Whether freestanding or attached to a wall, then a wooden trellis produces an attractive and functional addition to your backyard. A range of trellis shapes and designs makes these constructions useful tools to encourage and grow flowers, vines, produce. Although other types of trellis materials are available, a timber trellis mixes naturally and organically into just about any landscape.
Utilizes
A trellis helps protect crops from damage, pests and weeds, and also makes it much easier to dust or spray when insect and disease management is required. Starting vertical-growing plants on a trellis produces an efficient use of space, especially handy in small gardens, and also may result in increased yields of food plants. A trellis can function as the decorative centerpiece of a backyard or a backdrop for a colorful shrub. Trellises raise privacy when used as boundary accents to your lawn, and they are cheaper than a fence. An overhanging trellis with a fast-growing deciduous vine may add shade to patios or residences, and a hinged trellis can readily be lowered when you need to do home maintenance.
Materials
A trellis can be made from just about any sort of timber, even twigs and branches. A wood’s durability is dependent upon the proportion of sapwood — the lighter colored outer part of a tree to heartwood, the darker colored interior part. White cedar and black locust trellis articles made mainly from heartwood can last up to 50 decades. Pressure-treated lumber will also last many decades, but some homeowners do not like the idea of using timber treated using poisonous substances in pressure treatment. Without treating, certain species of timber aren’t very durable, like redwood or pine poles that just last three to six decades.
Styles and Designs
The design of a trellis is limited only by your creativity when you create one from scratch, and commercially available wood trellis panel styles include fan-shaped, rectangular, arching, those with convex or concave shirts, or “winged.” Many basic trellis designs for climbing plants like beans and tomatoes utilize a hammer or obelisk shape, or a much easier A-frame or cage. The planter box layout, with a soil-filled plant container at the bottom of a small trellis, is ideal for a fireplace or even indoor usage.
Maintenance
Untreated wood trellis supports are exposed to fungi that break timber down. This is not uncommon in areas with a lot of rain and humidity, and much less of an issue in arid regions. Termites and carpenter ants can also be attracted to timber structures such as trellises. Utilizing wood treated with water-repellent preservatives helps shield against decay and fungi, while pressure-treated timber is resistant to fungi and insects. If termites or carpenter ants are probably, treat the soil around the foundation of the trellis with an insecticide. Reduce wear and decay on less-permanent trellis structures by dismantling them or transferring them in a garage or other storage place after the end of each growing season.