Bine growthand climbing

[Cider123]

May be a silly question but ...
This is my second year with my hops plants. I have a lot of bines, looking healthy.

I am noticing that the growth is slowing when I have multiple bines trained to climb the same string of rope.
Do the bines prefer to climb a given piece of rope individually or can you train several bines to climb a single rope and let them intertwine together or does that impede growth?

 

[SteveHeff]

The bines are having to compete with each other for the rope. Allow only the 1-2 strongest bines to grow and trim the others back. This allows for the maximum amount of nutrients to be utilized by the strongest bines, thus producing healthy hops.

 

[Cider123]

Thanks for the feedback

 

[day_trippr]

For a contrary opinion...since the second year I've been training six bines per crown up two 20' tall drops to the suspension line, so three bines racing to the top and then crawling along the top line a good 15 to 20 more feet.

"Competition" (you'd have to believe plants are sentient) must be good because I'm still swimming in 2013 hops

Vertical growth may temper once the plants start to develop side arms (though to be honest mine just kept getting taller even while sending out prolific side arms)...

Cheers!

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

I usually do 3-4 but last tear I was sick and let some just take off. A few had 8-12 and did really well. I was surprised how big the bines became. I should have saved them to weave baskets or a wicker chair with them over the horrible winter.