Soon too be first time grower with a setup question

[SublimeBW]

Good morning everyone!

My dad & I have been brewing for a little of a year now and have done some cool home projects (like nice wood bottle box, multiple wort chillers & stir plates) and we are now looking at growing hops. I have a very flat and open back yard so we will be planting at my house. I ran the idea by my wife and she is actually really excited for it but asked that we attempt to create a "hops fence" so that our patio has some coverage during the summer. I thought of an idea but wasn't sure how it would work so wanted to run it by everyone for feedback.

My plan: Planting 3 types of hops, Cascade, Columbus & Willamette, based on the hops we used most out of the 30+ brews we did last year. I want to plant each and run them on a single 3 tier pole where each tier has a different hops. The pole will be about 6.5' tall at the highest and have tiers at the top, mid & about 2.5" up. Then use another pole to run the hops horizontal instead of vertical.

Main questions:
1. Does that leave enough room between the hops?
2. Would I have to worry about any cross-contamination?
3. If this is possible is there a hops that is better for the top, mid & bottom tiers?

Example of pole:

 

[microbusbrewery]

IME that's not enough spacing and they'll be intertwined unless you're out there training them every day...and I mean EVERY day. Hops grow like crazy. Early in the season they'll sometimes grow about a foot between the time I leave for work in the morning and when I get home at night. I grow mine vertically and spaced about four feet apart and I'm constantly having to separate them to keep them from getting tangled.

 

[nagmay]

Anything is possible, but this setup is only going to give you trouble. Some of the most concerning issues:

• Hops C probably won't produce any good hops that close to the ground. I usually clip the bottom 3' of leaves anyway since it can be a vector for disease and pests. B will also have trouble
• With all 3 rhizomes planted next to the same pole, you are going to have trouble figuring out which bines are which in the following years.

This structure is a bit small, but could work well for 1 plant. Any chance you have room for 3 of these structures?

 

[microbusbrewery]

Three separate structures (one for each variety) is probably a better idea .

 

[damdaman]

IME that's not enough spacing and they'll be intertwined unless you're out there training them every day...and I mean EVERY day. Hops grow like crazy. Early in the season they'll sometimes grow about a foot between the time I leave for work in the morning and when I get home at night. I grow mine vertically and spaced about four feet apart and I'm constantly having to separate them to keep them from getting tangled.

This. By the end of the season they'll be tangled as hell.

 

[SublimeBW]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I will be going with a separate poles per hops since I have the room. We still want to try and create some sort of "Hops Fence" to create some privacy so came up with a bit taller post with 2 tiers instead of 3, having 3 &1/2 feet between bines. Would that create enough "coverage" for a fence and would it give enough space between the bines?

If the idea I have a laid out below isn't really feasible I will just have to let the Mrs. know and see that look of disappointment on her face.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

That should work fine with at least 3 ft between bines and each variety on a system

 

[JBbrew]

This seems like the best thread for this related question that I hope someone can help me with... Is there any concern over the aggressive/invasive root system of hops plants damaging a home's foundation. I am planning a setup myself where I am installing a pulley near the roofline of a south-facing wall of my home, and I plan on running twine from various locations along the base of that wall (out 2-3 feet from the home) where I plan on planting the hops rhizomes and allow them to grow up in front of that wall. However, I am concerned about the possible impact their root system might have on my home's foundation if planted near the house in that way... Has anyone else looked into that issue?

 

[nagmay]

Is there any concern over the aggressive/invasive root system of hops plants damaging a home's foundation.

Concrete foundation? Probably not going to cause any issue. I have been growing in raised cedar beds for years. The roots tend to hit the barrier and just turn. If you are really concerned, you could use some bamboo barrier.

Personally, I would be more concerned with the bines messing up your siding. They can easily get behind shingles and lap siding.

 

[JBbrew]

Thanks nagmay - yes, it is a concrete slab foundation... The wall is brick, but your point about the shingles is certainly something I will need to keep an eye on!