Horizontal Trellis Ideas

Grape Trellis

• A simple horizontal trellis supported by four two-by-four boards is appropriate for a grapevine. Grapes need to hang to ripen and prevent rotting, and a horizontal trellis will provide support for the vine to prevent snapping. Reinforce your trellis with wire or use wood to help support the weight of the vine, as a full-grown grapevine can easily weigh 50 lbs.

Cucumber Trellis

• Another appropriate climbing plant for a horizontal trellis is the cucumber. Cucumbers that ripen on the ground will often remain moist and rot before you have a chance to pick them. Growing your cucumbers on a horizontal trellis raised 2 or 3 feet off the ground is an easy way to allow the cucumbers to hang and ripen, and keep them off the ground away from insects and other pests.

Pergola

• If you are willing to raise your horizontal trellis 7 or more feet off the ground, you might want to consider constructing a pergola. A pergola is little more than a trellis, supported by vertical wooden posts or concrete pillars, and constructed out of wood or wire. Pergolas allow vines and climbing plants to grow freely along a trellis roof, which shades the area underneath and provides hanging fruit should you plant a grapevine.

Ivy Shade Garden

• You can use a horizontal trellis in conjunction with a dense-growing ivy such as English ivy to create a small shade garden. Train the ivy to grow across a horizontal trellis lifted off the ground 2 or 3 feet. Once the ivy fills out, you can plant shade-loving plants underneath, such as begonias or impatiens. The ivy will love the sun, and your more sensitive perennials will flourish in the partial shade.