Small space experiment in Boston

[JoesInBoston]

So I live in an apartment in Boston. 1st floor of a two family house, really. My landlord, who doesn't take care of the front yard in the least bit, graciously allowed me to put a 4x8 raised garden bed in the front yard. I attached some trellis lattice to the back about as high as I could go before blocking my windows view. It's about 6 feet high, total.

I know it is not ideal, but I figure that at the very least I will have some green foliage on the trellis. It is a south facing wall.

I planted some Chinook crowns below the lattice. In less than a week they've already doubled in size. The pictures below show one crown at planting and then the same crown about 4 days later.

 

[Jon73]

Can you get anything taller? My chinook is currently 12 feet and growing. I like the space utilization.

 

[JoesInBoston]

I could, yes. Taller lattice was available. But then SWMBO and Landlord would not be the happiest. I am going to spend a lot of time training the bines laterally while they grow to make up for the lack of height.

 

[JoesInBoston]

I'd say the faster growing plant of the two I planted has bines that are about 5-6 feet long now. Training them to go side to side hasn't been much of a burden so far, but we'll see how I feel once I run out of room.

 

[JoesInBoston]

Still looking good. Got a number of side shoots already.

 

[Burnmyiz]

Keep this updated, looks like an interesting project that a lot of us with limited space could follow.

 

[JohnSand]

I'm doing something similar. My space is in the side yard, perhaps 4'x6'. I planted some Cascade rhizomes, have some small plants. I'm using a 6' trellis also, for similar reasons. I'm sure it will work, the plants will grow within their limits. There is a guy growing them on a chain link fence, only 4' I think.

 

[JoesInBoston]

Almost out of room. I would estimate the length at 14 feet or so. Getting sidearms everywhere. Some look like future cone arms to me.

 

[JohnSand]

They look great. Mine are from rhizomes, have not progressed as much. I'm using string to the trellis.

 

[JoesInBoston]

I should say, the pictures are of the plant on the left. When they arrived from Great Lakes, the left crown was twice the size of the right one. The right plant is not doing as well, but is still growing. Only at maybe 6 or 7 feet long, I think. I don't think it will produce anything this year.

 

[JoesInBoston]

I've got burrs and the bines/sidearms are going beserk. No idea how long it is but I think it has stopped getting longer and started focusing on the shoots.

The edges of the leaves were starting to get yellow so I fed it with some Miracle Gro and it solved that problem right quick.

 

[JoesInBoston]

Burrs.

 

[JohnSand]

Mine isn't nearly as lush. I pinched off the bines when they reached the top of the trellis (6'), and they sent out side shoots. Now they show progress toward cones.

 

[JoesInBoston]

I thought about pinching them off, but I think they figured out on their own that there is no more upwards growing room. Keep me posted on yours, too.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

I thought about pinching them off, but I think they figured out on their own that there is no more upwards growing room. Keep me posted on yours, too.

Yea i dont see why you'd bother pinching them off.

Worst case they keep growing and eventually fall over on themselves due to the weight, then you rig those back up your trellis.

More height on the main stalk = more side arms = more hops.

 

[JohnSand]

I read a suggestion to cut them when at full height to encourage side growth. Maybe it was a coincidence, but they had no side growth before cutting the tops, and plenty right after. This has been consistent for every bine.

 

[JoesInBoston]

Lookin goooooood.

 

[JohnSand]

Mine too! Burrs turned to hops after Friday's rain, and they are getting larger!

 

[JoesInBoston]

Today is harvest day!

 

[JoesInBoston]

19.5 oz wet and there are still a few more to be picked.

 

[JohnSand]

Fabulous! I don't think I will have near that many. I'm watching carefully, pick and split one every few days. Close, but not yet I think.

 

[JoesInBoston]

On to the third year of growing in my front yard in Boston. This year the bines came out of the ground really thick and don't bend around the lattice as easily as in past years. I kinked one of them.....it healed and stiffened up, but it is definitely not ideal, so be careful!

 

[JohnSand]

Nice. Mine are third year too, and flourishing.