extending hop bines

[Bart Taylor]

Another title could have been "my arbor is too short now what?" Or "will hop bines grow down?" Essentially my hops have grown to the top of the trellis and I'm wondering if I should do something.

More specifically the question is should I run the twine back down to the ground and will the bines follow? Or?

Bart

 

[JohnSand]

When mine grow over the top I just let them tumble and wind any way they want. My trellis is a steel garden type, and has more structure.

 

[redrocker652002]

My wife used a twine netting thing I think she found on Amazon. Ran it over the frame I made out of an old batting cage my son used when he was younger. She then ran the netting and put nails in the fence and is running them that way. If it works, It should make for a cool shade area as well, I think. LOL. I think it was something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Tcamp-Heavy-...5888287&sprefix=string+trellis,aps,146&sr=8-5

 

[BugAC]

I have coconut fiber running from the border of the bed 10' up, then diverting off another 15' or so to my back fence. The problem, is that the fence is away from the sun, so when my bines reached the top, i had to train it to run horizontal. It keeps trying to grow back to the sun. I'll just keep training it along that line but eventually i may come up with another plan.

 

[Bart Taylor]

I have coconut fiber running from the border of the bed 10' up, then diverting off another 15' or so to my back fence. The problem, is that the fence is away from the sun, so when my bines reached the top, i had to train it to run horizontal. It keeps trying to grow back to the sun. I'll just keep training it along that line but eventually i may come up with another plan.

This is good info. I never thought about them seeking out the sun. I will have to play with that. Thank you.

 

[day_trippr]

No self respecting hop bine will actually grow downwards as they are fixated on the Sun. They will keep trying to reach same - which will work just fine, as the bines will only grow "up" unsupported for so long then will flop down - and keep trying to grow up.

One can see that same phenomenon in pics of commercial hop farms...

Cheers!