Hop Trellis Height Guidelines

Hops need plenty of room for their 25- to 30-foot vines.


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If you enjoy brewing your own beer and have space in your garden, home grown hops (Humulus lupulus) will enhance your batches of brew. Even if you don't like beer, hop vines are attractive, dense vines that grow well in temperate areas. Because the plants can grow to 25 to 30 feet tall, they are typically grown on a trellis system. The height of your trellis will depend on the amount of room in your garden and local codes.

Commercial Hops

Commercial hop growers use a trellis system that ranges from 15 to 20 feet tall. The trellis system consists of tall, heavy posts inserted into the ground at the ends of planting rows. Between the posts, at 15 to 20 feet off the ground, runs a sturdy wire. Every two to three feet along the wire a length of twine extends down to the ground at an angle. Viewed from the end of the row, the trellis looks like a series of inverted Vs.

Garden Hops

In your own yard, aim for a trellis height between 8 to 10 feet with room for the vine to amble along vertically. This space to amble is key to growing hops in the garden and is more important than the actual height of the trellis. The trellis should be thought of as a means to guide the vine up to where it can spread out. The trellis must be sturdy enough to support the weight of the vine. One support for backyard hops can consist of a trellis that is tall enough to reach the eaves of your home. The vine can then grow up the trellis and spread out along the eaves. You can also place a trellis along a fence and let the vine grow along the top edge of the fence.

Local Codes

Commercial hop growers must follow strict guidelines set by the state regarding the height and stability of a trellis system. Before installing a trellis system in your garden, check local codes regulating the height of structures placed in your yard. Some cities may be lax about how tall a trellis can be in your back yard, but have strict rules about trellises placed in front yards. You will need to bury a portion of most hop trellis systems to make them sturdy. To avoid hitting any utility lines when digging, contact your utility company and they will mark where the lines run below ground.

Trellis Alternatives

Because hop vines grow quickly into an attractive plant, you can use them in the garden as you would any other vine. If you've built an arbor as part of your entryway, consider planting a hop vine on one side and letting it amble up and over the arbor. Hop vines can also grow along a pergola to provide shade. If you have a chain-link fence, hop vines can cover it and provide some privacy. The height of what you grow your hop vine on isn't as important as giving the plant room to sprawl.

About the Author

Tammie Painter


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