7 foot trellis - what will happen?

[clingy]

Built a trellis for my first year hops. For practical purposes, I built it only about 7 feet high. I know this is way shorter than recommended, but I wasn't willing to go any higher.

My question is - how will this affect my crop? Should I extend the growing space horizontally with more twine tied to something else high up? Or will it be fine at 7 feet?

See picture below for reference:

 

[Redmanll34]

I'm no expert by any means, but could you add horizontal lines in there so it could climb vertically and horizontally? I have seen folks that use chain-link fences to grow and the plant doesn't seem to mind growing horizontal.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I had good luck running them up a rope the would be fed through the eye bolts (with lots of extra rope going back down). As the plant reaches the top, I would then use the extra rope to lower the plant, and then it has to grow up the extra, as time goes by I keep lowering the plant and it keep climbing. (I wish I had a picture- I hope this makes sense).

 

[rekoob]

I had good luck running them up a rope the would be fed through the eye bolts (with lots of extra rope going back down). As the plant reaches the top, I would then use the extra rope to lower the plant, and then it has to grow up the extra, as time goes by I keep lowering the plant and it keep climbing. (I wish I had a picture- I hope this makes sense).

I think that makes sense. My question would be as the plant is lowered does it pile up on the ground? and if so did you have any problems with that?

I just transferred four pots (four second year plants started in the same pot, so 14 plants in total, two plants in one pot didn't come back) into the ground and if they don't die on me I only have about eight feet of rope going to the top of the "T" type trellis I put between each group of plants.

Two pots were Nugget and two pots were Cascade. I kept the two types separated with a T for each type and four ropes from the ground to the top of the T.

I know it's not enough of a vertical clime but I'm hopping that once they reach the top they will just start getting more bush like.

Any thoughts on that?

 

[rekoob]

Built a trellis for my first year hops. For practical purposes, I built it only about 7 feet high. I know this is way shorter than recommended, but I wasn't willing to go any higher.

My question is - how will this affect my crop? Should I extend the growing space horizontally with more twine tied to something else high up? Or will it be fine at 7 feet?

See picture below for reference:

Good looking raised bed/trellis.

 

[zippyclown]

Built a trellis for my first year hops. For practical purposes, I built it only about 7 feet high. I know this is way shorter than recommended, but I wasn't willing to go any higher.

My question is - how will this affect my crop? Should I extend the growing space horizontally with more twine tied to something else high up? Or will it be fine at 7 feet?

See picture below for reference:

You'll get hops and it'll be 7 feet worth of hops. It'll grow to the top and then sort of flop over, looking for someplace to go. But there will be no place to go. So it won't go.

I'm not sure what other answer you're expecting here.

zc

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I think that makes sense. My question would be as the plant is lowered does it pile up on the ground? and if so did you have any problems with that?

I put a large tomato cage under them and fed the rope around it. I tried not to let the plants bunch up on the ground as I was afraid of moisture/mold forming. I probably grain 5 feet doing this. No I run the lines up to a second floor balcony.

 

[clingy]

I'm not sure what other answer you're expecting here.

I guess by "how will this affect my crop?" I meant will I have a significantly lesser yield, will the cones be smaller, or some other negative repercussion.

Sorry, noob here just looking for some help... Geez!

 

[clingy]

Good looking raised bed/trellis.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm hoping for some bushiness at the top too.

 

[clingy]

I put a large tomato cage under them and fed the rope around it. I tried not to let the plants bunch up on the ground as I was afraid of moisture/mold forming. I probably grain 5 feet doing this. No I run the lines up to a second floor balcony.

Ooh good idea! Might hafta try that.

 

[clingy]

I'm no expert by any means, but could you add horizontal lines in there so it could climb vertically and horizontally? I have seen folks that use chain-link fences to grow and the plant doesn't seem to mind growing horizontal.

Also a good idea! I put three types in, you think that would mix them up too much?

PS I'm fully aware you're not supposed to plant multiple types that close, I'm just trying it out tho.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Someone had a good thread of how they grew their hops under the height of their privacy fence in the backyard by making a box structure. They then strung twine in a helix like shape from the ground to the top of the structure and the plant grew throughout. Have a look to see if you can find that thread, it might be a solution or an answer to your questions.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Sorry. Here you go my man.. check this out:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=474201

 

[sevilwa]

Here's what mine did last year with 7':

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=6812874&postcount=7

 

[thaymond]

Sorry. Here you go my man.. check this out:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=474201

Dude, you beat me to it!

Anyway, yeah. You could post on all four corners with 7 foot posts and cage this guys in. If you incline 1-2 feet in diagonal at every section, you'll have 20+ feet of room to grow. Since you're growing 3 varieties, you'll have a sweet hop blend to go in a beer. Since theyre close, it's likely the sidearms will intertwine, unless you carefully weave everything together when you're training your bines.

Your raised beds look good. I kinda wish I did mine that way... Live and learn!

 

[clingy]

Sorry. Here you go my man.. check this out:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=474201

Oh that is a sweet design. Maybe I should zigzag the twine like someone else suggested. His are like hop bushes haha!

 

[clingy]

Here's what mine did last year with 7':

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=6812874&postcount=7

You just gave me faith in mine! Thanks dude, needed that - I was having doubts. Did you trim any shoots back the first year, or let it go wild? I read somewhere you should let it go wild first year, but that it won't have as many cones. I see you had plenty!

 

[clingy]

Your raised beds look good. I kinda wish I did mine that way... Live and learn!

Thanks man, but you're the innovator! I just wanted mine to be aesthetically pleasing but also not warp over time. Holler if you ever wanna know how I made mine.

Good work on yours, can't wait to see how they come in this year.

 

[lschiavo]

The reason I started brewing was that I found hops growing in my back yard. They climbed up anything they could find and spread everywhere they could reach. They were hops and I brewed some good beer with them. The following year, I put up a few 20' high conduits and strung cable across the top and staked twine from the cable to the ground. The hops grew the 20' and then some. The cones were much bigger and more plentiful and the plants seemed happier. The hops were the same (in my beer) though as far as I could tell. Good luck with your plants.

 

[TheCADJockey]

You just gave me faith in mine! Thanks dude, needed that - I was having doubts. Did you trim any shoots back the first year, or let it go wild? I read somewhere you should let it go wild first year, but that it won't have as many cones. I see you had plenty!

I can't tell you what to, or what not to do in your case. My first year nugget plant sprouted maybe a foot or two and just derped out. The second year (last year) it grew over 25' straight up a pole. I've put it in almost all my beers since then and still have a freezer full.

Excited for ya man, make sure to post some pictures of how it does. I think you should trim it to some extent, give the stronger bines a chance to thrive.

 

[clingy]

I think you should trim it to some extent, give the stronger bines a chance to thrive.

Cool maybe I'll just trim them to 2-3 bines, then next year focus on 1-2 depending on the plant.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Cool maybe I'll just trim them to 2-3 bines, then next year focus on 1-2 depending on the plant.

We had the room for it to do whatever it wanted and we started by just trimming off smaller, weak shoots as it grew. There came a point that it just did what it wanted and turned into a monster. If the summer was any longer, I would've fully expected to find it eating livestock.

 

[clingy]

If the summer was any longer, I would've fully expected to find it eating livestock.

Conjuring images from "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"...

 

[sevilwa]

You just gave me faith in mine! Thanks dude, needed that - I was having doubts. Did you trim any shoots back the first year, or let it go wild? I read somewhere you should let it go wild first year, but that it won't have as many cones. I see you had plenty!

I didn't trim any shoots. My most vigorous growers (Cascade, Chinook, and Zeus) had 3-4 bines growing per string for a total of ~12 bines each. Make sure you space them out; when they get to the top they will continue to grow multiple feet in the air and reach out and cover anything they get in contact with. In the case of my Cascade it invaded its 2 nearest neighbors to the point that is was impossible to separate come harvest time.

 

[Rockhillfarmlubecmaine]

I Have a little experience with vineyard Trellising and would suggest placing horizontal support cable about 8-10 inches apart like a ladder and as your bine grows up, simply train it into a zig zag pattern till it reaches the top. It will get the growth and sunlight it needs and you will get the extra goodies. You need to make sure it has plenty of air movement between the rows to prevent mold or places for the critters to hide and munch on your leaves etc.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I Have a little experience with vineyard Trellising and would suggest placing horizontal support cable about 8-10 inches apart like a ladder and as your bine grows up, simply train it into a zig zag pattern till it reaches the top. It will get the growth and sunlight it needs and you will get the extra goodies. You need to make sure it has plenty of air movement between the rows to prevent mold or places for the critters to hide and munch on your leaves etc.

This absolutely. I'm sorry, I should just find the pictures of how I actually grew mine. We did this, just on a large scale. It grew 4-5 down a fence, then up to the next rung and 4-5 back, then straight up the 25' pole. I kid you not when I say monster. We ended up losing a "small" portion of the crop at the very top of the pole because it got so much sun and we hadn't planned on how to lower it to harvest.

 

[clingy]

In the case of my Cascade it invaded its 2 nearest neighbors to the point that is was impossible to separate come harvest time.

Yeah pretty sure that's gonna happen to me, wingin it here. Is it difficult to try to unwind bines to separate at harvest time? I have no idea what to expect.

 

[thaymond]

Yeah pretty sure that's gonna happen to me, wingin it here. Is it difficult to try to unwind bines to separate at harvest time? I have no idea what to expect.

I had to untwist several bines at the end of last season, particularly from Zeus and Cascade. It was a pain. It's doable, but I spent a considerable amount of time untwisting bines. I'll wind some of the sidearms in this year on my trellis so Zeus doesn't go and try to take over the whole garden.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I thought I posted this earlier, but is the zig zag set up the same that's featured in this month's BYO?

 

[thaymond]

I thought I posted this earlier, but is the zig zag set up the same that's featured in this month's BYO?

Not sure. I did submit an article to BYO featuring the hop cage. Is this the may/June issue?