Greenhouse Question

I did some searching on the forums and found very little information on growing hops in a greenhouse successfully.

So SWMBO said I can grow my own hops provided I grow them in a greenhouse. We have dogs and she has determined that hops are very toxic/fatal to dogs. Also, our dogs have a tendency of destroying plants (must be their pastime to make my landscaping life hell).

What would be required to make a successful greenhouse for growing hops? Really even possible? I'm not talking large scale, but large enough to give me enough to work with. Think if I built a 15'w x 20'l x 20'h greenhouse I'd have some success?

There is no evidence that hops are harmful to dogs. There were some reports of hops-induced hyperthermia back in 1999. This ignores the simple fact that hyperthermia is a genetic disease. Most of those cases were greyhounds, so I've made an extensive investigation of the possibility. My greys have absolutely no interest in the hops plants and neither do any of the coyotes.

On the other hand, digger dogs are tough to change.

The gripping hand is, you can grow hops horizontally, if you are will to repeatedly retrain the bines. So, you don't need a really tall greenhouse. Alternatively, what's wrong with a good fence? Some buried chicken wire around the edges will stop even the most determined digger.

Deacon240 said:

So SWMBO said I can

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I'm so sorry for you bro.

david_42 said:

The gripping hand is, you can grow hops horizontally, if you are will to repeatedly retrain the bines. So, you don't need a really tall greenhouse. Alternatively, what's wrong with a good fence? Some buried chicken wire around the edges will stop even the most determined digger.

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Retraining wouldn't be an issue. This obsession makes that part easy I suppose... I wanted to avoid the fence as the dogs have made their way through fences before.

I'm more curious as to what elements would be beneficial to add to the greenhouse to make this venture more successful.

And when I say SWMBO says I can, I mean I told her what I'm going to do and she says ok, pretty light on the SWMBO control (But hey, they're called SWMBO for a reason). Then of course she has to bring up all problems I'll have to deal with. Good trade I say because I'd rather spend more time making it dog proof then come home one day to my hops all throughout the yard.

The main thing is the trellis. Hop bines are climbers, but unlike vines, they don't have those little rootlets that dig into everything. They just wrap themselves around whatever is available. So, plan on planting at one end of the greenhouse and having a pipe or board about four feet from the ground for each plant. Twine the bines around the support every couple days.

david_42 said:

There is no evidence that hops are harmful to dogs.

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Till the dogs dig up your hop plants...and you use that little 3 tine spike deal to kill the dogs.

Deacon240 said:

I did some searching on the forums and found very little information on growing hops in a greenhouse successfully.

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I'm probably going to give the greenhouse thing a go too. Big exhaust fan is probably the most important thing I can figure. I just have nowhere else to grow them upright is why I'm choosing to grow inside. I can tie off to the roof frame and have them climb up that way and then across to the front. So, up about 10 feet and then another 8 ft horizontal.

If I don't screw up and cook 'em in the hotbox I'll put up some pics this spring.

Good Luck
-OCD

Just a quick heads up on this - last year I started my hops in my greenhouse, with the intention of moving them outside once it was warm enough. They took off really well (and I reckon a good few weeks earlier than they would have done in the garden). Then out of nowhere in early April we had one really, really hot day, and the greenhouse got like an oven. The tip of one of the plants got cooked like spinach, and from then on that bine just kept shooting out side-arms, which were a real bastard to keep trained. So watch the temps!

I would save you money on the greenhouse for smaller plants or something that does not grow very easily in your environment. Hops are well adapted to Oregon (many american hops are grown there commercially) grow them outside where they'll do the best. If you grow them vertically they won't take up much space making fencing cheaper and easier.

The main reason people grow hops is to save money vs buying. Growing hops in a green house is not cost effective. You can buy a ton of hops for the price of a green house. Green houses are for growning plants out of season or for growing plants that don't survive your climate. Not for keeping dogs out of a garden.

Craig

CBBaron said:

The main reason people grow hops is to save money vs buying. Growing hops in a green house is not cost effective. You can buy a ton of hops for the price of a green house. Green houses are for growning plants out of season or for growing plants that don't survive your climate. Not for keeping dogs out of a garden.

Craig

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In my case the greenhouse is already there; and the backwall is currently unused, so I don't even need to cost justify anything. The OP is building a greenhouse the size of a 1.5 car garage to grow his hops in, so it's probably not a money thing for him either. Greenhouses allow for climate control, pest control(bugs, dogs, etc), and extended growing seasons.

I do agree buying a greenhouse just for hops is not going to save you money, but it's no worse than the guy who gives up 100sq ft or so of his house to dedicate to brewing and/or fermenting. By the time you do that it's not about saving money anymore; now it's an obsession.

-OCD