This year, I really wanted every plant to be propped up. Sprawling plants make for a messy looking garden.
And since I planted much closer than usual this year, we needed to go vertical.
Trellises are pricey, usually one trellis per plant.
But I wanted a trellis that could prop up a whole row of peas, beans or cucumbers. So I got on Tom. Tom’s a gym teacher.
With his go-big or go-home mentality, he was racking his brain with ideas to win.
And he came up with a seven’ high and six’ wide trellis made out of PVC pipe.
Guess what else? There’s a surprise at the end of this post.
What you need to make a PVC garden trellis
- Hacksaw
- Miter Box to cut straight lines on PVC Pipe
- A Sharpie marker
- Drill with 9/32 bit
- Yardstick to mark 6″ marks on sides
- Tape measure to mark PVC pipe where you need to cut
- PVC Cement
- Rubber mallet to secure PVC pipe and fitting
- PVC pipe one 7′ x 6′ trellis needs 33 feet
- PVC joints (2 elbows, 3 Tees, one cross)
- Clotheslines approximately 125′
He then cut them with a Hacksaw/Miter Box into three 2′ sections (these will be buried underground), three 5′ sections used on the vertical sections of the trellis, and four 3′ sections for the width of the trellis.
Tom used medium gray PVC cement to combine the fittings and pipe. He used a rubber mallet to ensure pipe was seated well inside the fitting.
Trellis Stages
He then drilled with a 9/32 bit at every Sharpie line.
This is where you secure the clothesline.
Tom tied the vertical clotheslines first.
What I like most about my PVC garden Trellis
- PVC pipe will last virtually forever (unlike wood).
- I could make the width the exact dimensions of our raised beds. Not to short or long.
- Simple to cut and assemble.
- Fairly inexpensive to make.
- You can’t buy a trellis this big. You’d have to buy several and piece them together.
Love this because I do a lot of vertical gardening! Looks nice too
Nice simple trellis1
So many great ideas for gardening!!
That’s a great idea.
Cool idea! I think I’ll try it this year.
I would love to win
Never thought about using pvc pipe for a trellis.
Great idea
Thanks for sharing the tips.
We have a pvc pipe bean trellis in the garden and it works great!
This is so cool. I’d love to build one once winter is over. NY winter weather isn’t exactly the best for outdoor gardening activities. I’ve always liked trellis styles but it never occurred to me that I could create my own handmade one. Thanks for the tutorial.
Ohhhh I need to try this out!
I’ve been wanting to try a trellis for a long time. I can see where it can really save space!
Going vertical saves garden space. Good project!
You have wonderful ideas that are incredibly helpful. Thank you so much
Great idea! Thanks!
This looks like a great idea, and simple to pull of as well! Thank you for sharing.
What a great trellis. I look forward to trying this out in the spring.
Thanks for sharing how to do this. My mom would enjoy trying it out next year.