Hops and Grapes

Hey guys--

The misses and I are looking at places to move-- and one of the things I'm planning on doing wherever we end up is building a pergola. However, I want to have BOTH hops and grapes growing. Can these plants be near each other or will it be a problem? I would imagine someone has tried this before-- anyone hear anything about it before?

Thanks!

just don't let them build a big tangly birdsnest around each other, and make sure they have enough soil space, and things should be fine. Plants should always do fine around each other as long as they have good rooting space and aren't competing for sunshine. Will your grapes even grow upwards as high as a hops bine?

Depends on the grape you grow. If you're growing wine grapes they should be in harsh soil so all the energy goes into the grapes and not the vines and leaves. Hops prefer a richer soil and put a lot of energy into bine growth and root development. Grapes are generally grown horizontal or parallel to the ground and hops tend to want to grow vertical. Also the watering is different. Hops want lots of water and grape you don't want to water a lot.
Perhaps you could put the hops on one side and grapes on the other. That way you can have the soil and watering needs specific to the plant without it interfering with the other.

Hrm. It'll a tough decision. At least it sounds feasible. I'll begin planning soon.