Saggy Hop Lines

[JMass]

When I put up my hop lines, it is difficult to get them tight and they sag. Does anyone see any problem in this?

I suppose if they are too loose they may bump into each other in a high wind and cause a problem. I think that part of the problem is that the wire I tie the strings to is very long and can sag some. My neighbor comments on the hops swaying in the wind occasionally.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Too much slack and the hop will whip about in winds and there is only so much they can take.

 

[JMass]

Maybe I need some of those industrial size "W" staples to reconnect the bottom?

 

[GVH_Dan]

Even if you got your top wire tight at the start, they will often stretch and start to sag. We use turnbuckles to attach them so we can keep tightening them as time goes on.

You want to remove sag to protect both the plants and the wire. Unlike kids, the hops don't like to swing back and forth too much. From the wire standpoint, if they are swinging it puts a greater strain on the wire. Think of when you were a kid on the playground swing. As you went up there was a momentary feeling of weightlessness but when you hit the bottom of the swing you felt much more than normal gravity. Same thing with your hops swinging in the breeze. That will increase the chances of breaking the top wire.

 

[Oakley]

Grow bines that are strong enough to hold themself up! Ha.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Even if you got your top wire tight at the start, they will often stretch and start to sag. We use turnbuckles to attach them so we can keep tightening them as time goes on.

You want to remove sag to protect both the plants and the wire. Unlike kids, the hops don't like to swing back and forth too much. From the wire standpoint, if they are swinging it puts a greater strain on the wire. Think of when you were a kid on the playground swing. As you went up there was a momentary feeling of weightlessness but when you hit the bottom of the swing you felt much more than normal gravity. Same thing with your hops swinging in the breeze. That will increase the chances of breaking the top wire.

Wirevise by Grapple is also a good product for top wire tensioning. Developed for vinters, I find it a perfefct addition to my hop yard.

 

[Homercidal]

I just used the stuff that came with my hops from freshops. I did have to take up a bit of slack as the bines grew, but after that initial stretch, they seemed ok.

 

[JMass]

Just as an update, I lowered my lines last night and raised them all by about 8 inches or so. My lines are on a cable strung between 2 trees and I have a hand winch attached to the cable. So I cut the lines and re-tied them higher.

I wasn't sure what was meant by the thing at Freshops. Perhaps those are the hop clips?

 

[JarrodH]

Just as an update, I lowered my lines last night and raised them all by about 8 inches or so. My lines are on a cable strung between 2 trees and I have a hand winch attached to the cable. So I cut the lines and re-tied them higher.

I wasn't sure what was meant by the thing at Freshops. Perhaps those are the hop clips?

He is probably talking about the hop twine they sell.

http://www.freshops.com/cgi-bin/sho...s=all&template=PDGCommTemplates/rhizomes.html

 

[JMass]

Oh that makes more sense.

 

[rniles]

Try a Taughtline hitch ...an easy knot that allows you to tighten the slack anytime.

http://www.scouttroop.org/nj/bsa/23/tenderfoot_taught-line_hitch.htm

It's what I have, easily adjustable.