Growing Hops Horizontally

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Uncle Albert

Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by Uncle Albert » Wed Jan 14, 2015 2:35 am

Hello Gents

Does anybody have any experience of the above?

My neighbour has installed a live stock wire fence and a bramble hedge. It would save me a huge amount of effort if I grow horizontally along these. South facing as well. Only possible problems is chickens pecking at them.

Bought three rhizomes - Prima Donna, saaz and northern brewer.. Live in Cairngorms so temperature about 8 degrees less than UK norm.

The other option is verticaly with hoops fixed to the stone house wall - big job and need to shift all the necessary topsoil to location.

Cheers!

boingy

Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by boingy » Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:40 am

It can be done but every day you will need to assert your authority over the bines as they head skywards. Prima Donna is dwarf so will only grow to 7 or 8 feet so you could make a cane wigwam for that one. Our chicken does not like the taste of hop leaves so you'll probably be fine.

Your biggest problem may be your location.

Uncle Albert

Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by Uncle Albert » Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:15 am

Cheers boingy. Certainly a challenging location, ground been frozen solid for 7 weeks. I will try to grow prima Donna vertical then and the other two horizontally.

Should I dig through the "permafrost" and plant now? Or wait a few months?

Cheers

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Wonkydonkey
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Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by Wonkydonkey » Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:49 am

+1 for the training, you could do it, but I found that I broke the ends if I tried to do it After a few days/week

It was a pain, but it helped.

I'd try and grow them in pots for a while. To give it a good chance, then carfully plant out after the weather has warmed.
What ever you do ,,good luck,
Also and those first hops you get, it will not be many, just use them green/wet hop a brew.
To Busy To Add,

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scuppeteer
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Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by scuppeteer » Sat Jan 17, 2015 12:31 am

Its an effort and as already been said you risk snapping the heads but can be done with care.

Chickens don't touch the leaves but they will go for the juicy new shoots as they pop up so protect them (the hops, not the chickens) otherwise chicken dinner for a while!

If you have a spot in mind for the rhizome get them in the ground, no need to bother with a pot, its just more effort. Late January is when we plant out down South, for your location I would wait another 2 or 3 weeks before attempting. The earlier they can establish root stock in a permanent place the better. Don't plant too deep either, keep about an inch of the previous growth above the soil.
Dave Berry


Can't be arsed to keep changing this bit, so, drinking some beer and wanting to brew many more!

Sir, you are drunk! Yes madam, and you are ugly, but in the morning I shall be sober! - WSC

micmacmoc

Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by micmacmoc » Sat Jan 17, 2015 1:02 am

Hops stuffed chicken? Hmm! I like the idea of horizontally managing them. Mine werblighted last year. Please keep us updated with the progress.Suffering severe winds here in Cornwall is no good but no frost...yet. Hoping my plants will be viable dispute the blight(?).
Will you use some sort of chicken wire as a former to grow them to scuppy?

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themadhippy
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Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by themadhippy » Sat Jan 17, 2015 1:44 am

sure i read somewhere chickens were let loose in the hop fields to keep the bugs under control,plus the crap was a good source of nutrients
Warning: The Dutch Coffeeshops products may contain drugs. Drinks containing caffeine should be used with care and moderation

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Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by scuppeteer » Sat Jan 17, 2015 3:12 am

themadhippy wrote:sure i read somewhere chickens were let loose in the hop fields to keep the bugs under control,plus the crap was a good source of nutrients
Never heard of chickens being let loose but quite probable on some farms. Sheep used to be used early season to nibble off the first (rank) bines in order to let the next set grow stronger.
Dave Berry


Can't be arsed to keep changing this bit, so, drinking some beer and wanting to brew many more!

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Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by Wonkydonkey » Sat Jan 17, 2015 8:27 am

micmacmoc wrote:Hops stuffed chicken? Hmm! I like the idea of horizontally managing them. Mine werblighted last year. Please keep us updated with the progress.Suffering severe winds here in Cornwall is no good but no frost...yet. Hoping my plants will be viable dispute the blight(?).
Will you use some sort of chicken wire as a former to grow them to scuppy?

Blight- as in potatoe/ tomatoe blight.

Are you sure?

What is the plant/hop type

I have santiam hop, from willingham's which for the first 3 yrs was fine. Now every yr it seems to get somthing, the ends go brown and crispy which retards it. Then I get some hops at the end of the season.
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micmacmoc

Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by micmacmoc » Sat Jan 17, 2015 4:32 pm

I'm no gardener! The leaves suddenly went yellow, pale and died. They'd been very happy up til then. First gold hops. In v large pots.

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Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by Rookie » Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:30 pm

I have an unused clothes line in my backyard that I've grown hops on for several years. I attach some twine to stakes (45 degree angle) in the ground up to the clothes lines. Once the vines are up to the clotheslines I go out every morning after my walk and gently steer them around the clothesline. The clotheslines are at eye level which makes harvesting easy. The downside is that I'm pretty sure I get less of a crop this way.
I'm just here for the beer.

Hugh Jampton

Re: Growing Hops Horizontally

Post by Hugh Jampton » Sat Jan 31, 2015 12:53 am

I grow mine up a string attached to a 10 foot pole. At the top of the pole the string runs horizontally and is attached at the other end to the house. I train the bine every day once its reached the horizontal bit. The vertical section has a much bigger crop.

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