I've just planted 6 rhizomes and am about to build a trellis for the vines. This is my first time growing hops so I am hoping that someone has a recommendation on designing the trellis. I've done quite a bit of research online, and have read several books so I understand the "general" idea.
My main questions are:
How tall should I build the trellis? I've read of folks building their anywhere from 8 ft. to 30 ft. tall.
Is PCV piping strong enough to hold up the weight of the hop vines and stand up to the wind?
Trellis
I hope to put up my trellis this weekend. I'm planning on sinking a 4x4 in the middle of my hop row, with two plants on either side of the 4x4. Then mounting a 2x4 (vertically, extending higher) with two lag bolts at the top of the 4x4. So I can remove one bolt and hinge the 2x4 on the remaining bolt, tipping it down to work on the top cross member or to harvest. I'm hoping for a 12' height at a minimum. At least that's what I'm planning at this point. I'm not sure if I'm going to have a pulley type system for the climbing strings or not...
Galvanized
I'm very happy with my setup. I built it from the galvanized pipe that's used in chain link fencing. I have two A frames with 10 gauge wire run across the top and anchored at each end. Every season I run biodegradable twine in a zigzag from the irrigation line to the top wire so that each plant gets two lines to climb. In the fall, a hard pull snaps the twine, so I don't need a ladder for harvest.
I could take some photos, if you like.
Hi Chris, I've heard of using
Hi Chris,
I've heard of using pvc to suspend twine from the ground to the top of a pvc "T". Everything I've read suggests that the trellises should be 10' or taller. My hops run up twine from stakes in the ground to the top of a fence about 7 feet tall and I think an extra few feet would make quite a bit of difference. Just my thoughts.
Ryan
Pressure treated wood
Bryan convinced me to go with pressure treated wood instead. He says its is going to be less expensive and more wind resilient. Time to redraw the plans. I'm thinking that I'll clear out the ivy along the side fence in my back yard and do a much more standard two planks of 2x4 or 4x4 with a plank across the top that I can use to drop the twine down to the hop mounds.
Yeah, I think anything with
Yeah, I think anything with some height will work well and the lumber will look better than the PVC. More like a landscaping feature.