Please Critique My Set Up

[klr]

This is my first year growing hops and I'd like some advice on where to go from here now that my hops are taking off.

I'm using 18' poles with a rope strung through steel loops. The rope can be raised and lowered from the ground. Above the plants I have a steel wire stretched between the poles. A drip irrigation system is attached to the wire. A barrel feeds my irrigation system. The vertical lines are sisal baling twine. I think this was a mistake and they may not be able to survive the season. Here is a pic of my set up when I started:



The cascade hops have reached about 12' and look to be making cones?



But they don't have much vegetation at the plant base.



On the other hand, the Nugget hops are about 5' up the twine but are growing like crazy down at the base.



So, I'm wondering if I should get some coir rope and try to rewrap the bines around it? Would it damage the plant, or should I leave it alone and hope for the best?

Also - should I prune some of the Nugget bines and just leave 4 or 5 to grow up the twine?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the help.

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I'm not an expert by any means, as it is also my first year growing hops. Looks like a nice set-up. If you already have them trained on the twine, you should be good for this year I would imagine. Especially if it could potentially damage the bines if you try to switch out now.

On a side note, I planted three rhizomes this season. All three are producing cones. All three exhibit minimal greenery near the base of the plant. It almost looks like something is eating the leaves...but about a foot up from the bottom they're fine and lush. I spray weekly with neem oil, which has shown some improvement and protection from pests.

Good luck!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Very nice, Puts my hop trellis to shame.

IMO, hops are basically weeds. Once established they will grow and grow and grow. I don't recommend unwrapping the bines, using different rope and rewrapping the bines. Use different rope next year, but leave alone for next year.

Planting instructions indicates to cut some of the bines. When I followed the instructions I got no hops. When I just leave alone I get hops. From now on I will just leave alone.

 

[klr]

Thanks, guys. I'll just leave it alone and see what happens.

 

[CodeSection]

@klr, nice job harvesting the swarm of bees!!!! Brings back old memories.....

What did you wrap the grow bags with?

 

[klr]

Thanks. I have one beehive and it swarmed a second time. I caught that one too and now I have three hives. Hopefully they make it through the winter. They are all very active.

Anyway, those aren't grow bags. It was so wet this spring that I couldn't get my ground worked so I took feed bags and cut the end off. Then I cut them in half and ended up with two "tubes." I filled that with potting soil. I'm hoping the hops will grow into the soil and I'll cut away the bags later. I later read that hops grow out instead of down, so I'll likely have to heap soil around them and create a ridge.

 

[klr]

Dang. Tonight I found a few of these eating my leaves.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Pull them off and squish them. Eastern Comma or Question Mark caterpillar, they like hops.

 

[klr]

Thanks, I got as many as I could find.