontal strings, but they keep growing. The yield may be somewhat less, but by the second or third year, you will have plenty of hops.

I grow hops behind my house on welded wire fence panels turned horizontally. The panels are suspended on steel "T" fence posts. The top of the panel is about 7 feet above grade. 4 plants evenly spaced under the 16 foot long panel. Train them horizontally along the top of the panel when they get there. As on the deck, the yield may be somewhat less, but I got about 5 pounds of hops total last year. I have more hops in the freezer than I will use this year, so no need to be concerned about maximizing yield.