How to Build an Easy DIY Garden Trellis Arch

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 Republished March 7, 2024

This Easy DIY Garden Trellis Arch has been a terrific addition to our backyard vegetable garden beds. It’s a huge, raised bed space saver for small gardens. You can grow more plants with the vines off the ground, making more room for lettuce, spinach, and herbs between the arch. Growing the vines off the ground and vertically in the air is not only practical but it’s fun, easy, and adds so much visual enjoyment all summer long.

The beauty a vertical trellis adds to your outdoor space is spectacular. Most vining plants produce stunning flowers before the fruit is set. These blooms are a haven for all kinds of much-needed pollinators. This vertical garden trellis will become your garden’s main focal point for a beautiful growing season.

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Why You’ll Love an Arched Trellis in Your Garden

Extremely Sturdy: This DIY trellis is long-lasting and extremely sturdy. Ours has stood up for years against Oklahoma winds. With sturdy metal base poles and strong welded wire mesh, this garden structure will last a long, long time in your garden’s special spot. Building this arched trellis from the ground up makes it more rugged and secure than a store-bought garden trellis found at the big box home centers or local farm stores.

Easy to Build and Design: This DIY project is a mixture of metal hollow pipe pieces, heavy wire or cable ties, PVC pipe, and bamboo rods. These combined products create a lot of visual interest during the growing season with the added benefit of extra vertical and ground growing space. Building this sturdy arched trellis will most likely take a full day and supplies are super affordable. 

Super Fun Garden Space: Our trellis has been up for about 5 years, and it has been a great addition to our garden. We have planted cantaloupe, beans, cucumbers, and loofah squash. Loofahs have been my favorite so far. There is room enough on this garden trellis to grow several varieties at once. This year I’m going to plant loofahs again but not as many, butternut squash, and maybe a sweet pea vine. Spring can’t get here fast enough! 

Yes, vines take more time to grow, but in the end, they produce abundant goodies either to eat, smell or just look at. My main complaint with these fun plants is they get a little unruly and tend to take over the whole area they reside in. You might say most are born wanderers and are sometimes just plain ornery! Solution: Vertical gardening with a Do It Yourself Arched Trellis!

Materials Needed for this DIY Project:

• Bamboo Stakes (or PVC) – 36″ or to your desired length
• Bendable PVC Rods
• 4 Hollow Metal Poles – at least 45″ long. You’ll want to have a 3″ minimum below ground level.
• 36″ wide 2″x 4″ 14-Gauge Galvanized Welded Wire Mesh or cattle fencing, or any heavy gauged wire fencing
• Heavy gauged wire or zip ties
• Drill
• Wire Cutters
• bolt screws
• Heavy Metal Mallet, post pounder
• Tape Measure
• Saw with a metal-cutting blade
• Seeds or plant starts
• Great Organic Soil!

How To Build a DIY Garden Trellis Arch

Garden Trellis Arch Dimensions:

Width: 29″ wide by 54″ long – the 2 metal poles on both supporting sides are 29″ apart.

Length: 54″ long

Height: 68″ tall trellis at the apex of the wire arch

How To Build a Beautiful Garden Trellis

Step 1: Start by measuring the garden area you want to cover. 

• I’d suggest sketching your trellis idea on paper first. Make a materials list from the list above. Look for items you might already have in the garage or garden shed. 
• Make a list of everything you need to purchase, check the weather for a nice day in the garden, and make sure you have plenty of water and beer when you are finished.

Step 2: Metal Poles

• Using the metal saw blade, cut the metal poles to your desired length or ask the hardware man to do it for you. 
• Measure out and stake where the 4 metal poles need to be set, and make sure the posts align with each other and square. 
• Using a heavy mallet, hammer in the first metal pole. Set the second on the same side 30″ from the first pole.
• Repeat this step on the other side, ensuring both anchor sides are in line with each other. The anchor sides are spaced 5′ apart for this trellis.
• Hint: If the poles are hard to pound into the soil you will need to loosen it up by watering or tilling before.  

Step 3: PVC Pipe

• Once you get the 4 metal poles evenly spaced and securely in the ground, insert the bendable PVC pipe into the hollow metal pole.
• Arch the pipe to the hollow pole directly across inserting the other end into the hollow tube. This should make an arc and base for the trellis. 
• To reinforce the frame, he drilled a hole through the pipe and PVC and secured with a bolt.
• Repeat with the remaining side. You should have an even double arch that is roughly 68″ high.

Step 4: Bamboo Poles

• Position 36″ bamboo poles perpendicular to the frame and set about 2 feet apart all going up, over, and down the arch. 
• Drill even and straight holes through metal poles (3 on each poll) for bolt screws. 
• Wrap heavy gauged metal wire to bolts and then thru or around the bamboo using the bolt screws for an anchor stabilizer.
• Wrap and secure the remaining bamboo poles to PVC with heavy gauged metal wire.

Step 5: Wire Mesh Drape

• Drap the welded wire mesh over the structure. Use more heavy wire to secure the mesh to the trellis structure.
• The final step of draping the 2″ x 4″ welded wire over the frame was the easiest. The wire cloth needs to be securely fastened to 9 bamboo poles and the arched frame.

Vining Plant Suggestions for Arch Trellises

Fun Vining Plants I Have Grown

• Green Beans/Pole Beans
• Cantaloupe
• Honey Dew Mellon
• Loofah 
• Moon Vine
• Cardinal Vine

Climbing Plants I Intend to Grow in the Future

• Morning Glories
• scarlet runner bean
• sweet peas
• Vining Indeterminate Tomatoes
• Spaghetti Squash
• Cucumbers

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s

Q: What is the best spot for a vertical arch trellis in my garden design?

A: Ideally a vertical trellis should be on the northern side of your garden spot. Since it is vertical, it will shade plants that are planted in the back of the trellis structure.

Q: What is the best orientation to the sun for my DIY trellis?

A: For more sun surface, build the trellis with the shorter sides facing the east and west side.

Q: Are vertical garden trellises easy to maintain?

A: Yes, in my experience they are. You’re able to plant, water, and weed around the base without stepping on the vining plant.   

Q: Are vertical garden arches physically demanding to maintain?

A: Honestly, in my opinion, I think vertical gardening is easier on the joints, lol. Picking the fruit and veggies is done standing up instead of kneeling on the ground making it easier on your back and knees.

TaDa! Look how great it turned out!

This sweet girl made it’s debut at a family gathering and let me tell you, she was yummy! And just one of the halves served 8 adults! What a way to end a great summer growing season!

More FAQ’s for This DIY Garden Arch Trellis

Is this structure sturdy?

Yes, very! Living in Oklahoma we are known for our winds and tornadoes. This year we have had straight line winds up to 75 miles an hour and this structure never flinched!

Can other vines besides cantaloupe grow on this shaped trellis?

Of course! Pole beans, watermelon, cucumber vines, pumpkins, flowering vines. Any vine that likes to climb!

Can you use another type of horizontal pole besides bamboo?

You sure can! If we didn’t have the bamboo poles already we probably would have used large, thick 2# wooden dowel type poles.

Can you use smaller wire mesh for the climbing structure?

You can but it might be limiting on the type of vines. Vines with larger fruit need the open space to grow in and out of.

 

If you have any other questions about materials, creating your own wonderful garden soil, or when to plant certain vines please shoot me a comment or an email! I’d love to hear from you!

Advantages of Vertical Gardening

• More ground space for non-vining plants and cool weather plants. Veggies and flowers that need a little more shade in the hot summer do well under or in the area the trellis naturally shades. Spinach, lettuce, cilantro, and dill grow great in this cooler garden space.
• Gardening is easier when you don’t have a rogue vining plant taking up valuable garden space.
• With a vertical garden trellis, you can cut down on the overall garden size. 
• Vertical garden arbors are easier on the back, you don’t have to bend over to harvest your goods. It’s also faster because almost everything is at eye level. FYI, If you’re short like me you might need a ladder or step stool to reach the top of the arch.

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