How to Make a Trellis Out of Broken Tree Limbs
Structured, perfectly manicured gardens need structured trellises built from lumber or metal in order to maintain the manicured condition. If you have a more relaxed gardening style and prefer natural elements around your home, then you can build a trellis out of found tree branches and save hundreds of dollars on a new trellis. The bentwood trellises you might see for sale are made of flexible willow branches, but you don't need flexible branches to make a straight trellis. Branches should be 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter with support poles that are about 6 feet long.
Strip all the leaves and secondary branches from the branch with a pocketknife, leaving only the main branch from each tree branch. Branches naturally taper toward the end, but this project works best when the vertical support branches that are at least 1/2 inch in diameter at the shortest end of the branch pole.
Lay the vertical trellis poles out on a flat work surface. Use one pole for every 3 feet of trellis width. Use measuring tape to achieve equal spacing between each vertical branch pole.
Lay 1-inch diameter branch pieces horizontally across the vertical poles, beginning 12 inches from the bottom and spaced every 12 inches along the length of the vertical poles.
Nail the horizontal branches to the vertical support branches with 1-1/2-inch ring shank nails. If you prefer a more rustic look, you can connect two intersecting branches with twine or simply cover the nails with twine.
Fill in the remaining spaces between the horizontal and vertical poles with your own design from 1/2-inch diameter branches nailed to the 1-inch poles with 1-inch ring shank nails. You can add more horizontal and vertical pieces to make a grid of 4-inch squares or run the branches diagonally to create a diamond pattern. Bend a few branches to create swirls and S-shapes in the framework; two bent branches inside a square in the trellis can easily look like a crescent moon. Choose the spacing that works best for your design, keeping the branches spaced between 4 and 12 inches apart.
Wrap the narrow, wispy ends of branches loosely around the sturdy main branches that make up the trellis, if desired. Glue these in place with wood glue to give the trellis the look of twisting, climbing vines before you train any plants to grow on the trellis.
Prop the trellis up against a garden wall or fence; alternatively, you can sharpen the ends of the vertical poles and push them into the soil to make it a freestanding trellis.
- Your plants simply need a structure to grab so they can grow up the trellis. You must provide vertical and horizontal supports to form the basic structure, but you have unlimited opportunities for creativity when filling in the spaces with smaller branches.
A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.