What to Use for a Trellis

Trumpet vine, grapes and clematis all benefit from a trellis.

Some trellises lean against buildings, trees or one another, while others form flat-topped arches. Almost any sturdy item with rungs, springs or slats makes an effective trellis. Consider curb appeal when you choose materials for a makeshift trellis. Conceal less-attractive components with fast-growing vine plants or paint them to blend into the landscape until your plants grow enough to conceal the recycled origins of your trellis.

Furniture Parts

Old couch frames can become trellises instead of going to landfills.

Metal bedsprings, box spring frames, futon frames, crib side-rail sections and couch frames all make strong trellises. Remove all coverings and stuffing from box springs or couch frames before you use them as trellises. Add extra rails where you need them, cut from dowel rods. Use any natural-fiber covering and stuffing materials as mulch around your newly planted vines, or cut it to fit the space between your garden rows to use in strip composting. Because these items are not as attractive, paint them green or brown or turn them into hedgerows by planting raspberry or blackberry canes and grapevines to cover them.

Shutters, Window Frames and Ladders

When you replace old shutters, you can turn them into A-frames.

Shutters, window frames with the glass removed and old ladders all work well as A-frame-style trellises. Lean two shutters against one another at the short end, secure them at each side with wood strips and screws and you have an instant, light A-frame that you can place anywhere. Avoid using any window-frames with white paint on them, unless you are 100 percent certain they were made well after the 1977 ban on lead in house paint.

Cut furring strips, which are typically 1/2 inch thick by 4 inches wide or narrower, to serve as rungs in a window-frame trellis. Space them about 6 inches apart to allow plenty of sunlight to penetrate the finished trellis.

Easiest of all, turn old stepladders into trellises. Remove any old paint, tar or other unsightly substances before you place the stepladder where you need it. Use the top and rungs as a plant stand for small and medium-size containers and use the other side to support heavy-fruit vines such as watermelon, cantaloupe or pumpkin. Cut legs from old stockings to pull over the developing fruit and secure one end to the ladder to provide an expandable support.

Fence Sections and Ornamental Ironwork

An ornamental-iron trellis has automatic curb appeal.

Save old fence sections and ornamental ironwork to make flat-topped trellises. Strip any peeling finish from the ironwork using a wire wheel on a right-angle grinder. Use two identical pieces as sides and secure a third piece on top. Use flat-top trellises as grape arbors or to make patio shade structures. Trellises made from ornamental ironwork or upscale fencing materials are ideal for front yards or landscape focal points.

Twigs, Vines and Branches

Willow withes make beautiful trellises.

Weave willow, hazel or other 1/2-inch to 1/4-inch-diameter twigs back and forth on a framework of 1-inch-diameter or larger branches to create A-frame panels. Soak these small twigs, called osiers, in water before you begin if they are too dry. Like ornamental ironwork trellises, woven-branch trellises create instant curb appeal. Maximize their natural look by weaving grapevine in and out of the willow withes, along the support branches.

References

• "Mother Earth News"; Make Simple, Beautiful Garden Fences and Trellises; Barbara Pleasant; April/May 2007
• Pierce County, Washington, Conservation District: Hedgerows -- Rural to Urban; Kait Teachout