Ideas needed

If you have a hop related question about International Bittering Units or alpha acid, post it here!
Post Reply
tourer
Hollow Legs
Posts: 479
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:09 pm
Location: spitting distance of the Beacon hotel, home of Ruby red

Ideas needed

Post by tourer » Sun Jun 17, 2018 3:38 pm

OK lads & lassies, I need some ideas. I want to replant my Goldings and Perle hops in the winter onto my allotment from home. What should I use to support them and how high? It can at times be a little windy if that's any help but I can find a bit of a sheltered spot.

User avatar
gr_baker
Piss Artist
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 1:52 pm

Re: Ideas needed

Post by gr_baker » Sun Jun 17, 2018 5:33 pm

Don't know about Perle but I had Goldings and Challenger on my allotment that grew way off the top of a 4m high frame.

I'd say you might need 5 to 6m vertically. A friend of mine in the US tried training hops along horizontal twines but it didn't work.

I built a frame out of wood supported by two A frames. I put string between the two for the hops to grow up. It was pretty solid and worked well for a few years despite being too small.Image

Rookie
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3552
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:30 pm
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Re: Ideas needed

Post by Rookie » Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:50 pm

I grew hops for over 10 years and trained them to grow along an unused clothesline in my former backyard.
I probably didn't get as large a harvest as I would have gotten using a traditional set up, but it worked fairly well.
I'm just here for the beer.

Rookie
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3552
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:30 pm
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Re: Ideas needed

Post by Rookie » Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:51 pm

I grew goldings and sterlings.
I'm just here for the beer.

User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Re: Ideas needed

Post by Meatymc » Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:47 am

Just a thought - if you had 2 parellel posts with the string zig-zagged across them you could increase the 'growing length' of the bine whilst still basically going upwards but without the need for 5+ metre posts.

I grow up and along fencing and also a single storey extension. Main problem I have is wind damage slapping the bine against something solid - just come back from jollies to find 'Hector' has reeked havoc and I've lost/damaged a lot of lead bines. Going to try and encourage the 1st offshoot to take over (removing the twin on the other side). Worked to a degree on a Cascade last year although I'm sure it impacts on overall harvest - as, I suspect, does training them to go horizontally as I do in any case.

User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Re: Ideas needed

Post by Meatymc » Tue Jun 19, 2018 3:02 pm

Just a quick add-on to my previous post - 2 x 3m posts set 1m apart and running string/rope/wire diagonally at 50cm spacing gives you 6 metres of 'climb'. Obviously 2 x 2m posts gives you 4m climb etc etc

Add a 3rd post and you could have 2 varieties growing side-by-side which might look quite good as a garden feature.

I have to constantly train the bines when running horizontally but the Cascade growing up the angle of our extension gable end is quite happy to cope itself so can't see why this wouldn't work. Going to try it myself next year

Post Reply