So the horizontal hop grower has a lot more work to input than the vertical grower. The vertical grower wraps the bine around twine once, the horizontal grower does it numerous times.
Yep! it's more work. (I find it fun though, I'm odd like that.
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Hmm, so if I used a system like on pg 1, how many varieties should I grow? I'm thinking I should only do one variety, but how many rhizomes would I need for that?
As Retrofit alluded to, this is NOT the best way to grow hops. However, although harder work, it is still practical, and a lot prettier than on poles.
In my pic there are two strains. One EKG on the right, and two Fuggles planted two feet apart on the left. I did it that way because EKG are supposed to be higher yield. As the two sets of bines reach eachother in the middle, I then have to train them back along to where they started from.
They were much bushier last summer than in the first year. Next summer I plan on fixing two 7 foot tall poles in the ground (One for each variety) about 8 feet in front of these plants. I will then link with rope between the fence and these poles. This will let me train the plants horizontally overhead when they get long enough. Now, This in not especially necessary, I'm just taking advantage of the fact that wifey will let me do it.
It will make picking a bit easier and allow even more sun.
Last year I took two Rhizomes from the first year plants and put those in another location where they grew 8 feet, then horizontal on a twine betwen my garage and the house.
This spring I will be doing the same again for another 2 locations I have devised. The more you grow, the more devious you become in pushing your luck.