2013 Hop garden photo thread

Here's a little of what I worked on today...

Putting in 21 hills adding to my 8 plus already

Adding 2 each of:
Cascade
Mt Hood
Nugget
Sterling
Willamette

1 EKG East Kent Golding
4 Northern Brewer
6 Centennial

Cbaddad said:

Here are my first years. Cascade, nugget, willamette, saaz, and centennial.

Cascades are already 2 feet.

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Gorgeous garden. My wife wants me to make sure the trellis is attractive, and this is a great example. Can you post a pic of the top of your trellis??

Wanted to show pictures of my new hops and an inexpensive trellis idea I saw yesterday in someones vegetable garden.

Three of my four hops are just poking through. The fourth, Columbus has yet to sprout but I am expecting it any day.

The trellis idea was used for tomatoes (seemed a bit tall for that) but looks great and simple for hops. It is four pieces of 1/2 inch rebar pounded into the ground and then lashed to two pieces of 3/8 inch rebar forming an arch and wired to the 1/2 inch with wire. The 3/8 arches are also lashed together at the point where they intersect. These wear about 8 feet tall but I think one could make them twice as tall with a second piece of 1/2 inch rebar and then have the 3/8 at the top the same way. I'm thinking of using these and training a couple bines from each rhizome up the verticals. Maybe in a couple years I could split the rhizomes so I could have one at each corner. Don't think I would want to grow more than one variety on each structure.

What do people think of this design and idea?

Wanted to show pictures of my new hops and an inexpensive trellis idea I saw yesterday in someones vegetable garden.

Three of my four hops are just poking through. The fourth, Chinook, has yet to sprout but I am expecting it any day.

The trellis idea was used for tomatoes (seemed a bit tall for that) but looks great and simple for hops. It is four pieces of 1/2 inch rebar pounded into the ground and then lashed to two pieces of 3/8 inch rebar forming an arch and wired to the 1/2 inch with wire. The 3/8 arches are also lashed together at the point where they intersect. These were about 8 feet tall but I think one could make them twice as tall with a second piece of 1/2 inch rebar and then have the 3/8 at the top the same way. I'm thinking of using these and training a couple bines from each rhizome up the verticals. Maybe in a couple years I could split the rhizomes so I could have one at each corner. Don't think I would want to grow more than one variety on each structure.

What do people think of this design and idea?

Here's my hop garden, I had to use a raised garden because soil is heavy clay. Planted Cascade and CTZ.

dlprice45 said:

I ordered some rhizomes but they haven't come in to my LHBS yet, but here is the raised bed and trellis that I built for them. I put soil in it yesterday, so it's ready to go! It's only 12ft but I built it so I can raise it next year if I need to. I'm doing one each of Nugget, Cascade, and Centennial.

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Nice trellis. Reminds me of a Japanese Torii.

Brewitt said:

Wanted to show pictures of my new hops and an inexpensive trellis idea I saw yesterday in someones vegetable garden.

What do people think of this design and idea?

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That looks killer, like a backyard metal sculpture. Will the hops travel that path? I have never grown them so I have no idea how "sticky" the tendrils are on the vine. Also, at double that height will it start to lean once the hops are full of cones?

I think it may be necessary to run a piece of twine up next to the rebar, I'll see. The big question I have is do I need heavier uprights and do they make bigger rebar. I know that the ones I photographed were surprisingly stable. I would make a several foot long overlap with the two upright rebar pieces but I will have to see how stable that is when I get it up.

Any input is welcome.

I should say, its my first time too.

I have been charged, by the wife, to make sure our hop garden is absolutely gorgeous. She's seen online photos of hope plants that look like a 50's sci-fi monster eating houses. I am on board with that, and this design looks pretty amazing.

Any experienced growers out there know if hops will climb rebar?

Brewitt said:

Wanted to show pictures of my new hops and an inexpensive trellis idea I saw yesterday in someones vegetable garden.

Three of my four hops are just poking through. The fourth, Chinook, has yet to sprout but I am expecting it any day.

The trellis idea was used for tomatoes (seemed a bit tall for that) but looks great and simple for hops. It is four pieces of 1/2 inch rebar pounded into the ground and then lashed to two pieces of 3/8 inch rebar forming an arch and wired to the 1/2 inch with wire. The 3/8 arches are also lashed together at the point where they intersect. These were about 8 feet tall but I think one could make them twice as tall with a second piece of 1/2 inch rebar and then have the 3/8 at the top the same way. I'm thinking of using these and training a couple bines from each rhizome up the verticals. Maybe in a couple years I could split the rhizomes so I could have one at each corner. Don't think I would want to grow more than one variety on each structure.

What do people think of this design and idea?

Click to expand...

How do you bend rebar like that?

strumke said:

How do you bend rebar like that?

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A conduit bender would probably do the trick.

I just finished my hop garden this past weekend. This is the first year. I am going for broke. 8 different varieties.

Fuggle, Nugget, Northern Brewer, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Galena, Crystal

Still have to finish off landscaping around it but all of them are starting to take off. I got some of them from a buddy (rhizomes) and then order some from Great Lake Hops which are doing great. Defintely will be making some improvements next year.

Jethro, that looks to be a pretty confined space for that many varieties. You may want build another structure similar and split them up.

vbman29 said:

Jethro, that looks to be a pretty confined space for that many varieties. You may want build another structure similar and split them up.

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I'm thinking the same. Come year 3, you are going to have a giant tangled mess. If they don't rippen at exactly the same time you won't be able to harvest. I would pick 2 and plant them at opposite ends of the structure...even that might be crazy if they do really well.

5' between different varieties and 3' between same is the general rule of thumb from everything I've read.

Nomad said:

Gorgeous garden. My wife wants me to make sure the trellis is attractive, and this is a great example. Can you post a pic of the top of your trellis??

Click to expand...

Just saw your response. My trellis is made simply with the posts you see, some eye hooks, cleats, and rope. I can lower it for harvest or checking out the plants easily. I will take another picture tomorrow to give you a better idea.

Eshorebrewer said:

5' between different varieties and 3' between same is the general rule of thumb from everything I've read.

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But that is between plants to avoid the rhizomes from mixing with each other. The vigorous growth of the plant itself can be 30 ft in a season which means yours will be running into each other and getting all mixed up. That's what I've heard, at least. I'm thinking one type per structure.

Had my first hop break ground yesterday! I don't have any photos to share yet...but I am going to take some soon, once I get my lines strung up, and post them here. I don't know if I have ever been so excited to see a 1" tall plant poking out of the ground

Eshorebrewer said:

5' between different varieties and 3' between same is the general rule of thumb from everything I've read.

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At the VERY least.

I was way too stingy with real estate when I planned and planted, and I really REALLY wish I'd been much more liberal with the space I gave my hops. I'm contemplating extending my hops bed again and spacing them out more, but I'm sure that is going to result in some sort of issues.

brewmcq said:

At the VERY least.

I was way too stingy with real estate when I planned and planted, and I really REALLY wish I'd been much more liberal with the space I gave my hops. I'm contemplating extending my hops bed again and spacing them out more, but I'm sure that is going to result in some sort of issues.

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The reason I posted that is his bed looks roughly 16' long, 8 varieties would put them roughly 2' apart.

My Bed is back on page 11, 24' long with 4 varieties with a 15' trellis to start with I had planned on only putting 3 in but Great Lakes Hops was nice enough to throw in a 4th.

Eshorebrewer said:

The reason I posted that is his bed looks roughly 16' long, 8 varieties would put them roughly 2' apart.

My Bed is back on page 11, 24' long with 4 varieties with a 15' trellis to start with I had planned on only putting 3 in but Great Lakes Hops was nice enough to throw in a 4th.

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Yeah it is about 2.5' between each plant. Same varieties are a little closer. I plan on expanding again next year probably with another bed in another part of the yard. I did a lot of reading and a few of my buddies have a similar setup. I am also on planning to put dividers down in the ground to help prevent spread. After I got everything in I did realize I may have gotten a little tight on everything. As I said going for broke but I know I can improve on it.

Cbaddad said:

Just saw your response. My trellis is made simply with the posts you see, some eye hooks, cleats, and rope. I can lower it for harvest or checking out the plants easily. I will take another picture tomorrow to give you a better idea.

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Ease of harvest is a great idea. I actually saw the top of the trellis once I got online with the computer. My phone wasn't showing the whole photo. Nice work.

First year - trying a maypole for the young ones - hoping to transplant next year as well as add to the crop. Intending to create a full trellis system in the field over the course of the year for next years growth.

Here are a few pics of my Cascades and Tettnangs. This is in NC and they are second year (the first year they were in 3 gallon bags)

So it's my first year in my home, we bought it in mid-June 2012 so I couldn't do anything with gardens let alone hops last year, my rhizomes showed up the other day so I've been getting them in the ground after work during the week. I've got a nice South facing slope off the front of my house with a deck/elevated walkway to run the lines up to, so I'm pretty stoked for this year.

A shot of the South side of my house and the first bed (Willamette) Dug it on Thursday 4-18


A shot of the Willamette bed from the railing


A shot of the first and second bed (Centennial) Dug second Tuesday 4-23


I've got a third bed to dig for Tettnang hopefully this afternoon or by Friday at the latest, also a lone Fuggles to get in the ground (was given to me by a member here) it's been sitting in a pot waiting for transplant.

I've got big gardening plans this year, the hops were step #1 for me.

That south facing hill and the height of the deck is perfect! Good luck

jglazer said:

That south facing hill and the height of the deck is perfect! Good luck

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Thanks, that's exactly what I thought of when I looked at the house; not exactly that it would be great for hops but that it would be great for garden beds and hops .

Dug the third bed last night (Tett), will update photos when I get them off my camera. now all that's left is to figure out something for the lone Fuggles.

Here is a picture of my two 2nd year Willamette. Picture is as of 4/25 they are about 8 feet tall.



Here are the same plants on 4/15

my baby Chinook a couple weeks ago



currently have Centennial, Columbus and Nugget breaking the surface.

Finally got my Trellis setup. There are 2 eye hooks screwed into my eaves under my gutters, i am running a nylon rope up, through one hook, across my house(about 14 feet) through the other hook and down. I have my sisal rope/twine wrapped around the nylon and dangling down to get staked. The eaves where the eye hooks reside is ~17 feet high.

I think i went way overboard with the number of lines up considering its a first year plant, but whatever.

From left to right, spaced 6 feet apart.

Columbus, Cascade, NewPort



I put up 4 lines, in hopes that if it does get crazy and grow all the way up that i can train the vine back down ...we will see if that works.

FuzzeWuzze said:

I put up 4 lines, in hopes that if it does get crazy and grow all the way up that i can train the vine back down ...we will see if that works.

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Looks awesome! I don't think you can "train the vine back down" though. The vine will naturally want to fight gravity. What you can do is let out slack from the staked down side and that would allow more room to grow up.

Does that make sense? There's probably a good way to support the vine so it's not flapping in the wind so to speak. Maybe someone on here can suggest something.

beer_doc said:

Looks awesome! I don't think you can "train the vine back down" though. The vine will naturally want to fight gravity. What you can do is let out slack from the staked down side and that would allow more room to grow up.

Does that make sense? There's probably a good way to support the vine so it's not flapping in the wind so to speak. Maybe someone on here can suggest something.

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When I asked about that here before some one said doing that would likely break the bine which obviously is a bad idea....

Here's my setup. Just one pulley assembly this year but I will probably add a second one in a few years when the nines are climbing that high. I will attach twine and then raise the frame until harvest time. Also I will prob move out of the pots if this location works. Cascade and Centennial.

Cut off prob 50 bones today off my 2nd year crowns. Mainly centennial and cascade and some nugget. Looks a lot better. Cascade especially was going nut with 15-20 nines per plant.

All four bines are about ten feet now.

Second year Cascade, Centennial, and Hallertau. All off to a great start!

We live in a row house with no yard. Our balcony is the best we have. Here is a picture of the Cascade rhizome we planted this weekend. We also have a Magnum rhizome in another pot. We'll see how well this setup works, better than nothing!

One of eight

First year centennial

Sixth year boy (middle child)