Dougan
Well-Known Member
I've broke ground on my hop garden, and it seems to be going really well, so I figured I'd make a thread about it with pictures for you all.
I am going to be planting four varieties (Saaz, Tettnanger, Willamette, and Centennial). I decided to go with a range of difficult and easy growers. I was able to cut some huge rhizomes from my dad's centennials, and ordered Saaz, Tett, and Willamette online.
You can see what my trellis system will look like here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/my-trellis-plan-316997/. Only difference is 10' 4x4's instead of 8' so I can get another 2 feet vertical.
The spot I am putting the garden is on the south end of my house, which unfortunately is where the previous owners left all of their crap when they moved out. Another storyline in this thread will be the reduction of junk in the area as this project progresses. This area was overgrown with two foot tall grass and some small maple trees that must have grown naturally. Anyway, I am making it only 2 feet wide by 18 feet long, and adding a mound to assist in drainage.
Here is a picture after I put in the garden frame and tilled up the soil by hand.
Here is a picture taken after I put in the 4x4's for the two trellises. I figure there's no rush to finish the top part of the trellis at this point. I have added the mound on the left half.
Here's a picture of the two rhizomes I cut from my dad's hops. Lot more where those came from.
I put these rhizomes in the ground right away, instead of dealing with packaging them and fridging them and stuff. I added cypress mulch over the mound, because I figure this could dry out really quickly in the sun with it sticking out of the ground like this. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I put about an inch and a half on the south slope of the mound, figuring that's where the sun hits. The top and north slope only have enough to coat the surface, no more. I ran out of dirt, which is why the mound stops at the 4x4. Have to pick some more up tomorrow.
More to come as it progresses...
I am going to be planting four varieties (Saaz, Tettnanger, Willamette, and Centennial). I decided to go with a range of difficult and easy growers. I was able to cut some huge rhizomes from my dad's centennials, and ordered Saaz, Tett, and Willamette online.
You can see what my trellis system will look like here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/my-trellis-plan-316997/. Only difference is 10' 4x4's instead of 8' so I can get another 2 feet vertical.
The spot I am putting the garden is on the south end of my house, which unfortunately is where the previous owners left all of their crap when they moved out. Another storyline in this thread will be the reduction of junk in the area as this project progresses. This area was overgrown with two foot tall grass and some small maple trees that must have grown naturally. Anyway, I am making it only 2 feet wide by 18 feet long, and adding a mound to assist in drainage.
Here is a picture after I put in the garden frame and tilled up the soil by hand.
Here is a picture taken after I put in the 4x4's for the two trellises. I figure there's no rush to finish the top part of the trellis at this point. I have added the mound on the left half.
Here's a picture of the two rhizomes I cut from my dad's hops. Lot more where those came from.
I put these rhizomes in the ground right away, instead of dealing with packaging them and fridging them and stuff. I added cypress mulch over the mound, because I figure this could dry out really quickly in the sun with it sticking out of the ground like this. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I put about an inch and a half on the south slope of the mound, figuring that's where the sun hits. The top and north slope only have enough to coat the surface, no more. I ran out of dirt, which is why the mound stops at the 4x4. Have to pick some more up tomorrow.
More to come as it progresses...