Growing hops horizontally

[schuby_racer]

This is my first year growing hops. I've been doing a lot of research, and I see that traditionally hops are grown vertically. I would rather grow them horizontally, about 5 feet off the ground. I am just wondering if anyone has experience with growing hops horizontally, suggestions, what to expect.

I chose 3 verities(cascade, magnum, and Willamette) and 2 rhizomes of each. I staked my posts 5 ft apart for each variety, and planted like kinds on the same line 20 ft apart, so I have 3 stringers, 40ft long, with one plant on the end and one in the middle. My thoughts us to train them up the post and across the line all in the same direction. Will it work? Am I doing it wing?

 

[madscientist451]

I grow mine vertically, but here's an article about growing them horizontally:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-hops-horizontally-63699.html

 

[schuby_racer]

I think I've seen that one, or something similar. I guess what I'm wondering is why are so many people going to such "step" lengths to go up, when it may be easier (at least easier harvest) to go horizontal. I know sqft. Of space can be a deciding factor. Maybe I'm blessed with a very seldom used south side yard.

 

[2trout]

Once you start the vines going up in the spring, they go up on their own. For harvest, pull down the vine support so you can harvest from the ground. I use several lengths of heavy sisal twine for support. I cut it down from the top of my trellis, harvest the hops, and put the whole thing, twine and all, in my compost.

 

[brewbama]

I've seen em grown on a "clothes line" style trellis system with a hammock strung underneath.

 

[DarkCoder]

I grow mine vertically, but here's an article about growing them horizontally:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-hops-horizontally-63699.html

Only thing not mentionned in this article is that you need to fight the "natural instinct" of the hops to go vertically. They have evolved to go up, grow fast, reach for the maximum of light. Last year, I have done the setup in the picture below to grow first year seedling (they will be moved and will be grown vertically this year). When growing horizontally, you have to manually train your bine all summer long, every 2 to 3 days. It is not natural for hops to twist around an horizontal support... even with a small angle as in my picture.

 

[Cyclman]

Yep, my hops grow their first 8-10 feet vertically, then horizontally, gotta train them weekly when they're growing fast.

 

[neild5]

I trained mine to grow horizontal, it took 5 minutes every other day. It was on a 6 foot tall trellis, this year I am going to go to 10ft.

 

[thaymond]

I am confined to a 4'x4'x6' rectangle for each variety. It gives me 96 cu. Ft. Of grow space. I train my bines in a criss-cross pattern all the way up to the top, then I just let them do whatever at the top. It's daily training because they keep wanting to go up. View attachment 1428876440709.jpg

 

[GVH_Dan]

Sorry for jumping in so late...you can grow horizontally but it won't give you much cone production.

Like Darkcoder said, the natural instinct is to go up. Male pollen is spread by the wind, so the higher they get...the farther they spread. Likewise, the females want to disperse their cones and catch the pollen from a far off male. So they will travel along the ground until they can find something to climb up. If they don't find anything to grow up, they don't produce because they won't find pollen. Instead they focus on vegetative growth so the next year they can reach out even farther to find something to climb.

There's no magical height where they stop climbing up. I've had some 2nd year plants reach the top of a 16' trellis, grab a nearby tree and continue going up to 35' or so. Its variety dependent but most won't produce serious cones until they have gone up at least 8 feet.

 

[schuby_racer]

Hmmmm. Well I don't Brew often enough to need pounds and pounds of hops, if I can get enough for 2-3 batches, I'll be happy. If I get enough for 1 for the first year then awesome

 

[jplowe]

I just planted 1 cascade rhizome yesterday in a large 1/2 barrel flower pot. I'm renting a duplex with little space up. I was hoping to grow horizontally on a trellis 8 feet high and 10 feet across. Something the land lord won't freak out about when he sees the new addition to the front yard.

For the first year, can i get away with a single post in the ground or will it over grow a 6 or 7 foot wooden post?

 

[DarkCoder]

For the first year, can i get away with a single post in the ground or will it over grow a 6 or 7 foot wooden post?

Nope, it will be overgrown...

 

[Brewsit]

I am confined to a 4'x4'x6' rectangle for each variety. It gives me 96 cu. Ft. Of grow space. I train my bines in a criss-cross pattern all the way up to the top, then I just let them do whatever at the top. It's daily training because they keep wanting to go up. View attachment 270674

I saw your feature in BYO this month. This brought me to this post. How much production do you get out of them with the crossing pattern?

 

[thaymond]

I saw your feature in BYO this month. This brought me to this post. How much production do you get out of them with the crossing pattern?

My year 3 Nugget yielded a dry lb (many spurs never matured for some reason nugs was the only one that this happened to, so I can't attribute it to low vertical growth). First year Zeus gave me 1lb 10oz. Dry, first year Cascade suffered some root rot initially, but came back strong with 5 dry oz. And first year Chinook gave 17oz dry. The oast dried my Chinook and Cascade first, then took Zeus and Nugget second. Took about three days on each round of drying.

 

[Brewsit]

My year 3 Nugget yielded a dry lb (many spurs never matured for some reason nugs was the only one that this happened to, so I can't attribute it to low vertical growth). First year Zeus gave me 1lb 10oz. Dry, first year Cascade suffered some root rot initially, but came back strong with 5 dry oz. And first year Chinook gave 17oz dry. The oast dried my Chinook and Cascade first, then took Zeus and Nugget second. Took about three days on each round of drying.

Good to hear. I was curious about how well the horizontal areas produced, since a lot of people seem to believe that anything growing horizontally won't give you blooms, just on the verticals. I'm guessing there might be a bit of truth to this, but only if the plant is stuck to ground paths? In any case, thanks for the idea. I'm going to construct a more 2 dimensional version for mine along the side of the house.

 

[schuby_racer]

So, I shouldn't expect to get much out of my horizontal hoops 5-6 feet of the ground? If I decide to grow vertically next year (or the year after) how big of a root ball would I need to dig up too preserve as healthy a specimen as reasonably possible

 

[thaymond]

So, I shouldn't expect to get much out of my horizontal hoops 5-6 feet of the ground? If I decide to grow vertically next year (or the year after) how big of a root ball would I need to dig up too preserve as healthy a specimen as reasonably possible

My plants don't exceed 6 feet tall, but grow nearly 35 feet. I got a lot of cones last year, nearly 5 dry lbs out of 4 plants.

 

[schuby_racer]

My magnum just started sprouting. Now the forecast says freezing temps over night for the next week. Should I cover it?

 

[Brewsit]

I would cover it like any freeze intolerant plant outdoors. Just don't forget the blanket and leave it in the dark...

 

[schuby_racer]

With my work schedule (or rather lack of schedule; working on call) that's what I'm agrafe of. If I have to go to work at 5 in the morning, the blanket may not get taken off until 5 in the evening

 

[daveedell]

Once you start the vines going up in the spring, they go up on their own. For harvest, pull down the vine support so you can harvest from the ground. I use several lengths of heavy sisal twine for support. I cut it down from the top of my trellis, harvest the hops, and put the whole thing, twine and all, in my compost.

Do you need to chip up the vines and twine before composting, or do they compost without that?

 

[Steveruch]

When I lived in WA I grew hops along an unused clothesline.