Hops Planted Along Fence

Cascade (4.5 - 7 AU), Chinook (10 - 14 AU), Columbus (11 - 18 AU), Fuggle (4 - 5.5 AU), Halertau (3.5 - 5.5 AU), Northern Brewer (6 - 10 AU).

We have less than ideal growing conditions for hops, with 25 almost-old-growth fir trees blocking most of the Eastern morning sunlight. But I decided to plant my six hop rhizomes along the property line cyclone fence with my Western neighbor. The East Puget Sound region has seen a La Nina influenced cool winter/spring that has kept nighttime temperatures in the mid to low thirties for as far back as I can remember. Besides diminished sun exposure, three of the hops are planted inside our chicken habitat so I've had to protect the base plantings with hardware cloth enclosures. The fence is only five feet high, and the rhizomes are spaced five feet apart, so I'm planning on training them to grow across the fence, back-and-forth, to make both a visual wall and to give the bines space to grow. I'll be really surprised if we get enough days of warm sun for the hops to mature this growing season.