How to Grow Vegetables on a Lattice Fence

Select your vegetables. Peas, cucumbers, pole beans, melons and tomatoes are all successful trellis climbers. Once you choose your climbers, design a layout that will put the trellis to work. Keep in mind that some vegetables need more spacing than others, so plan accordingly.

Prepare the vegetable plot when the frost threat is over in your region. Break up the soil in front of the lattice fence with a garden fork, turning it over to a depth of 12 inches. Mix 3 to 4 inches of compost into the soil for nourishment.

Dig holes for the vegetable plants equal in size to their nursery containers. Position each hole at the base of the lattice fence. Remove the transplants from their containers and deposit each one in its designated hole. Pat the soil around the main stem of each vegetable transplant and water liberally with a garden hose.

Attach each of the climbing vegetable plants to the lattice fence. Loop a soft piece of twine around the main stem of each climber and tie the loose end to the lattice. As the vegetable plants grow, the twine will guide them to the trellis.

Keep the soil moist to the 1-inch depth as the vegetable climbers grow. Harvest vegetables as they ripen. Cut the vegetable plants from the trellis using pruning shears when the growing season is over.