The Hopstrosity.

[quickerNu]

I kinda have a low to zero budget approach to my homebrewing. So everything I do is free, close to it. I fund those actual purchases by selling old bike parts or general crap on e-bay. We are saving up to buy a house. I love the house we rent, but he won't sell. Well, what's this have to do with hops? It is the reason (or excuse) for my newest free creation. The hopstrosity. I made it out of the fence my parents tore down this weekend (free). Can't be sunk in the ground (that whole renter thing). I bought 1 box of screws, and the lumber for the raised beds with a gift cert from Christmas.

It will be pretty when covered with hops...I hope! I ordered 3 rhizomes from freshops. 1 cascade, 1 centennial, and a nugget. I am thinking these 4x2 boxes could handle 2 rhizomes each, though.

The West side of the house takes a beating from the Texas sun, so I justified the expensive of the rhizomes to SWMBO as a/c savings this summer. The free standing boxes will have the supports from my old gazebo for the vines to grow on next weekend. Think I will grow sunflowers between the boxes.

 

[Crazytwoknobs]

That looks awesome, how high does it go?

 

[quickerNu]

It is a little over 10'- I figure I'll let the hops grow over the other side if they need to, but I don't know how much vertical growth I'll get first year.

 

[Smogre]

That lattice may provide you endless torment at the end of the year if you intend to cut out the dry dead bines.
The plant is also a pretty heavy nutrient user so I personally do not grow competition with my hops.
My first year bines grew to about 18' before I started wrapping them horizontal.

 

[quickerNu]

Not worried about it. This is a temp structure, 1-2 seasons at most. Also, just as much a privacy screen as a hop trellis. As mild a winter as we had, I expect a hell of a summer. I will be happy just to keep 'em alive, much less get 18' and a harvest. Next up-ghetto drip irrigation! Target price- sub $15 bucks....I have 3 of these beds about 10 feet apart from each other. The other 2 don't have lattice.

 

[zoebisch01]

Next up-ghetto drip irrigation! Target price- sub $15 bucks....

That should be easy to do. The mainline is usually 1/2" poly and for that rig you'd need like 4 to 5 emitters and a terminator (just folds the tubing back on itself). Add a pressure reducer, adapter and filter (with your setup that probably shouldn't be a big issue because if you clog from sediment in the supply you could just unplug the emitter(s)) and you're good to go. The biggest cost is the pressure reducer which is critical for drip.

 

[Big "A"]

Hell HD sells a couple different dripp irrigation starter kits ranging from 9.99 to 29.99

By the way I like the setup

 

[kinison_fan]

Bonus points for freecycling the fencing!

 

[EvilTOJ]

Nice setup. I love recycling things/being a cheap bastard. Wonder how long it'll be until Brewtopia comes along to sue you for trademark infringement? He makes a beer commercially called Hoptrocity.