string, twine, rope?

i wanted to see what you all used for your hop trellis materials.. i am in the process of designing mine and am at the point of what material to use..

do you reuse the same material each year? or is it easier to just throw it out and use new material?

what is the best type of either permanent (reusable) material and what is the best type of disposable material if i am looking at about a vertical run of 18 feet?

I use heavy nylon rope for my suspension lines between poles, and coir twine for my drops.

It all gets re-used - this will be the third season for both the nylon rope and the coir drops. As long as you keep the bottom ends out of the earth coir is remarkably durable, and it's the best stuff for the bines...

Cheers!

My first year last year I used a plastic covered metal line for the overhead trellis and some free jute twine for the hops to grab to. Worked fine and I'll just get new twine this year. I think I maybe had to retie once after either a dog getting caught in the rope and breaking it or a strong windstorm.

Thin 1/8" nylon rope for me (on 3rd season). I added an eye hook 22' up a sparse leaved Oak Tree. You need to have roughly double the 22' for each length so you can lower them to the ground to harvest. Works awesome!

I use sisal - 3/8 inch i believe - and dispose of it every year along with the remnants of the bine.

I also use white plastic trellis material in my front yard and wooden trellis material in the back, both stay up year round.

I have always just used jute twine. But I use new pieces every year. It's super cheap and works fine.

I don't know if its a good idea or not? I plan on growing my hops in a green house aka hoop house. Plant at base of the hoops and run some twine towards the top of green house on the inside. It's my first year. Any suggestions?

This is what I used in my first year. They bines got to the top then stopped. This year i will run string from the top of the pole to my gazebo is it looks like it will grow farther. The twine I used is from compost safe so after i cut it down I threw it in compost.

Hop_Hero said:

This is what I used in my first year. They bines got to the top then stopped. This year i will run string from the top of the pole to my gazebo is it looks like it will grow farther. The twine I used is from compost safe so after i cut it down I threw it in compost.

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Thanks! I'll see what happens!

I actually use some 3/8" oilfield wireline for the top rail. I found a 1000' roll of electrical fence on closeout for around $10. It is stainless wire braided into a UV resistant plastic rope. It's been up for 3 years now, and even numbnuts(me) using a weedwhacker can't break it.

1/4" aircraft cable for the supporting wire and currently bailers twine for the hops to grow up. Coir is hard to find here.

Cable rows are 150' long with two hop rows attached to the one row. What we are putting in this year will be 300' using 3/16" aircraft cable with only one row of hops attached to each cable row.

What are you guys using for the end poles to attach the wire? I would like to get it as close to 18' high as possible. I am thinking either iron pipe or galvanized tubing like for a chain link fence set in the ground or concrete.

I used 16' 4 X8 beams, cemented 2 feet into the ground. It only f=gives me 14' but it's been plenty so far. Maybe if it ever rains again it'll be too short but not yet. Ga;vanized tubing is too weak, if you can find some 2 7/8 oilfield tubing that will work and it comes in 30 foot joints.

We are using trees. Strip the bark on the lower 4 feet, coat in foundation coating and put into the ground. Should last 10 + years if you pick a hardwood.

thanks for your help guys! i'll try to post a pic when i have it all set up

I use 4x4x18 and set 3' in gravet and wax the bottom.

Are you using treated posts? Were you able to get the 4x4x18' at the lumber yard or have a mill cut them for you?

Local lumbersuppLY.

If you want something less permanent, I used 1 (free) 8ft tall telephone pole, buried about 3 ft in the ground, and a 8ft 6x6 post bought at a home improvement store for the two bases. To each of those I ratcheted in two metal U-shaped aluminum strapping, I can post a picture of it. Anyways I found some 12ft poles used for stair railing sold at any improvement store, which is flat on one side. When the hops are going up, I just slide the longer stair railing poles (with eyehooks at the end to guide the cable going across) through the aluminum straps and tighten them up. I take the longer poles out at the end of the year. Doesn't look too bad in the yard and held up well last year. Total height is like 16'. I have 4 mounds and 2 plants per mound.