Garden Design

Grow Perfect Tomatoes with This PVC Trellis

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Grow Perfect Tomatoes with This PVC Trellis
Project Overview
  • Working Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Skill Level: Beginner

A couple of connector pieces and lengths of pipe come together in this project to create a simple polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe arbor that fits over a raised bed. Netting covers the outside to prevent insects and animals from harming the fruits and veggies that you worked so hard to grow all season. The best part? You can easily disassemble this DIY trellis and store it for later use.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • 1 Rubber mallet
  • 1 Chop saw

Materials

  • 6 ½" PVC pipe cut to 48"
  • 3 ½" PVC pipe cut to 43"
  • 4 ½" PVC pipe cut to 33"
  • 3 ½" PVC pipe cut to 80"
  • 6 1" PVC pipe cut to 12"
  • 10 ½" PVC T connectors
  • 2 ½" PVC cross connectors
  • 1 Bird- or deer-deterrent mesh
  • 1 Zip ties

Instructions

  1. Add Anchoring Pipes

    Use a rubber mallet to hammer the 12" PVC pipes into the soil of the raised bed. There should be a pipe in each corner of the raised bed, as well as centered between the corners of the two long sides. You can add more or fewer pairs of anchoring pipes based on the size of your raised bed. If you add more, you will need more PVC pipes, cross connectors, and T connectors.

  2. Add Side Pipes

    Stick the 48" pieces of ½" PVC into the 12" anchoring pipes. Push them in as far as possible to ensure the structure will be stable.

  3. Add Connector Joints

    At the top of each corner PVC pipe, secure a T connector. Add a joint connector piece, then add another T connector on top. Have the open joints face opposite corners.

    On the middle anchor PVC pipes, add a cross connector. Add a joint connector piece, then add a T connector on top of the cross connector, with the open joint facing into the raised bed.

  4. Create Bottom Framework

    Using the 43" pieces of PVC, connect the support pipes along the narrow ends. Also insert a 43" piece of PVC in the T connectors (the ones on top of the cross connectors). Use the 33" pieces of PVC to connect from the corner stakes to the center cross pieces, creating the main framework for the arched top.

  5. Create Arches

    Take the 80" pieces of PVC pipe, and insert one into one of the T connectors. Arch it over the narrow length of the structure and insert it into the opposite T connector. Continue until you have three arches in a row.

  6. Secure Netting

    Drape the netting over the arch, making sure the mesh reaches the ground. Secure with zip ties along the arch and just below the connectors, pulling taught before securing. At the bottom of the structure, cut the mesh at the joints up to the connectors to allow a flap to lift open for harvest.

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