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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Growing hops
  • Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 08:26:35 EST

Bev,

I've grown hops for a number of years. You get a harvest of hops no matte
how you grow them, it's just a matter of quantity. For years they grew on
the
4' fence posts along the pasture and however many branches they could manage
to
send up and twine around the post, you'd get that many hops.

Wires don't work well, the heat seems to damage the vines.

The way I've gotten the most hops is to put a 3' stake right beside the vine.
Then about a foot or so away on either side I dig a 30" hole with the post
hole diggers and put in a 5" or 6" pole about 12' long (9 1/2 feet or so out
of the ground). Then choose two stongest vines on each side and start them
up
the poles. Prune off the rest.

There seems to be no other way to harvest the ripe hops except by the
traditional method of using a ladder. The cones need to be harvested when
they are
just opening but still green. It isn't possible to take the vine down
without
damaging the lot.

We've had some really horrendous wind storms in the summer but neither the
poles nor the vines have ever come to any harm. This season I'm moving the
hops
vines to a more or less permanent location and using locust poles which ought
to last in place for a number of years.




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