Spring is here, and for many people that means it’s time to start planting their gardens. You may be thinking about some projects to get your garden ready for the growing season. Making a garden trellis using PVC is an inexpensive, hands-on way to enhance your garden – and it’s easier than you think. With just a few materials and tools, and a couple of hours outdoors, you can have a garden trellis you and your plants love.
Simple DIY Garden Trellis
This garden trellis is very simple to make, and it can be made to fit the dimensions of your garden box. Here’s what you’ll need:
Materials
(8) ½” PVC 90-degree elbows
(4) ½” PVC pipe (You’ll need enough pipe to cut out the lengths listed in Step 1)
(8) ½” two-hole pipe straps
(8) 1 ½” woodscrews
Garden twine
Tools
Hack saw (or PVC pipe cutter)
Tape measure
Drill with drill bit and Phillip’s head bit
Steps to Create the Simple DIY Garden Trellis
Step 1: Gather your supplies. Mark and cut your PVC pipe into the lengths below using the hack saw or PVC pipe cutter. (These dimensions will create four trellises, three that are 36” tall and 42” wide and one trellis that is taller at 48” high and 42” wide. You can make yours to fit your garden box, just adjust the sizes as needed.)
Cut the PVC pipes so that you’ll have:
• Six pipes that are each 36″ long
• Two pipes that are each 48” long
• Four pipes that are each 42” long
Step 2: Lay out the pipes where they will go. You are making four U shapes with the pipe and the elbow fittings. The three shorter trellises will use 36” lengths for the sides and the fourth will use the 48” lengths. The top pieces will all be 42”.
Step 3: Place the pipe straps where you want the trellises to go and pre-drill holes on the inside of the garden box. Using the woodscrews, attach the straps to the garden box, but don’t tighten them down. Slip the lengths of PVC that will create the sides of the trellises into the pipe straps and tighten the screws.
Step 4: Attach the elbow connectors to the tops of the side PVC pipes and then attach the four widths of PVC to the sides.
Step 5: Now you’ll cut pieces of garden twine to tie to the top of the pipes, so they hang down to the plants. Wrap the plants around the end of the twine to give them something to cling to as they grow. If your plants are too small to do so, you can wrap the twine around rocks that are placed near your plants.
That’s all there is to it! Your plants can grow up the twine and then the PVC.
A-Frame PVC Garden Trellis
As an alternative to the simple trellis above, you may opt for an A-frame trellis to use for your garden boxes. Here’s what you’ll need and how to do it:
Materials
5’ PVC pipes (You’ll need enough for ten 5’ sections and 16 1” sections, if you’re making 1 A-frame trellis)
(8) PVC 90-degree elbows
(12) PVC T-shaped connectors
(8) 1 ½” woodscrews
Zip ties
PVC primer and glue
Garden twine
Tools
Hack saw (or a PVC pipe cutter like this one)
Tape measure (found here)
Drill with drill bit
Steps to Create an A-Frame PVC Garden Trellis
Step 1: Gather your supplies and cut the PVC pipe into the desired lengths if it isn’t already done. The diameter of the PVC you use is up to you, but it should be sturdy.
Step 2: Assemble the A-frame sides. Each side will have the 5’ lengths running horizontally and the short lengths with T’s and elbows going vertically. You’ll use the PVC primer and glue where you attach joints.
Step 3: Use zip ties (or garden twine) to tie the two sides of the trellis together along the top and place the A-frame trellis in the garden box.
Step 4: Attach the bottom of the trellises to the inside of the garden box with the woodscrews. Alternatively, you can use stakes or sandbags to make sure the trellises stay put.
Step 5: Use garden twine to make squares in the middle of your trellis that your plants can then cling to as they grow.
The above instructions will create one A-frame trellis with two sides that is 5’ long. You can easily customize your trellis to fit your garden. You can also create more than one A-frame if you have a longer garden box. In fact, for more detailed instructions, you can take a look at this article where they have used two A-frames together for a 12’ garden box.
Using PVC for Growing Plants
Using PVC is an affordable and easy way to create trellises that are perfect for your garden boxes. It’s a cheap, durable, and easy to work with material. You can customize your trellises to whatever size you need. They are perfect for any type of plants that grow in vines, like any type of bean, peas, squash, or cucumbers.
