Garden Trellis DIYs: My 4 Favorites

I have had the same dozen redwood stakes for four seasons in the garden now, taking a new shape each time as a garden trellis. There are many materials and approaches that can be used for trellising plants. I seem to use about two or three of the same techniques season after season, as I like to have my structures as mobile as possible.

The four DIY garden trellis methods that you’ll see here are an A-frame trellis, a teepee trellis, the Florida weave trellis, and a box trellis. I sort of made some of these terms up, but you’ll see why.

As a rule of thumb, I recommend planning around trellises, as I like to place those plants into a design first (as seen in THIS post). However, having the ability to create structure on the fly is something that I love and live for.

Here is a review of my four favorite DIY Garden Trellises:

1. A-Frame Garden Trellis

My favorite and most go-to garden trellis is the A-frame. I love this because you just add twine as the plants grow and you can train plants up, like fava beans, that don’t naturally climb (like a pea). However, you can also place climbers onto these trellises, like cucumbers.

To make this trellis, you simply press your redwood stakes into wet soil about 4 “, at a 45-degree angle. Once your opposite stakes are leaning towards each other, you secure them with twine at the top, and then use twine to weave around each stake at the bottom.

2. The Florida Weave

This garden trellis technique is not one that I’ve named – I researched this one for my tomatoes. This is great for tall plants that need support and airflow. This would be great for the above fava beans as well, or for pepper plants and tomatillos. The Florida Weave trellis is easy to add to over time and is made with just a row of stakes placed vertically in the soil. You weave your twine between the stakes to create supports that hold your plants between two pieces of twine gently.

3. The Box Trellis

This is the trellis that I make when I am behind the game and just need to add some support. Similar to how a tomato cage works, this trellis creates a sort of box around the plant, allowing it to not be weighed down by fruit or leaves.

You use four (or more) stakes to create a square around the plant(s) and then weave your twine around the edges and through to make zigzag supports. This works well once a plant is established because you can place the twine wherever the plant needs supporting most.

4. Teepee Trellis

I love how these little teepees look all over the garden, most traditionally used to support our best climbers like peas, cucamelons, beans, etc. You can use bamboo to create these as well, but I love how the redwood stakes look the most.

To make these trellises, I use eight to 10 stakes and form a circle, driving the stakes in at about a 45-degree angle. You secure the top with twine first, creating a little bundle up top. Next, with new twine, weave it around the base and all the way up to the top. I add my twine in layers, to give on-demand support to my plants as they grow.

As a gardener with a garden that is temporary, having my stakes on hand to do with whatever I please is non-negotiable. I use them until the wood splits or breaks, typically about three years. I just love having DIY materials on-hand for quick solutions and not having to plan all the details all the time.

Coming up next is a full review of ALL the trellis options that you can utilize in your garden. It’s quite a lengthy list!