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You can purchase a tube bending tool for this purpose or you can bend your rebar by hand using metal pipes. To begin, you will need to bend your rebar. Relatively inexpensive and easy to come by, you most likely have seen rebar in shorter lengths however it can be purchased in 50’ lengths and even longer and can make a great arbor frame. If you like the idea of a cattle panel arch, but are looking for something a bit bigger, consider building an entire tunnel arbor with rebar. Rebar is a sturdy steel bar, most frequently seen in construction projects.
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And though they may look a bit industrial at first, as your vines grow, they will quickly cover the cattle panel shaping it into a gorgeous green archway, which makes a perfect entrance to any garden. As your grapes mature, these panels will have no trouble supporting several large vines. Because they are intended to be used outdoors, they are virtually maintenance-free and can last for decades, making them ideal for long-lived grape vines. What cattle panels lack in beauty, they more than make up for in strength.
#GRAPE TRELLIS ZIP#
Four T-posts, also available at livestock supply stores, serve as the supports for the arch and can be secured to the cattle panel with zip ties or sturdy wire. These panels are generally 16 feet long by about 4 feet wide and can be easily shaped into an arch. Made of a galvanized steel mesh, cattle panels are actually intended as livestock fencing (if the name didn’t give that away already!) and are readily available at many farm and garden shops. When you start thinking about trellising, you won’t get far before you stumble upon the humble cattle panel, and there is a good reason why. Cattle panels are wildly popular among home gardeners because they are inexpensive and extremely sturdy while remaining relatively lightweight and shapeable. Luckily, for the modern gardener, there are a lot of easy, premade trellising options on the market. Many backyard fences can double as sturdy arbors and most box stores offer arbor kits that are quick and easy to put together.īut us gardeners rarely like to take the easy way out. Aren’t we known for getting our hands dirty? So why choose a prefabricated kit when you can whip up a whimsical grape arbor from a few simple materials or upcycled pieces? Below, are a few of my favorite DIY grape trellises, which I hope will inspire you to get creative with your own arbor.īefore getting started, however, it’s important to remember that grape vines can get quite heavy and, when properly maintained, can live 50 to 100 years or more! For these reasons, I won’t be including any trellising options that won’t hold up well for years to come. Let’s face it: grapes are an unruly bunch that grow quickly and competitively. That’s why it’s so important to build a proper grape trellis, also known as a grape arbor, from the outset. Less satisfying, however, is an untrained grape vine than can quickly take over a garden, scale a tree or consume an entire fence in a matter of years. Whether you’re growing grapes to eat fresh or to make into jams and wine, harvesting homegrown grapes is an incredibly satisfying affair.
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