DIY Garden Trellises for Raised Beds
Step-by-step guide made from Expedition Northwoods's YouTube video.
Learn how to build two simple and effective types of trellises for raised garden beds. This project covers an A-frame trellis using wood and chicken wire, ideal for cucumbers and beans, and a stake-and-string trellis perfect for supporting tomato plants as they grow.
- Difficulty: beginner
Must know before you build
- Orient trellises to avoid casting shadows on sun-loving plants; crucial for garden planning.
- Use heavy-duty, steel-core garden stakes to prevent bending under plant weight.
- Double or triple mason lines for tomato trellises if a single string lacks sufficient support.
- Build chicken wire frames with 1x1 lumber for sturdy, purpose-built trellises.
- Substitute mason line with any sturdy string, like thick kite string, for tomato trellises.
Tools
- Drill/driver (Cordless)
- Hand hoe (optional)
- Watering can (optional)
Materials
- Chicken wire
- Wood boards (1x1)
- Wood screws
- Garden stakes (Heavy-duty, steel core, plastic coated)
- Twisted mason line (1 roll)
Step by step
Step 1: Assemble & Review the A-Frame Trellis
Construct and review the A-frame chicken wire trellis. This design is ideal for cucumbers, allowing them to hang down for easy harvesting.
- Assemble the A-Frame. Position two chicken wire frames at an angle against the inside of the raised bed, meeting at the top to form an 'A' shape. Secure the frames to wooden support stakes and to each other at the top using a drill and screws.
- Understand the Design. Review the completed A-frame trellis. The 45-degree angle allows cucumbers to grow up the wire and hang underneath, making them easy to pick and keeping them off the ground.
- Tip: These frames were repurposed from a patio barrier, but you can easily build similar ones using 1x1 lumber and chicken wire.
- Tip: Position vertical trellises carefully to avoid casting unwanted shadows on other parts of your garden throughout the day.
Step 2: Assemble the Vertical Bean Trellis
Assemble the vertical chicken wire trellis for pole beans and attach it to the raised bed.
- Position and Secure the Frame. Place a single chicken wire frame vertically at one end of the raised bed. Use a drill and screws to attach it securely to the wooden stakes inside the bed.
Step 3: Assemble the Tomato Trellis
Install tall stakes on either side of the raised bed and run horizontal lines of string between them to create the tomato trellis.
- Install the Support Stakes. Drive two heavy-duty garden stakes deep into the ground on the outside of the raised bed, one at each end of the section designated for tomatoes.
- Run the Horizontal Strings. Tie a sturdy string, like mason line, to one of the stakes. Run the string horizontally across to the other stake and wrap it around securely. Repeat this process to create several horizontal lines, spaced about a foot apart vertically.
- Tip: Using heavy-duty stakes with a steel core ensures they won't bend under the weight of the tomato plants.
- Tip: If a single string isn't strong enough, you can double or triple the lines for extra support.
Step 4: Plant and Water Peas
Create a trench in the soil, plant pea seeds, cover them with soil, and water them in.
- Create a Planting Trench. Using a hand hoe or similar tool, create a trench about 1.5 inches deep along the length of the planting area.
- Sow the Pea Seeds. Place one pea seed in the trench every two inches.
- Cover and Water the Seeds. Gently cover the seeds with soil, patting it down lightly. Water the entire row thoroughly to help the seeds settle and begin germination.
- Tip: These are bush peas, which will grow next to the cucumbers that climb the A-frame trellis.
Step 5: Plant and Water Radishes
Create two rows in the soil, plant two varieties of radish seeds, cover them, and water them in.
- Create Planting Rows. Use a stake or a long tool to press two straight, parallel rows into the soil, about half an inch deep.
- Sow the Radish Seeds. Plant one radish seed per inch along each row. The video shows planting two different varieties: White Icicle and Cherry Belle.
- Cover and Water the Seeds. Gently cover the seeds with soil and pat the surface down. Water the newly planted rows well.
- Tip: To get a continuous harvest, practice succession planting: plant a new row of radishes every 10 days.