Hops are fast-growing climbing plants that are very suitable as a privacy screen for the balcony or pergola. The perennial plant grows very quickly and reaches several meters in height.
How do hops grow as a climbing plant?
Hops are a fast-growing climbing plant that is ideal as a privacy screen. Wild hops reach a height of up to 9 meters, real hops up to 7 meters, with a daily growth of 10 centimeters. The plant needs a trellis and climbs clockwise.
Grow hops in pots or outdoors
Hops can not only be grown outdoors, but are also well suited as a container plant.
In the pot, the climber needs a little more care. It must be watered regularly, although waterlogging must be avoided at all costs.
This is how big hops get as a climbing plant
Wild hops reach nine meters in one summer. Cultivated hops, which are grown as climbing plants, reach at least seven meters. If the location and weather conditions are right, the hops will grow an average of ten centimeters per day.
- Wild hops up to 9 meters high
- Real hops up to 7 meters high
- Growth per day 10 centimeters
Hops form many sprouts from which climbing shoots develop. You should remove all but four to six tendrils of new branches. If more shoots remain, the climbing plant will not grow as tall.
Hops need a climbing aid to grow (€279.00 at Amazon). It can consist of stretched wires or plant stakes. When planting on balconies or on the pergola, the balcony trellis or scaffolding is used as a climbing aid.
Hops climbing clockwise
This point is very important if you want the hops to grow nice and tall. The tendrils always wind to the right around the plant support. If they are turned to the left, the climber will not grow at all or will only grow very little. Only when the tendrils are turned to the right again will normal growth resume.
Don't place too close to property lines
Hops not only grow very tall, they also spread widely via their roots.
If you want to plant a privacy screen on the fence, keep enough distance from the neighboring property. Otherwise, the neighbor may feel disturbed and annoyed by runners in his garden.
How large the distance to the fence must be is regulated by the regulations of the local municipality.
Tip
The typical, cone-shaped fruits develop from the female hop flowers in late summer. They can be harvested and used in cooking or for brewing beer. But only use ripe fruits that have not yet turned brown.
