Here are some pics of my unusual setup. The idea was to create a system that enabled maximum growth height as well as ease of harvest.
This shot attempts to show the whole rig, which is in a 1-acre wire/netting covered garden (essentially a giant circus tent).
The setup requires no vertical supports - there are just two steel poles; one sits on the outside of the wire/netting and provides support for the lower pole, which is suspended via fencing wire a meter or so below. Once the bines reach this first horizontal support they are tipped/trained around the pole as to prevent them from making a tangled mess in the netting above.
When it's time for harvest, steel cables are passed up over the top support and secured to the lower support (ala pulley system), enabling the whole thing to be lowered to a nice chest height for harvest. Last year we harvested the entire crop in one go as the cones all matured quite evenly, but the pulley system means you could lower/raise the bines at will for a staggered harvest.
The rhizomes themselves are planted in stainless steel perforated drums (salvaged from discarded washing machines) that are dug into a garden bed. My 'theory' is that this allows better moisture retention than free-standing pots, whilst also preventing the 'zomes from invading the rest of the garden. This is their second year in the pots and the rhizome growth in terms of bulk was phenomenal - my theory again is that limiting the space for root growth helps the plant consolidate it's energy. How it will compare to free-planted rhizomes in the long run I'm yet to see. Some of the long roots however still managed to escape the stainless drums by tapering down to 1mm, growing through the perforations, and then shooting out the other side... rather astonishing.
This shows last year's growth just as the bines reached the first support and shows the setup a little clearer - you can see a few tendrils making a run for the top netting before they were tipped/trained.
Finally, shot of this year's Hallertauer as of this morning.
Hopefully others will be inspired to implement a pulley-system with their next setup!
