Like many of you, I am getting my garden beds ready to plant. I have about 60 seedlings in my living room windows that will soon need real growing space. This year I’m going to try growing pumpkins and cucumbers vertically to make more space for other plants.

My simple trellis is designed to lean at a bit of an angle against a fence or other support, allowing vines to grow up, rather than out: a great solution for those with limited space.

The size of your trellis will depend on your garden. I made mine just shy of 4’ wide to fit inside my raised beds. The actual trellis frame is 4’ high with about 12” of post to anchor it into the dirt.

You will need:

• 2 x 2 lumber to fit your trellis size for:
       2 side pieces
       2 cross pieces
       1 center support
• 2 ½” nails for the frame
• U-shaped/fencing nails
• Fencing wire (scraps)
• Tape measure
• Saw
• Square
• Hammer
• Wire cutters
   

1. Cut the 2 x 2 pieces to size for the sides and the cross/support pieces. The sizes may vary depend on your trellis needs.
2. Use the square to make sure the corners are straight, then nail the top and bottom cross pieces to the sides, making sure the width between them matches that of your center support. There should be about 12” of 2 x 2 extending beyond the bottom cross piece for the posts to be set in the ground. (You don’t want the vegetables to pull the trellis over as it gets heavy with fruit).
3. Nail in the center support. This piece gives the trellis stability and allows you to secure the fencing wire in the center.
4. Cut the fencing wire to size using wire cutters and tack it on the trellis with u-shaped nails all around the frame. Make sure to use plenty of nails so your plants have a strong support to grow up.
5. Place it in your garden and pound it into the ground so that it leans at a slight angle.

My raised beds are ready to plant as soon as the days are warm enough for the tomatoes and cucumbers!
 

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