What do you use for poles?

I'm trying to come up with a simple one-string pole system. I wanted to put a pole on either side of the plant, then run twine down from the top of the pole to the bine (then have the bine run up the twine). ...starting to sound like Dr. Seuss.

Anyway, I'm trying to find the tallest, most economical poles I can. I was looking at 20-25 foot flag poles, but even the "econo" models are like $250. Any ideas? I'd like it to be sturdy, maintenance free, and as cheap as possible.

Have you tried rigid electrical conduit? It's pretty cheap....edwort used it for his. Do a search for texas hop garden and I think you'll find it.

PVC Pipe?

10

Chain link fence top rails. The rails nest in to each other (I'd still make sure to pin it) and then you can bury a fence post (hollow steel) and just place your pole in that for growing season, take it down for winter.

I use 4x4 pressure treated lumber. Some people track down used utility poles. I've seen EMT and 2" PCV used. I may be harvesting a couple dead Douglas Firs to replace my 4x4s, lots of snow damage last month.

+1 on chain link fence top rail. They work great. Got mine at lowes for cheap.

Go into my picts. I got them from the local sawmill (Sierra Pacific ind) for about $35 each they are 24' tall and 10"-12" dia at the bottom.
Cheers
JJ

Damn J what kind of yield are you looking to get from that size crop? Looks freaken awesome though, I wish I had that kind of space.

Displaced MassHole said:

Damn J what kind of yield are you looking to get from that size crop? Looks freaken awesome though, I wish I had that kind of space.

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We will get 60# a year. 20#ea of 3 kinds.

Jaybird said:

We will get 60# a year. 20#ea of 3 kinds.

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If you quit growing hops you can donate the poles to the local Scottish Games for Cabers.

HBHoss said:

If you quit growing hops you can donate the poles to the local Scottish Games for Cabers.

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HA ha ha thats funny. I bet each pole I used weighed in at 200 to 250# (this is just a guess put the calculators away!)

How the hey did you get them up and into the holes?

Pelikan said:

How the hey did you get them up and into the holes?

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A tractor. It was not easy, I will tell you that

You don't say how high you're going. Cheapest and best that I know of is to nail and glue 2 2x4s together and bury them 3' in the soil. I'm using the low trellis method 10' to 12'. I have a large field with 8 200+foot rows. If your going higher use 2 or 3 2x6s for the end posts. If you're just planting a few, go lighter.
Mott

About 20 ft high. I'm just going to go with those chain link fence posts. Lowes has them in 10'6" lengths. Cut one down to about 6 ft, bury about 3 ft of it in concrete, then slide the 20 ft section into that. Take down at the end of the season....very simple.

A sheet of bubble wrap and a pair of mittens usually does the trick.




Oh THOSE kind of poles...

I used 1/2" black iron plumbing pipe for the uprights. I drove two 18" lengths of 3/4" galvanized pipe into the soil till they were flush. The 1/2" black iron pipe fits inside perfectly, anchoring the uprights but allowing them to be removed seasonally. The uprights started out 12' long (two 6' sections each, joined with threaded couplers) but later I decided to lengthen them to 18' by adding another 6' section to each of them. I used vinyl coated steel cable for the guy wires and the main cross-wire that supports the hops. The whole thing is extremely strong--it barely moved in 40 mph winds--and it disassembles easily at the end of the season.

Pics are in the gallery.

If you have 24' tall wooden posts, Im not sure you how you would deliver it. You better have someone with a trailer right?

If you use metal posts for the pole, what problems do you have with that being a big lightning magnet ?

xpoc454 said:

If you have 24' tall wooden posts, Im not sure you how you would deliver it. You better have someone with a trailer right?

If you use metal posts for the pole, what problems do you have with that being a big lightning magnet ?

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How else do you think Zues hops came to be?

Near my garden there is a big walnut tree... I take a big nut and tie the twine on and spend some effort to get it to the branch about 30' up. Stake rope and repeat.

No poles. I used to cut poles... for green beans.

xpoc454 said:

If you use metal posts for the pole, what problems do you have with that being a big lightning magnet ?

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None. I don't run out during rainstorms and hang all over the hop trellis, so it's of no concern to me.

SixFoFalcon said:

None. I don't run out during rainstorms and hang all over the hop trellis, so it's of no concern to me.

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Heh, flawless

I actually have a simple solution for the pole issue. It sucks having to lay on my back all summer having beer poured down my throat, but I get by.

Where do you live . That will give me an idea of what is available in the region

McKBrew said:

I actually have a simple solution for the pole issue. It sucks having to lay on my back all summer having beer poured down my throat, but I get by.

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I thought one of these jokes would have come much sooner. HAHA

limprizol said:

I thought one of these jokes would have come much sooner. HAHA

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Well you didn't want it to come too quickly, did you?

my family is in the contracting business and we have used old telephone poles for trellaces

HSM said:

Near my garden there is a big walnut tree... I take a big nut and tie the twine on and spend some effort to get it to the branch about 30' up. Stake rope and repeat.

No poles. I used to cut poles... for green beans.

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I thought I read somewhere that walnut trees had a toxin in them that killed a lot of plants? What type of walnut tree are you planting near and you dont see any problems with your plant? What type of hops? I was thinking of doing similar till I heard about the walnut tree issues.

When I talk about being a lightning magnet, I didnt mean being a danger to your health. If an item gets hit with lightning I would think it would have a negative effect on a plant to have millions of volts of electricity go through it.
Also, if the pole gets hit close to your house, it tends to put a surge through your house, often frying electrical devices and phone devices.

I guess in my case I have some huge trees and telephone poles nearby, so I don't think the 13 ft metal pole is going to be an easier path than the trees. Plus it is closer to the neighbor's house anyway

here is a picture of my hop pole for this year, I buried 2 4x4 posts side by side to be able to pivot the main post down, it is 16' long and I can easily move it up and down, I should have made the 2 base posts higher so I could have got the main post higher.

freakin beautiful man!

Highlandsbrew,

That setup is slick. I'm definitely going that route, if you don't mind me brazenly stealing your idea.

I was originally worried about the treated lumber, but it looks like it's all OK nowadays.

What size bolts are you using? Which direction does it fold down relative to the trellis?

A flagpole works. I made something like a flagpole with pieces of tubing from a canvas truck cover. I then attached strings in a treelike fashion.

That was my original plan, but my ideas expanded to fit my back yard. :rockin: