If you want your hops to reach their full potential, you’ve got to give them something to climb! These plants are natural-born climbers, but here’s the catch: they only grow if they can wind themselves clockwise around a support. If they don’t have anything to grab onto, they’ll actually stop growing altogether.
Great Support Ideas for Your Hops
- Wooden trellises
- Tightened ropes or twine
- Balcony railings
- An old ladder or similar vintage finds
When planting hops in your garden, a sturdy trellis is a must. You can also get creative with a system of tensioned ropes. Personally, I think planting hops against a house wall is a fantastic move—it makes installing supports a breeze. Plus, unlike ivy or Virginia creeper, hops won’t leave those stubborn marks or damage your siding.
Reaching New Heights (With a Little Help)
Cultivated hops can soar up to 23 feet high, while wild varieties can hit a staggering 30 feet! In the wild, hops just hitch a ride on neighboring plants. But in your garden or on your balcony, it’s up to you to provide that vertical highway.
No Support, No Growth
The ideal setup is a trellis made of thin rods or poles, which are the easiest for the vines to grip. If you want to give your hops a helping hand, always wrap the vines clockwise (to the right) around the support. If you try to wind them counter-clockwise, the plant will simply stop growing.
The same thing happens if your support is too short. Hops do a decent job climbing a balcony railing, but they’ll quickly run out of “road.” Once the vine grows past the top and starts flopping over the other side, growth grinds to a halt. So, if you’re using hops as a privacy screen on your balcony, make sure your support goes high! Do it right, and by autumn, you’ll be rewarded with those beautiful, cone-shaped fruits that aren’t just decorative—they’re great for herbal uses, too.
