Small scale hop growing options?

[Drunken Horse]

After my first go at dry hopping I've decided I'd like to use hops grown myself.

My problem is SWMBO is not keen on the idea having us just spent the summer redoing the whole garden of new home. She thinks long lines of hops would spoil it.

I,ve seen Hops grown on obilisk trellis but assume that its the decrative variety.

I just bought a 2.5 metre high arch for £3 in Wilco's. Could this be used to grow a small quantity of hops? How would be best to do this?What hops should I use I've read about dwarf hops and assume thesr would be best but are they aroma hops or bitteting? ( I would prefer aroma hops)

Alternatively there is an old railway line and depot near me thats been left to go back to nature I could plant some along the fencing or arching and hope it grows wild. Would there be any problems with that other than the risk they dont take or someone getting to them before me?

 

[JonnyD]

After my first go at dry hopping I've decided I'd like to use hops grown myself.

My problem is SWMBO is not keen on the idea having us just spent the summer redoing the whole garden of new home. She thinks long lines of hops would spoil it.

I,ve seen Hops grown on obilisk trellis but assume that its the decrative variety.

I just bought a 2.5 metre high arch for £3 in Wilco's. Could this be used to grow a small quantity of hops? How would be best to do this?What hops should I use I've read about dwarf hops and assume thesr would be best but are they aroma hops or bitteting? ( I would prefer aroma hops)

Alternatively there is an old railway line and depot near me thats been left to go back to nature I could plant some along the fencing or arching and hope it grows wild. Would there be any problems with that other than the risk they dont take or someone getting to them before me?

i dont know that much on hops but what i do know is they grow at a rapid rate. if left unattended it will be messy and SWMBO i assume will not be happy. if you keep them attended in the garden they will look nice and decorative as well as useful! :thumb:

Check out this post: viewtopic.php?f=21&p=430239#p430239.
personally i think his garden looks great with them in.

as for the latter of your post, i think you know the answer to both parts. There wont be any problem apart from trespassing? other than they wont take. for what its worth germinating a couple of batches and letting planting them in both could be an option. if they are too wild you can rip them out and attend to the ones on the railway :)

 

[BIGJIM72]

Again-thanks JonnyD.

By far from an expert grower but I can tell you about my experiences. I grow Prima Donna (or First Gold by another name)- a dwarf hop variety. It will easily do 10-12 feet of growth. I have mine growing on strings over a 6'X6'x8' pergola-so they go vertical then horizontal. In a good year when the frame is covered it does look good-but not so much this year. I would check the "Growing Hops?" thread for advice on growing in pots-maybe try that first.

The plants are really vigorous-if the bines touch dirt they want to put down roots & make a new rhizome. Again- I would get a plant in a pot & maybe encourage reproduction of new plants by training any shoots into pots like you would with strawberry runners ( the wisdom is to cut the growing shoots back to 3-4 if you want flowers),then maybe plant up the railway fence the next year.

 

[Drunken Horse]

The railways got a public footpath on it now so should be okay.


I just found this picture- This is kind of what I had in mind

Just have to work out what type of hops to get now I suppose