Garden Trellis

By Sharon Sweeny

Eliminating the need for two rather labor-intensive components of hops production, a 10-foot, decorative garden trellis or arbor will save time and money when growing hops, when compared to the usual 12- to 18-foot trellis.

Shorter, or more commonly called "low trellises" in the cultivation of hops, eliminate the need for the practice of stringing the hops vines. This practice is used to encourage the vines to climb ropes attached to the top of the support structure.

Low trellises also eliminate the need for training hops vines, which is the practice of attaching the strongest shoots from each vine to the trellis wires, resulting in increased fruit production.

Lattice Grow hops on a latticework-style of low trellis as an alternative to post and wire trellises. Available in stock sizes of 4 by 8 feet, latticework trellis panels are easily installed to create a sturdy, decorative support structure for low-growing hops vines.

Attach the latticework to two 10-foot posts installed 2-feet into the ground and four feet apart. Secure the posts into the ground with quick-set concrete, for extra stability.

Plant hops 2 feet apart along the base of the trellis, and train them to climb the latticework.

Decorative Garden Structure A pergola, pagoda, or arbor can be used as an alternative for a low trellis support structure on which to grow hops. Simply plant the hops vines near the base of the garden structure and train them to grow up and around it, just as though they were grape vines, flowering vines, or ivy.

Hops vines are commonly pulled out completely to harvest them. Rather than pulling the entire vines at harvest time, you may want to pick the hops individually, so the vines will continue to cover the garden structure until they are killed by frost. The vines will continue to provide shade and a growing, vertical element as the garden slowly dies off for the year.

Fence If you have a fence of sufficient length, you can train hops vines to grow along it horizontally. Even a 4-foot fence is high enough to grow hops if they have sufficient horizontal space in which to grow.

As the hops vines begin to grow, train them to climb the fence vertically. When they reach the top of the fence, train them to grow horizontally along the length of the fence. Train half of the hops vines to grow in one horizontal direction and the other half to grow in the other horizontal direction.

Copyright Sharon Sweeny, 2011

Sharon Sweeny specializes in all things gardening, as well as self-sufficient, do-it-yourself lifestyles. Read more about intensive gardening at http://moxiegardener.com and decorative garden structures at [http://egardenobelisks.com].

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