Hops advice please

Sunshinefields

Hello, so we have a hops plant that we put in this border this summer and it's really kicking on with a view to grow up our slatted screening we made. The question we have is, and it's probably stupid but we are keen novices, can we now cut off the deadwood and take out the cane that it came with and just let it creep along the ground? Many thanks in advance! 

Skandi

I have a few hops plants, the ones that grow on the ground do not seem to flower, but the ones that grow up the trees do. If you just want it as green ground cover I cannot see why you can't just leave it to sprawl, you will need to cut it back though, they get very long/tall the ones I have make it at least 8m up the tree and probably higher.

Loxley

Yes, it is already making moves on that slatted screen! The dead wood will be last year's growth, it pretty much dies to the ground in the winter and comes back from the roots each year, so you cut away the previous year's growth.

bertrand-mabel

We were given a golden hop many years ago and it did climb and climb and then spread everywhere.

Another hop that we were given before from a neighbour did the same and whilst they both did flower and we used the flowers dried in decorations etc we have regretted planting them as we are still having to pull up bits.

mikeymustard

Argh! Golden hops are the bane of my life! We've been actively pulling it up for the last few years. I planted a couple clematis down that end and had to chop wrist-sized roots out. 
When we came back from a fortnight in Wales last month the damn' stuff had grown about 10ft and choked everything.
On the plus side, it does look good in spring when its acid-green leaves positively glow in the shady bits 🙂

Dovefromabove

I love that acid green and planted a golden hop ... after two years I realised my mistake and took it out before it was impossible.   I replaced it with Clematis alpina 'Stolwijk Gold' ... the only clematis with golden leaves ... lovely ferny leaves too, very pretty ... plus gorgeous inky blue flowers in the spring ............ and unlike the golden hop it doesn't die down in the winter, and unlike many clematis you don't have to prune it.  Win win. 

https://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/clematis-stolwijk-gold.html#:~:text=Clematis Stolwijk Gold Is the,Attracts Butterflies & Bees

😎

Dovefromabove

Here it is Clematis alpina ‘Stolwijk Gold’. 

😎 

Sunshinefields

Wow that is a nice looking clematis, we have it elsewhere in the garden. Thought we would try something different, sounds like a few horror stories for hops but we were hoping it will climb and go over the top of the pergola I made the slatted screening for. I promise we will try and keep on top of it!   

BenCotto

Tread very warily with golden hop - as mikeymustard says the roots are surprisingly thick as well as being tenacious and invasive. Once it is established it will be very hard to remove and overwhelm nearby plants so proceed with extreme caution.

Dovefromabove

BenCotto said:

Tread very warily with golden hop - as mikeymustard says the roots are surprisingly thick as well as being tenacious and invasive. Once it is established it will be very hard to remove and overwhelm nearby plants so proceed with extreme caution.

It's not just the top growth .... after having ours for only two years it started coming up in the veg patch over  four feet away