How to Build an Easy DIY Trellis for Raised Garden Beds

Raised beds are amazing. They allow for a ton of organic food production in just a little bit of space, which is especially great if you have a small yard (like we do).

But if you really want to optimize on your space (and we did), vertical growing is the way to go.

Growing vertically in your raised beds will allow you the space to fit in all of the organic vine crops that you dream of, without taking too much precious square feet.

To do this, you’ll need some kind of trellis system.

While you can purchase beautiful trellises online, they typically are way overpriced and also won’t work well in a raised bed situation given the way most are built to stand independenly.

Putting something like this in a raised bed would ultimately cast shadow on the other crops and would take up too much space for one crop.

It also wouldn’t be as strong as a trellis attached to the raised bed.

DIY is definitely the way to go for this one to stick to the budget, make a strong yet compact system and have it look nice.

This post will show you exactly how I built this simple trellis and will guide you on how to make yours to fit your unique space.

The great thing about DIY projects is you get to customize whatever you’re building to fit your specific needs.

What makes the most sense for a raised bed situation is to have a trellis that will lay flush along one side of the bed so that minimal shadow would be cast on your other crops.

It also has to be strong to hold up the weight of your crops. Securing the trellis to the inside of the raised beds makes them incredibly strong and secure.

They held up beautifully to the weight of our crops, including our heavy cucumbers and the indeterminate tomatoes which got HUGE.

It should also be pretty. Having this vertical element in our yard really amped up the curb appeal and we receive so many compliments on the yard after these were installed.

And inexpensive. It only cost us about $25 for all three trellises. If I were to purchase similar online it would be SO MUCH MORE.

We love it and so do our plants. Follow along for instructions on how to make your own.

How to Build a Trellis for your Raised Garden Beds

What you’ll need:

• 2″x2″ wood (see below)
• jute twine (compostable)
• 3/8 in. Double Point Staples
• screws
• drill and driver
• trowel (if your beds are full of dirt)
• hammer
• pliers
• tape measure
• level
• A buddy for installation

Notes on supplies:

We used 7 – 2×2’s for our three trellises.

See our mistakes to avoid when purchasing wood here.

I prefer the look of 2×2’s in this application versus 2×4’s (which you certainly could do if you have that on hand instead). Aside from aesthetics, they’re only about $2-$3 for 8 foot lengths.

I used compostable twine so that after each crop was finished I was able to just cut it and throw the whole plant with the twine into the compost, and didn’t have to worry about untangling anything.

1. Plan your build

For any DIY, it is so important for your time, budget and sanity, to go in with a plan.

Where to put your trellis (light requirements!)

Keep your light requirements in mind when deciding where to place your trellis. Remember that once a crop starts to grow up a trellis, it will cast shade on the plants next to it.

Typically, the northern side of your beds is the ideal place. In our instance, putting the trellis on the north side would be detrimental to my roses who live just past my raised beds.

We put our trellis on the western-most point in our raised beds, so that the rest of my crops still get all day sun and are not shaded until late in the afternoon (after they’ve had about 10 hours of full sun).

This worked out great for us.

Every situation is different, so assess your situation and determine where would be the best place for your trellis.

How high do you want your trellis?

Take into consideration the types of plants you want to grow vertically in your beds. Things like indeterminate tomatoes can get huge; well over 8 feet tall.

Think about if you are able to reach that high or if you are willing to grab a step stool for each harvest.

You can typically find 2×2’s in 8 foot sections.  (Make sure to purchase boards that are not warped!)

You could certainly leave them 8 foot tall, which would decrease the amount of cutting you have to do, but remember that you will then have to reach 8 feet to grab your fruit. 

I was not interested in this. 

I am 5’5 and did not want to have to lug a stool around everytime I went out to get a tomato, so I made two 6′ trellises and one 7′ from the ground (this is even a little high to reach but I LOVE the look of it so totally worth it 😂).

This means that the plants really have about 5′ and 6′ to grow on as I buried the trellis into our 12″ deep raised beds.

We didn’t have any issues with this. Indeterminate tomatoes don’t mind being pruned, and you’ll have happy plants and nice fruit for doing so. The cucumbers hit the 5′ mark and then just produced a ton of fruit, and my beans were happy as well.

Think about what you’re going to use your trellis for and then decide if it’s worth making them taller or not.

Measure your area and decide on the size of your trellis.

Once you know where you want to put your trellis, decide on the size and how many trellises you would like.

Keep in mind that your access to the side of your beds you’re putting your trellis will be decreased.

This may not matter for your situation, but because we were putting trellis all along our 8′ long beds, I knew I was going to want to still have access the area in front of the trellis to sow and harvest crops.

For this reason, we decided to make three seperate trellises with 6″ between each. I love the look of the three trellises and the practicality of being able to grow and differentiate three seperate crops on them.

However, the beauty of building something yourself is you get to make it work for you.

Maybe you would prefer one long trellis for one crop, or perhaps you want several of a different size.  Do what works for you.  Either way, you can follow the same steps below.

How to plan a customized trellis for your raised beds:

If you would like to change the sizes, it’s just simple math. For this design, one finished trellis will have four sections of 2×2 (to form a rectangle).

• Two 2×2 on each side of the trellis (to desired height)
• One 2×2 on the top for support (to desired length, sits on top of both 2×2)
• One 2×2 near the bottom for support in between the 2×2’s (subtract 3″ from desired length)

Hint: Remember a 2” board is not actually 2”!  See our wood mistakes to avoid here)

2. Cut wood

Cut your 2×2’s to length based on your desired height and length using the above formula.

I always mention this, but if you do not have a saw, that is okay! You can typically get your wood cut at the place you purchase it OR ask a friend or neighbor with a saw do it for you.

Do something nice for them afterwards. Like cookies. Everyone loves cookies.

Cut list: 

 Note: this is based on my 6′ and 7′ tall by 2′ wide trellises.

• 4 @ 6’ 2×2
• 2 @ 7’ 2×2  
• 3 @ 2’ 2×2 (you’ll be left with 4 of these after cutting the 6’ pieces.  These three are for the top support)
• 3@ 1’9” 2×2 (this is for the lower support for stability and evenly spaced trellises.) 

=7 @ 2×2 to make project.  This comes out to about $20.  And you’ll have some leftover wood for other projects.  

3. Assemble frame

This part is rather easy. 

First, check out your longer sections of wood (6’ and 7’) and decide if there are any “bad” ends (lots of knots or any other ugly sections).  These ends can be buried down in the raised bed out of view.

Also decide if there is a good “front” for the trellis (a more attractive side).  Put this side face down.  (This is all for aesthetics.)

Your top support will go at the opposite end of the “ugly side”.

Attach top support.

Then take one of your top support sections (for us this was a 2’ section of 2×2) and attach it above each vertical section (6′ or 7′ for us), so that it covers both cut edges of the vertical lengths.

When the two vertical sections are standing up, the top (2’) support would be resting on top.  

Align the boards flush to each other, then use your driver to drill a hole through the top support section and into the vertical length and use your drill to screw in and secure. 

When the trellis is standing up, the screw will be out of view on the top of the trellis.

Do the same on the other side, ensuring all parts are flush. 

At this point, your boards are attached but are very unstable.  The bottom support will fix this.

Attach the bottom support.

To determine where to attach your bottom supports, add together the height of your raised beds (the trellis will be buried into the beds) plus a couple inches for clearance and definition. 

They should still be close enough to the beds for your plants to grab onto. I put our bottom support 14” from the bottom for our 12” raised beds.

Measure the distance from the bottom of your trellis (especially if you’re doing multiple trellises with different heights) and mark on both sides. 

If you measure from the top, the bottom supports will not be in the same place when assembled. Believe me on this one! (Flash back to having to redo the middle trellises bottom support after I thought I was finished.)

Place your shorter (1’9”) 2×2 in between the two long 2×2’s at your mark.  

Ensure it is flush and then use your driver to drill a pilot hole and then your drill to screw it in and secure on both sides.

4. Hammer in Double Point Staples

I found double point staples at my local hardware store and they worked perfectly to hold the twine securely in place (and a box of 100 was only about $2!).

Working from the top of your trellis down to the bottom supports, use your measuring tape to mark every 6” from the top of the trellis to the bottom supports, not including the corners. 

These marks are for where you’re going to add your staples and connecting your twine, so you don’t need them in the corners.

Do the same on the top and bottom supports, 6” apart (mine fit 3).   

Then take your staples and carefully hammer them into the trellis at your marks.  You may need pliers to hold them as they are quite small. 

Don’t hammer your finger!

5. Sting the trellis.

Take your jute twine and string it horizontally through the staples, starting at either the top or bottom.  I found it easiest to just use one very long string from the top to the bottom until all horizontal sections were completed.

Pull the string taut but not too tight as you go along. 

When you get to the end, cut the twine and knot tightly at both ends.  

Then take your twine and string the vertical cross sections. 

You’ll want this to be interwoven with the other strings, so go in a pattern over one string, under one string, and so on.  This will ensure the twine will stay in place and looks neater. 

Do this for each vertical section, cut the excess and knot tightly. 

Complete the same process for each trellis. 

6. Attach the Trellis to Your Raised Garden Bed

This is the exciting part where it all comes together (literally).  

Clear the area.

Align the trellis with the place you want to attach it to your raised beds.

Eyeball (or measure) where it’s going. If your beds are filled with soil, you’ll need to push that soil aside with a trowel or shovel as best you can, plus extra room to get your drill and driver in.

Level the trellis.

Once the area is clear, grab a buddy and place the trellis on the inside of the raised beds.

While your buddy supports the trellis, use your level and ensure it is in the proper place, both horizontally and vertically.

You don’t want to stare at a lop-sided trellis all season!

Secure your trellis.

One it’s in the right place, you’re going to take your driver and make a pilot hole through the 2×2 and into your raised bed, and then screw it in.

Make sure you have the right size screw as you don’t want to have a nail sticking out from your raised bed.

Continue with the other leg, ensuring the trellis is still level.

Then add two more screws: one for each leg. While this is not 100% necessary, it will make your trellis more secure.

If you made more than one trellis, continue with the same process to secure the legs to your raised beds.

7. Enjoy and get planting!

The best part!

Now that your trellis is secure, back-fill any misplaced soil in and around the trellis. It is now ready to support all of the climbing crops of your dreams.

Some great options here are peas, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peas (yes, this can be for flowers too!).

I hope you enjoyed this very simple and inexpensive DIY project that will help to beautify your space AND make it more functional. A win-win!

Questions? We’re here!

Leave a comment letting us know what crops
you’ll be growing on your trellis this year

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We love to see how you’ve made it your own!