# Hop spacings



## Fire1aus (26/11/13)

Hi guys
Im just about to put up my trellis system , some cloths line wire
Strung between 2 trees i have 90mt of cloths line and have 5 acres to play with.
I have 10 diffrent varities of hops and not sure how far apart to space them
Also how heigh should i put this top wire and how many strings per hop

Thanks mick


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## Yob (26/11/13)

Allow a few meters between (min), 5 to 6 meters high if you can.

One line each to start, go to a V next year.

Sounds fun 

ed: added (min)


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## Fire1aus (26/11/13)

Hi Yob
Thanks for the info
5-6 mt should be pretty easy
All most all the hops ive got have got atleast
5-6 runners 
Do i put them all up one string?
There all starting to take off now 
I wasnt sure if they would all grow in the area im
In thats why i got 10, but all are starting to go nuts now
Cheers mick


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## hoppy2B (26/11/13)

I recommend you put up 4 strings for each plant and run up 3 or 4 bines on each string. Most varieties will keep sending up shoots for a few more weeks. If you only use one string you won't get much of a yield. Its well known amongst horticultural experts that restricting the top growth will also lead to restricted root growth. Sorry to contradict you Yob.
It really depends on how far apart your hop plants are. Commercial growers normally use either 4 or 6 strings per plant. You want to have a bit of a gap between each string for a couple of reasons. You don't want the strings knocking against each other in the wind as this damages the plants, and you need light around the bines in order for the plant to bare a good crop and for the hop cones to be of a good quality.
The other important point is to ensure your hops get plenty of water. Regular feeding with a weak liquid manure will boost your crop.
Good luck.


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## hoppy2B (26/11/13)

What varieties do you have Mick?


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## Fire1aus (26/11/13)

The hops i have got are Chinook, Columbus, Hersbrucker, Tettnang "swiss i think" , Cluster, Saaz, Nugget, Golding, Cascade, Tardif
They have all just started to go nuts


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## Yob (26/11/13)

You can easily have 4 to 6 bines per line.. Commercial farms grow multiple per line..

Have a search of commercial hop farm images mate..

Cheers


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## Yob (26/11/13)

Tardif?


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## Danwood (26/11/13)

Tardice typed with a lisp...I believe. New varietal bred by a Dr Who fan ?


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## Fire1aus (26/11/13)

Tardif de Bourgogne Hops is a natural variety from France. The USDA recieved their first sample in 1977, from the Institute of Hop Research, Pulawy, Poland. This variety is grown on limited acreage around the Alsace region. It is an aroma type associated with European Ales and Lagers. It is difficult to find on the market, and in commercial beers. If you do come across some, try it out.

Just googled it thats what i came up with
Havnt you heard of it before?


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## Yob (26/11/13)

Nope... Interested.. 

Keen to come check out the plot sometime, lemme know how you get on mate.

Cheers


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## Camo6 (26/11/13)

I won't believe it until I see pics. Five acres! 10 varieties. God, I wish I brewed back when I lived in the country.

Great stuff Fire1aus.


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## hoppy2B (26/11/13)

Some good varieties in there Mick. Chinook, Columbus, Cluster, Golding and Cascade will likely do the best out of that lot. 
Not experienced with all the varieties you have but, Saaz is very tall and difficult to manage for the crop of small cones it produces, and Aussie Tett don't seem to like the climate. Maybe the French one will do ok.
I'll be interested to see how you go. I have just over 20 plants in the ground myself heading into my third growing season.


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## Fire1aus (27/11/13)

I have 10 varities because i wasnt sure if they would all grow were i live
Im in the Otways in s/w vic near Forrest, back in the early 1900 they used to grow
Hops along the barwon river
I live about 2km from there
I only have 1 plant of every variety in a 100lt pot
I was going top divide the rhyzomes next year and plant
In the ground and not in pots
What are your thoughts on selling the cones as a small side business?
Would there be much interest
How many plants would i need to get a desent amount of cones?
I have got 5 acres where my house is and have 300acres behind that
The worst part would be setting up a proper trellis system

Cheers mick


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## Yob (27/11/13)

the worst part will be getting the kilning right mate..


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## Yob (27/11/13)

One other thing to think about mate, to get AA% tested, something like $1500 to get 3 tested, not so important if you are to market them as aroma hops but still something to consider.

Good luck mate, interested to see how you go.

Yob


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## hoppy2B (28/11/13)

Yob said:


> the worst part will be getting the kilning right mate..


He has them in 100 litre pots. Lets wait and see if he has any to kiln. :huh:


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## Yob (28/11/13)

hoppy2B said:


> He has them in 100 litre pots. Lets wait and see if he has any to kiln. :huh:


FFS.. Obviously not this year hoppy, but it's worth consideration if he steps it up next season (as stated above) and grows a considerable amount, I'm trying to help and point out things that are worth considering in the early stages.

If dried and processed correctly I'm sure he can generate interest in the product but to get it to that point is a bit of work and a fly screen may not be enough, hence my comments..

@ the OP, you tube has some interesting vids on hop kilning/drying have a bit of a search, I'm sure you'll find some inspiration.

Cheers


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## punkin (28/11/13)

You two are funny :lol:


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## Fire1aus (28/11/13)

Thanks for the advice guys
How do you dry your cones 
Are there many commercial grower in australia
I know of 1 in tassie and 1 in vic 

Cheers mick


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## punkin (28/11/13)

There's a large commercial industry in Australia, protected by border imports etc. Hopefully all procedures re quarantine etc are always followed or the new guys. h34r:


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## hoppy2B (28/11/13)

Yob said:


> to get it to that point is a bit of work


No offence intended but the guy obviously doesn't have a clue.

You'll need an elevated work platform or similar machinery to work at the sort of height that is required to grow hops properly. That being around 7 metres. Can you afford that on a small scale? Its way too dangerous not to use an EWP.

Second point is that he probably won't get any or much rhizome in the first year if he doesn't specifically set out to produce some. And that goes double based on the fact they are in pots. 

Third point is the question of how you intend to harvest them. I know from hand picking mine that if he was to pay someone to hand pick them it would cost as much in labour as what he could expect to sell them for.

Unsafe, doesn't have a clue on how to grow them, extremely uneconomical. My honest advice, forget about it.

No offence intended mate, just putting it to you straight. There are ways of getting around some of the issues. If you think you are clever enough to grow hops commercially you can figure it out.


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## hoppy2B (28/11/13)

Look I'll give you some free advice in the opposite direction because I realize the above post sounds a bit harsh.

If you want to multiply your hops, take them out of the pots straight away and plant them in the ground. Then when you have bines growing bury the first couple of feet of bine in the ground before running the bines up the string. You need to do that now at the beginning of the growing season. The length of bine that you have buried will become rhizome that you will be able to lift next year in autumn/winter.

The reason I have been as blunt as possible above is because you don't seem inclined to growing hops commercially. You've started off by creating a lot of unnecessary work and extra expense by going to the trouble of filling large pots and so on. Think efficiently.


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