Hop runner depth/containment

[WhoZiT]

So, I'm about to finally put my hop crowns into a field. They've been in containers for 3 yrs.

I was thinking to contain each variety with a partially buried barrier of some sort so that I can keep the varieties a little closer to each other. I'm sure some people out there have designs for their setups that encase the hop area with a wooden wall. I'm just wondering how deep I should plan this to successfully keep the runners from spreading out too much...

 

[damdaman]

Wood will eventually rot. You can install plastic rhizome barrier normally used to contain bamboo. Standard depth is 30" with a few inches left above ground. Not sure if it will work for hops but I imagine it will. Bamboo is far more aggressive than hops.

 

[WhoZiT]

Bamboo is very strong. In fact, where I'm at, bamboo groves are actually installed to reinforce banks with their strong root structure. It's also very good at preventing other things from growing. I live in Japan, BTW.

Thanks for the info. I'll see what I can get in the way of plastic. Local DIY stores here are rather limited in their selections. 2 1/2 ft is more than I was expecting, though. Hmmm...

 

[spunxter]

Im interested in this too. 2 1/2 ' seems like a lot but ive been thinking of ways to keep dif varieties seperated after a few years growth