Hops plantation build

[shoengine]

After going to a flower and garden show with my wife I found a nifty book, Gardening for the Homebrewer which, among other things has some good info on hops varieties and techniques for growing them. So I decided to brave the aggressively bining hops plant.

I was going to use the south facing wall of my house and suspend a length of PVC pipe, but the 5ft spacing became an issue, and I was concerned the are wouldn't have enough space to spread out in. In the end I chose to plant around my wife's container garden area. It faces East and sunlight will be limited, but I'll take what I can get.



My final design for the ground, based on optimal placing. Should be able to accommodate six varieties without any trouble. Maybe more if I decide to do large above-ground containers

I poured footings for the uprights.






Then I got the rhizomes from Yakima Valley Hops. $17 for four varieties, tax and shipping.



I constructed 2'x2x6" boxes with no bottoms as psuedo-fences, hoping to keep their sprouts in an organized area. We'll see how that works out. Took some spare wood and used my wood-burning iron to make signs for them.





Next up, installing uprights and a crossbeam.

 

[doomy86]

Congratulations, it looks great!

I plan on planting hops next year, so i will keep comming back to you thread.

Thank you!

 

[shoengine]

Finished my first trellis. I have no idea if it will pick the string to climb up, or if it will just use the pylons, but it will be a learning experience.

 

[shoengine]

And the structure itself. I made it able to be taken down in the fall.