Hop bushes.

Is there a way to maiximize hop growth while shortening them into a bush rather than one long vine?

I would say no...

if there was, i'm sure that the thousands of acres under production in the world would be onto it by now. some folks are down to about 10 feet trellis with 'dwarf' hops but i've not heard of anything less than that.

No, they need to keep growing up. If you leave them on the ground or cut the tip so they get bushy, they won't produce cones. Sorry, that's mother nature for you.

GVH_Dan said:

No, they need to keep growing up. If you leave them on the ground or cut the tip so they get bushy, they won't produce cones. Sorry, that's mother nature for you.

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Really, I was not aware of that, they wont produce cones at all if you cut them?

Why is that?

I'm afraid I can't tell you the exact plant physiology that goes on, but I could find out if you really want to know. And I shouldn't say never. I have seen some bines that were on the ground produce cones, but they were on a crown that had some bines growing up.

Very well, I would just assume that like any other flowering plant, that if you were to cut it, it would then branch out...etc.

I know nothing about hops growing, other than I am interested in trying to get a couple going in my tiny backyard, however, I don't have 18' of vertical space that I can utilize w/o getting my neighbors panties in a bunch!

Schnitzengiggle said:

I don't have 18' of vertical space that I can utilize w/o getting my neighbors panties in a bunch!

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Well, if you clear it with the village that's nobody's problem except your neighbor's.

Mine didn't like my trellis either, but seeing as how it's not on her property and is within code, that's not my problem.

One approach is to put eyebolts as high as you can, then run your twine through the bolt and back down. As the bine grows, lower the twine.

Yes, cutting the tip means no hops or very few. Most varieties produce cones on sidearms at the end of the bine only and if the bine is too short, no cones. I've had deer bite off tips and I've had bines that didn't grown long enough.

Thanks for the information, I can proabably get them up as high as 10' maybe a bit further, but I live in a small single story home, and I am limited to placing some eyebolts as high as the facia boards on the house

Would it be a problem to grow them at an angle?

For instance, if I were to run the twine from the ground level ~10' from the house to the facia ~10' vertically forming a right triangle where the twine would be the hypotenuse, any issues with that? That would give me a little more length.

Or even a laundry line where the bines could grow vertically, then horizontally to the facia?

My neighbor grows his horizontally on a split rail fence, he is no more then five feet high and our shared side looks like the outfield wall of Wrigley. I don't think height is the issue as much as letting the bines grow as long as possible. If your neighbor sprays round up on them they are done though. You don't NEED to ask permission but it would be prudent. I get Fuggles from mine so I don't hit em with the weed wacker, your neighbor doesn't sound so supportive.

if you only have a 10 foot length for them to climb, they'll reach the top and continue to grow until they get too heavy to support themselves. at this point, the weight of the excess growth will bend them down, but the growing tip will continue to try to grow upwards, wrap around itself and continue this cycle until it's harvest time. the only problem is that it creates a tangled mess at the top of the structure and is very hard to pick. an english researcher wrote a book which included an experiment where the researchers were trying to see what happens when you grow them on an angle. the conclusion was that 65 degrees from horizontal was the best for production. they also stated that different varieties performed better at different angles(long and involved explanation so i won't go into it). the whole idea is that they want to grow straight up but will grow at less than a 90 degree angle from horizontal with so varying degrees of success.