Hop Trellis Position + Amazing MS Paint Skills

[ArkotRamathorn]

So recently bought a house with SWMBO so I am super excited about the more permanent brewing projects I can now take on. One of which is growing my own hops and building a hop trellis for them to try and add some green space/spruce up the outside of the house (and SWMBO likes viney crawly stuff for landscaping). We live in North Western Wisconsin (about an hour from St. Paul and Minneapolis) so I imagine our summer sun will be similar to you Minnesotans. I have attached a ms paint (amazing) rendition of the proposed positions of the trellis, there is a large tree in our front yard so its offset from the drive way to the east a tiny bit. None of the picture is really to 'scale', but the drive way is about 6 feet wide, the trellis will span this and go approximately 7-8 feet high and we are thinking probably 3-4 feet deep. (swmbo just informed my they're also called a 'pergola')

For additional information I was planning to grow two varieties, cascade, and centennial (just had a fantastic cascade/centenial 'session' pale ale and love that orange). Probably 2 rhizomes on either side of the garage.

Are there any concerns anyone can notice with the proposed positioning or the plans in general? Input is greatly appreciated since I have never been the green thumb type and now I finally have the space and time to grow green things.

 

[madscientist451]

Looks ok, except that growing hops may really not be that visually appealing and it looks like the pergola/hop trellis is on the street side of the house? If there's a space in the back of your property, I'd put them back there.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

Looks ok, except that growing hops may really not be that visually appealing and it looks like the pergola/hop trellis is on the street side of the house? If there's a space in the back of your property, I'd put them back there.

Ah yeah, that part of the picture is to scale in a way. We are on a non-conforming lot, the house was built in 1923 so there isnt really that much of a back yard, we are on a corner lot so the front of the house and garage are south facing and the east side of the house is facing another street.

 

[BrotherBock]

except that growing hops may really not be that visually appealing.

I disagree. I think hops are very visually appealing. They can add something real nice to a house. I had them growing outside the front of my place back when I lived in Portland. The wife really like how they looked. Since there easy to direct we had tehm bordering our windows like a natural, green awning.

In Minnesota now. Gotta get back on that hop growing horse.

 

[gbx]

The trellis is pretty small for 4 plants and 2 varieties. You will do fine the first few years but eventually they are going to get massive and completely cover the thing. I had a similar sized structure with a single willamette and cascade and the 2 varieties were getting impossibly tangled by the end of year. It will be fine if they rippen at the exact same time but even a week difference can be problematic - I had the choice of ripe willamette/grassy cascade or ripe cascade/cheesy willamette. I don't know how centennial ripens but its something to think about. Mine were growing in containers so it was easier to reposition them the next year. If I was growing in the ground with that set up, i would pick 1 variety (cascade) and plant 1 rhizome on either side.

The other thing to think about it is the sun, try to put the trellis somewhere that will get maximum sunlight

 

[TeeJo]

What's the roof like on the garage? Possibility of trellising over it and using that space to grow out the bines?

Seems to me that if the roof will allow it, you may be able to walk around up there and pick off the cones as they ripen, if you trellised it well.

TeeJo

 

[SnowcreekWI]

I second what gbx said above about sunlight. Where you live the summer sunrises/sunsets are nearly NNE and NNW so the house is going to block the morning sun and the garage is going to block the late afternoon sun.

My best plants get all day sunlight.