My Hop Trellis

[KRamey]

Any updates/ pics?

 

[brian_n]

Finally got around to putting my hop trellis up tonight. I decided to add some black steel pipe extensions instead of hooks in an attempt to minimize the chance of different varieties getting mixed up. Each pipe goes about a foot off the wood. We'll see if it works out. The post has about 40" in the ground, so the steel poles are about 12.5' high. Also, the Centennial seemed to be dead, so I replaced it with a Nugget rhizome from Aroostook Hops, and they're already growing pretty well.

 

[user 102573]

Looking good! Now you've just got to keep them happy, and that's not hard at all. Just even water and occasional food.

I hope the pipe idea works out for you. you could always go up with scissors and separate any tangles. You'd get some mingling, but might not be bad.

Jeff

 

[cram]

Agreed--looks really nice. It's a blast to watch them get going and take off.

Do you have a tall ladder for harvest? I'm curious how you're going to get up there...

 

[Dynachrome]

How do hops harvest?

Do you leave the vine and it grows next year like grapes, or does it sprout again from the root like Krokus?

 

[brian_n]

I've got a big ladder that allows me to get to just barely get to the top of trellis. Best case scenario is the tangling between varieties is minimal and I can pull down the string for each variety. Otherwise I may have to pick them from up on the ladder.

As for the harvest, they grow back every year so you cut them down at some point after the harvest, I think.

 

[Randar]

How do hops harvest?

Do you leave the vine and it grows next year like grapes, or does it sprout again from the root like Krokus?

You cut the bines down and pick the cones on the ground, they grow back the next year. Picking buckets full of cones from a ladder is for the loons.

 

[cram]

I'm with you, Randar, that picking a grip of hops from a ladder isn't the best option. But, ideally, a way to bring the bines down, harvest, and then get them back up seems like the best option if given a choice.

Letting the plant die back on its own, correct me if I'm wrong, allows it to draw energy from the bines back into the rhizomes before over-wintering. Obviously, they are hardy plants and will do just fine either way, and I understand the commercial folks' reasoning for cutting them down and not stringing them back up, but for the homegrown with a manageable number of plants, I think this is the best practice. (Then again, I'm not getting two to three pounds per plant, so what do I know?)

Brian, it looks like your set-up might make it impractical to lower the bines based on how the lines are strung and, even if you set it up next year so each one could be lowered, they might be tangled on top to the point that they won't lower anyhow. So the ladder or cut-down option may be the best for your case. My point is just to throw out some "food for thought" to other growers that might have different trellis set-ups, and to hear any thoughts on other opinions that challenge what I've been doing...

 

[Randar]

I'm with you, Randar, that picking a grip of hops from a ladder isn't the best option. But, ideally, a way to bring the bines down, harvest, and then get them back up seems like the best option if given a choice.

Commercially they are harvested by cutting them down... I do the same. I've done what you suggested when they were young. Now, it's everything I can do to keep the crowns from growing into VW Beetles... there are no ill effects on the crown from doing this, IMO.

 

[cram]

Good to know, Randar--my oldest are four years and they are turning beastly, so I can see the convenience factor of cutting them down to harvest as they get more established. Still, lowering a bine isn't too much trouble and they do look kind of spooky come Halloween and they're all dying back and super tall... :cross:

 

[brian_n]

Brian, it looks like your set-up might make it impractical to lower the bines based on how the lines are strung and, even if you set it up next year so each one could be lowered, they might be tangled on top to the point that they won't lower anyhow. So the ladder or cut-down option may be the best for your case.

The lines are just looped around the steel poles once or twice, so if (big if) the varieties don't get too tangled up, I should be able to pull the lines off of the poles. We'll see. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[brian_n]

Here's a few pictures of the trellis 4 months after planting the hops.
Cascades have grown the best and I'll actually be able to get a small harvest. Hallertau has been eaten alive by Japanese Beetles and Willamette has some damage too. I had to replace the Centennial with Nugget because the Centennial never sprouted. The Nugget is coming along nicely but was planted a month or so later than the rest. It looks like I'll be able to remove the twine and harvest from ground level some time in the next few weeks.

 

[Kuhndog]

Here's a few pictures of the trellis 4 months after planting the hops.
Cascades have grown the best and I'll actually be able to get a small harvest. Hallertau has been eaten alive by Japanese Beetles and Willamette has some damage too. I had to replace the Centennial with Nugget because the Centennial never sprouted. The Nugget is coming along nicely but was planted a month or so later than the rest. It looks like I'll be able to remove the twine and harvest from ground level some time in the next few weeks.

Beautiful closeups! Enjoy.

 

[bionara]

Late to the party - do you have any updates, 2 years on?!

 

[brian_n]

Late to the party - do you have any updates, 2 years on?!

No picture updates, but the trellis has been good. It's very sturdy, no concerns there. The only thing I'd change is adding a few more feet of height to it, as the hops get pretty tangled up at the top.

 

[30Bones]

Still doing 4 varieties?

 

[brian_n]

Still doing 4 varieties?

Yep

 

[IPAnic]

Going to cut down a few cedars in the back yard this weekend. Gotta be a good 30-40 feet. Do you think if I cut them down to 20 feet that will be enough to avoid a tangled mess late in the growing season?

 

[brian_n]

Going to cut down a few cedars in the back yard this weekend. Gotta be a good 30-40 feet. Do you think if I cut them down to 20 feet that will be enough to avoid a tangled mess late in the growing season?

Yep, but I'd say the bigger the better.