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Last year my first year hops took a real beating as a result of an unusually wet season. Couple that with my hard clay soils and well the odds are stacked against me hoppy little friends.
Still, 3 plants fought through the bogs and one even "fruited" a harvestable yield.
So, this year I tripling my varieties and completely revising my hop yard in favor of a raised bed. I have managed to collect a fair amount of free material to constuct said garden. I am using galvanized sheet metal for the bed side which will be lined with a landscape fabric to ward off potential zinc leeching into the soil.
Now I am faced with 2 final issues. Procuring 3, 16 foot long posts to emulate a commercial yard and buying soil on the cheap. I have found the posts but it took some searching.
The soil is another issue al together. Dang is that stuff expensive. I got a quote for 2 tons delivered at $300.00.
Still, 3 plants fought through the bogs and one even "fruited" a harvestable yield.
So, this year I tripling my varieties and completely revising my hop yard in favor of a raised bed. I have managed to collect a fair amount of free material to constuct said garden. I am using galvanized sheet metal for the bed side which will be lined with a landscape fabric to ward off potential zinc leeching into the soil.
Now I am faced with 2 final issues. Procuring 3, 16 foot long posts to emulate a commercial yard and buying soil on the cheap. I have found the posts but it took some searching.
The soil is another issue al together. Dang is that stuff expensive. I got a quote for 2 tons delivered at $300.00.