New hop trellis/hop growing adventure

[LoresonDE]

Started this crazy idea back in October thanks to this forum that I could grow hops to brew with.

So, back in October I started. Measured the location out, the trellis and tilled in some compost. We have about 2 acres of 60-70' pines that we are thining out to allow hardwoods to grow. So I picked 2 nice straight ones and went at them with the chainsaw. Got three 22' logs, (4.5", 5.5", 7" small end). While fully realizing they will not last like a cedar post or an old telephone pole, they are free and are not covered in carcinogens that could end up in the hops. Plenty are available and we'll just keep an eye on them for replacement. I stripped the bark off all three and let them dry out on the concrete until I would put them in the ground.

February I decided to purchase my hop crowns, ordered them from Great Lakes and got 2 of each Glacier, Saaz, Teetnang and Williamatte. They arrived a week later a little sooner than expected, but since here in NC the ground never really freezes no problem and got them all in the ground.

March was hop trellis building month. Purchased 3/16" aircraft cable(btw, e-rigging.com, if anyone is interested), turnbuckles, some threaded rod and associated washers/nuts. Since I am mechanically inclined I made the rest with a TIG welder, keeping it as cheap as I can. The basic design is 2 poles 22' long sunk 3' in the ground ontop of 6" of gravel and backfilled with gravel. 4 anchors to provide stability, 2' deep concrete, 3/8" re-bar with eye welded on. 3/4" custom made(haha) eye bolts in the top of the poles tie anchors in with turnbuckles for tightening. And finally a 3/16" line run across between the poles. The rest of the trellis is nylon rope hanging from "c" type clips I made and anchored to the ground.

You may be thinking, that is only 2 poles where is the 3rd? Well after digging four 2' deep and two 3.5" deep 12"+ wide holes by hand, we decided to hold off sinking the other one in the ground. The plan is to put that pole in the middle depending on how things go this season if we get too much sagging in the top line. Plants of the same variety are spaced 3' apart and 6' from different varieties, making the line 34' long.

And that leaves us at today, all hops have broken the ground and are slowly growing. I'll update with pictures later on.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Sounds like a plan. When you sink more poles in coat the bottoms with something like wax and put gravel under and around them when they are going in, It really extends the pole life.

 

[adamdillabo]

Sounds like he put 6" of gravel under the poles. Can't wait to see pics. Sounds like a hell of s hop farm.

 

[LoresonDE]

Sounds like a plan. When you sink more poles in coat the bottoms with something like wax and put gravel under and around them when they are going in, It really extends the pole life.

I looked around for a few months and the best I could find was to either char the poles or make a solution with turpentine, paraffin wax and something else. Charring the poles seemed to have mixed results and the chemical method I didnt care to have around something I was going to drink in this case.

With wax, have you been able to test this with other no-coated poles? Be interested to see results, heard mixed results.

Sounds like he put 6" of gravel under the poles. Can't wait to see pics. Sounds like a hell of s hop farm.

You're right, 6" on the bottom or there about and 3-4" around the poles

 

[LoresonDE]

Anyone ever heard of had experiences with voles eating the hop crown? One of my plants had started to come up and I thought had frost damage, but hasnt come back up and it has been weeks. So last night i dug it up and found no crown and a big hole where it was and a tunnel away. Luckily, it looks like there is a small part of a rhizome that survived and hopefully recover.

 

[Rockhillfarmlubecmaine]

For the Cedar poles i have ready so far, i bought a couple of 80 lb. roofing tar bricks that come wrapped in a piece of card board. You can get those from any commercial roofing company. I got a 30 gallon steel barrel, if you decide to try it you can build a fire outside somewhere safe. When you set up your barrel rig you will need to secure it good in a leaning position. I Used solid concrete blocks set with the fire in the middle, then place one full brick or a half in the bucket to heat it up and when it's soft and hot, take your pole bases with help from a friend and a ladder and dip them down in the tar turning them to get as much on all sides.
Then remove them and set up on something to cool and your all set. I've seen the old folks roll the tarred bases in course gravel to supposedly help the soil to drain away quicker from the poles after they are set up. You can also use a old style rag mop to "paint" farther up the poles. Natural tar that is used in roofing won't leach all over the place, it will safely stay on the pole, but the man made tars or creosote based you want to stay away from.
The vineyard i helped set up back in the early 80s had dipped cedar and they are still there. Whereas other places have replaced their poles and posts at least twice in the same time frame.

 

[LoresonDE]

Got some pictures finally,

 

[kMc21]

Nice project!

I'm in the same boat as you: planted 8 crowns from Great Lakes last fall.
I'm just starting to see shoots come through the soil. My build is here.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

For the Cedar poles i have ready so far, i bought a couple of 80 lb. roofing tar bricks that come wrapped in a piece of card board. You can get those from any commercial roofing company. I got a 30 gallon steel barrel, if you decide to try it you can build a fire outside somewhere safe. When you set up your barrel rig you will need to secure it good in a leaning position. I Used solid concrete blocks set with the fire in the middle, then place one full brick or a half in the bucket to heat it up and when it's soft and hot, take your pole bases with help from a friend and a ladder and dip them down in the tar turning them to get as much on all sides.
Then remove them and set up on something to cool and your all set. I've seen the old folks roll the tarred bases in course gravel to supposedly help the soil to drain away quicker from the poles after they are set up. You can also use a old style rag mop to "paint" farther up the poles. Natural tar that is used in roofing won't leach all over the place, it will safely stay on the pole, but the man made tars or creosote based you want to stay away from.
The vineyard i helped set up back in the early 80s had dipped cedar and they are still there. Whereas other places have replaced their poles and posts at least twice in the same time frame.

God idea!