Using a root barrier to plant closer?

Would it be possible to plant hops of different varieties fairly close to each other (say 3 feet) if I use a root barrier about 24 inches deep to keep them seperate? I don't want to end up with an eventual mess of mystery hops, but my ideal location is somewhat compact.

 

Have you considered container growing? Its an alternate if you dont have the space. There was a recent podcast on the Brewing Network about it if your interested.

 

That's kinda what I was thinking with my setup, a hybrid between container growing and raised flower beds. I was thinking if I built my raised flower beds as 3ftx6ft boxes (about 2ft tall, about 12-18inches below ground, and 6-12 inches above), with 2 hills of the same variety in each box, and then each box lined up end to end.

I have a good sized yard, unfortunately, most of it is pretty well shaded. I have a strip about 20 feet long that gets good sun and is located just right for me to build a trellis right over my patio

 

I have done this.

Yesterday, I dug up a 1 year old Chinook that is a male plant. My soils are sandy, loamy, loose a light so it was an easy task to locate the runners and coerce them from the ground. The resulting crown was 2 foot in cross section with more than a dozen "tentacles" in all directions.

Remember, this dude is a year old!

My boxes are 3'x4'x18" and some of the tentacles had buirrowed nearly 8" deep. Most were merely a few inches below the soil surface.

So, what is my point?

My point is that even contained by root barrier boxes it is likely (and suggested beneficial) that a annual or bi-annual "root pruning" will have to be practiced to keep these vigorous octopi in check. The barriers will definitely help but, when it wants, nature will always find a way.

 

A lot of the reason for the spacing it because the side arms can reach out and grab onto the side arms from another plant and twist together. If this happens, then you will have a hops vine mess with the two (or more) varieties growing in and around eachother, making it pretty hard to determine which are which.

 

The wife has slightly modified my plan and I think I have found another layout that might keep the roots further away. Now I gotta figure out my trellis design

 

Side arms can be as long as three feet and they WILL grab other hop plants, trellis pieces, and slow moving birds.

 

I planted my hops with about 3 feet apart last year. i cant wait to dig them up and sort of the mess. I'll let y'all know what it looks like

 

Cut the bottom off some home buckets and submerse them about a foot under. That's what I did in the vegetable garden last year. This year, they're getting transplanted and it will be fairly easy to get them out.

 

I had the same issue a couple years back and wanted to use root barriers to solve the problem too. After speaking with my sister about it she recommend I get root barriers made out of polyethylene and with root deflecting ribs. I starting doing my homework looking for the best quality product for the right price since I am on a budget (I blame it on the economy). I found a company called Century Root Barriers who manufactures and supplies Root Barriers and other landscaping products. The sales department was very helpful in helping me make my decision on which model would be best suitable. I don't really have anymore information on them but here is a link to there Facebook page so you can see more for yourself! I'm prettty sure theres a phone number and official website on there also.
http://www.facebook.com/Classicnurseryandlandscape#!/pages/Century-Root-Barrier/293265244104728