The bine spirals clock wise and up. That's why vertical twine trellis are the favored way to grow hops. If you have a horizontal string, they will continue to move in a clockwise fashion and look for "up". What you need to do is get out there and physically wrap them around your string/wire. The longer the bine, the more likely they will stay there. But I think they will always look for "up" if you leave them alone.
So the horizontal hop grower has a lot more work to input than the vertical grower. The vertical grower wraps the bine around twine once, the horizontal grower does it numerous times.
The bine spirals clock wise and up. That's why vertical twine trellis are the favored way to grow hops. If you have a horizontal string, they will continue to move in a clockwise fashion and look for "up". What you need to do is get out there and physically wrap them around your string/wire. The longer the bine, the more likely they will stay there. But I think they will always look for "up" if you leave them alone.
So the horizontal hop grower has a lot more work to input than the vertical grower. The vertical grower wraps the bine around twine once, the horizontal grower does it numerous times.
Hmm, so if I used a system like on pg 1, how many varieties should I grow? I'm thinking I should only do one variety, but how many rhizomes would I need for that?
So the horizontal hop grower has a lot more work to input than the vertical grower. The vertical grower wraps the bine around twine once, the horizontal grower does it numerous times.
Yep! it's more work. (I find it fun though, I'm odd like that.)
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Originally Posted by HalfPint
Hmm, so if I used a system like on pg 1, how many varieties should I grow? I'm thinking I should only do one variety, but how many rhizomes would I need for that?
As Retrofit alluded to, this is NOT the best way to grow hops. However, although harder work, it is still practical, and a lot prettier than on poles.
In my pic there are two strains. One EKG on the right, and two Fuggles planted two feet apart on the left. I did it that way because EKG are supposed to be higher yield. As the two sets of bines reach eachother in the middle, I then have to train them back along to where they started from.
They were much bushier last summer than in the first year. Next summer I plan on fixing two 7 foot tall poles in the ground (One for each variety) about 8 feet in front of these plants. I will then link with rope between the fence and these poles. This will let me train the plants horizontally overhead when they get long enough. Now, This in not especially necessary, I'm just taking advantage of the fact that wifey will let me do it. It will make picking a bit easier and allow even more sun.
Last year I took two Rhizomes from the first year plants and put those in another location where they grew 8 feet, then horizontal on a twine betwen my garage and the house.
This spring I will be doing the same again for another 2 locations I have devised. The more you grow, the more devious you become in pushing your luck.
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Why do they never tell you they are a guy until AFTER you put your hand up their skirt?
I think Laughing Gnome has a great system. I think two different hops per one fence wall is something you could control, and continue to tell apart and redirect them whereever you want. I can imagine having three or four different plants and mid season having no idea where one hop begins and the other ends. Two seems identifiable. I'm thinking, "The left one and the right one."
I could see the ambitious horizontal hop grower having different types on different fences. If your yard has four sides, thats eight possible different hops... if your ambitious.
I have four growing vertically and this year I've considered planting more in my backyard. I may go horizontal. I'm definitely pushing the limits of 'friendly neighbor". I think horizontal is less obtrusive and that may keep my property looking normal rather than like the suburban hop farm it's turning into.
Growing hops is like making beer. We all have opinions, but it comes down to whats best for you. Horizontal growers need to build a strong trellis, which can be hard to make and an eye sore, but hops like "up" and after they start there is little work involved.
Vertically any fence/structure will do. Effort is low in trellis construction and its not unsightly, but you need to pay more attention to your hops to make them stay on the vertical structure. This isn't a bad thing, I bet the vertical grower spot hop issues faster than the horizontal. There's a case for vertical growing.
Just protect your dogs and remember when the year is done you need to harvest your hops and pull those dead bines off your fence. A string is easier to "de-bine" than say... lattice. Whatever your system, think about sun, water, drainage, ability to harvest, and "de-bining". I started two hills with local large rhizomes, and two hills with two small mail order rhizomes. The strength of the bines seemed more dependant on how much they were attacked by Japanese beetles than by the size of the starting rhizome.
While it is early, and before planting time, it's a good time to take a good long look at how much time the sun spends in certain places in your garden. Look at it everyday. You want to start in the place that gets the most sun for sure.
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Why do they never tell you they are a guy until AFTER you put your hand up their skirt?
(not serious)
It will make picking a bit easier and allow even more sun.
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