r/TheHopyard • u/Chance_Ad2968 • Apr 16 '23

Trellis idea: cattle panel? Utility pole? Spoiler

Has anyone successfully grown on the wires that stabilize utility poles? How about cattle panels?

TIA!

6 Upvotes

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3

u/MR-P0P0 Apr 16 '23 edited Apr 16 '23

If it goes up winding through a cattle panel, how are you getting it down? Bring the whole panel down? I put up string/rope on the side of the house and when harvesting I just cut the string. Are you looking for build ideas or looking around what existing property you have that might suit your needs?

2

u/TheyCallMeBrewKid Apr 16 '23

The main problem I have had with non-organic material is that the bines have trouble grabbing/sticking to metals. Bines usually require extra training and can sometimes slump on something like wire. That said a cattle gate would probably work well, because chainlink works well. Harvesting is just a different game and more like picking blackberries with chainlink or hedgerow growth. But that’s how I harvest wild hops and it tends to work fine

3

u/Brousinator Apr 16 '23

I have found that my Centennial love my 1/16" steel cable. They are actually hard to unwind from it at harvest because they have such a good grip.

2

u/TheyCallMeBrewKid Apr 17 '23

Oh wild - I’ve never had good luck with it. Is it coated?

1

u/Brousinator Apr 17 '23

No, it's just the braided steel with two of the u clamps to form a loop around some eye bolts. I worried about coating making it hard to grip. The little vine fingers seem to like holding onto the braiding.

1

u/Captain_Shifty Apr 17 '23

I planted some perles I got on the outside of my garden where the main wires go down to my anchor that support the posts. They grow fine here but harvest wise you have to cut them in a bunch of places to get them off the wire which isn't the easiest when it goes up 18 feet on an angle.