hop trellis

O.K., I'm thinking about getting into hop growing. My question is: Can you train the bines on a trellis like in a grape vineyard? As many pix as I've looked at, I haven't seen it done so I'm sure there is a reason not to, but to quote from a "Dirty Harry" movie : I gots to know. Thanks - Dwain

Dwain said:

O.K., I'm thinking about getting into hop growing. My question is: Can you train the bines on a trellis like in a grape vineyard? As many pix as I've looked at, I haven't seen it done so I'm sure there is a reason not to, but to quote from a "Dirty Harry" movie : I gots to know. Thanks - Dwain

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Im sure you could, you will have to keep wrapping them around the wire though, they will try to grow straight up, every day or so just wrap them around a couple times, why dont you just get some long poles and raise the wire up 16 to 20 feet, that way you dont have to keep wrapping them, just a thought, good luck.

I'm just thinking of ease of harvest. Also, the trellises I've seen are like "Y"'s about 5 feet high and about 10 feet apart. They have 3 wires on each branch of the "Y" and the grape vines are wrapped around the base of the "Y" and then wrapped a couple of times around the wires. then the vines are trained to lay in the "crotch" of the wires so that they grow horizontally. The grapes are easily accessible form the ground without raising/lowering the vines/trellis. Also, from talking to a vintner, this configuration allows for the most efficient use of fertilizer/pestacide. I don't pretend to know anything about grape growing, much less hops but I think this would allow me to utilize some space I have. comment/questions always welcome. - Dwain

The first year I grew hops I used a horizontal trellis. You will definitely have to wrap them by hand every couple of days at the least. However, I found that if you raise one end even very slightly that the hops will do some of the work on their own, but it may only mean wrapping them every 2 or 3 days instead of every day. My original set-up went slightly up hill with the low post at something like 3 feet and the high end at 5 feet plus the slight grade of the ground. They were 20 feet long. If you're up for the work, I say go for it. I have however since moved and I transplanted my plants and constructed a 12' "T" style trelllis that I am very happy with. Then again, I'm the lazy type.