Growth Height Of Hops

[midworld08]

Hi,
Got a some rhizomes and got them in the ground 4 weeks back. I set them up with a 3m to climb, and alas 3 of them have hit the top already, 1 died and the other is just starting to shoot. So I read that some people take them to 6m, and I have no doubt that they would go that far....the question is now they have hit the top, do I prune them and stop them getting higher? Do I just leave them and let them flop over? I've seen lots of posts on growing them, but no one has mentioned what they have done to get over the profuse growing these things do.

Next year I'll set them up for more height for sure!

Cheers
Colin

 

[tdh]

Train them to now grow horizontally, from east to west.

tdh

 

[apd]

Can you train them horizontally? I see in your picture they are close to your house. Maybe you could run some lines from the top of the bines to the house.

Andrew

 

[midworld08]

The row they are in is east to west. East being the brick wall at the back, and cascade is suffering a little back there without getting as much sun. But if I train them horizontally along the thread that is already there won't they get all mixed up and when it comes to harvest then it'll be a hard time figuring out which ones is what......unless they really do look that different.

I could string lines from the top to a fence which is 4m away, and run them along those however that would make them grow north south. Maybe the with this WA sun it doesn't matter!

First time to grow these, and I can say I have never seen a plant grow so fast!

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[tdh]

Separate strings for each variety, like a washing line.

tdh

 

[MarkBastard]

You can snip the ends of the bines right up the top and it'll stop growing. Instead it'll grow laterals probably from the bottom first. You can wrap these around the existing bine. It'll basically thicken each one up. I did this by accident and it looks to be good.

See the tipping thread for more info.

 

[drsmurto]

Mine grow up ~2m and are then trained horizontally for as far as they want to grow.

 

[jbirbeck]

Mine grow up ~2m and are then trained horizontally for as far as they want to grow.

I do the same, 2 - 2.5 metres up and then horizontal. I've got the horizontals running south to north, and east to west and west to east. all doing as well as each other.

 

[tdh]

Smurto, are you keeping the number of bines from each plant to a maximum of 3?

It looks mighty dense there.

tdh

 

[drsmurto]

Smurto, are you keeping the number of bines from each plant to a maximum of 3?

It looks mighty dense there.

tdh

No.

Let them go crazy. Stopped counting at 20.
I did read reports (one by a very young looking Brad McMahon) about this but got too lazy and now that the chinook is flowering, its too late.

Next year. When i build a proper trellis.

 

[Guest Lurker]

Ived tried restricting to three bines, and letting them go nuts, and have found the yields to be comparable either way.

 

[Yeldarb]

Mine are going crazy too...they have all hit 4.5m and I have lowered them...sort of a pully system...one of them (Chinook...pretty sure anyway, a little bit of uncertainty between Chinook and Tettnang...it seems permanent marker on plastic is not UV stabilised ) is going bananas. Actually they are all going pretty crazy with shoots going every which way. I've fed them pretty well...they like cow poo tea

 

[midworld08]

And I thought mine were looking good, Dr Smurto's beating me hands down! Oh well I guess next year will be the competition....

Added horizontal rows now and started to train them across those, will report back with piccies in a month or so, hey I'd like to see more piccies of other hop set ups.

Of course I think its time to mix in some more dynamic lifter, cause it seems Smurto's get the natural stuff and look at those....

 

[sydneyhappyhour]

And I thought mine were looking good, Dr Smurto's beating me hands down! Oh well I guess next year will be the competition....

Added horizontal rows now and started to train them across those, will report back with piccies in a month or so, hey I'd like to see more piccies of other hop set ups.

Of course I think its time to mix in some more dynamic lifter, cause it seems Smurto's get the natural stuff and look at those....

HAHA I dumped Dynamic lifter on my Mt Hood bine today in the same hope :huh:

 

[jyo]

HAHA I dumped Dynamic lifter on my Mt Hood bine today in the same hope :huh:

I was told to not use dynamice lifter (Rupert at Hopswest) and just use blood n bone and cow shite.

In saying that, I used dynamic lifter last year, and had good results...

 

[gunbrew]

I like the advice given in this thread.
Will add one thing.
Don't let your hops flop over at the top as I did for a few weeks.
When I got up on a ladder and had a look, the tops of the bines were damaged as they had been whipping around in the wind.
Also the tops of the bines were where most of the hop spurs were forming and I lost a few through my mistake.
Have now made lateral lines and the bines are trained along them (heading north).
The Chinook seems to be having a halt in growth at the moment and some hop spurs have turned into cones.
All the cones are quite small, would fit on a 5 cent piece.
First time I have grown hops and am just growing one Chinook.
Have enjoyed it and will be keen for more next year.
All the best.