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Grapes are tasty and if you have many in your own garden, you can even make your own wine from them. But the vines need a solid climbing aid so that they can spread out and develop their flowers and later the grapes. A vine trellis is the best solution for this, you can even build it yourself in a few simple steps. Only wooden slats and a stable wire are required for this. The following article explains how building it yourself works.
vine trellis
In order for the vines to spread and grow well, you need one climbing aid. A wine trellis is suitable for this. There are numerous models for this on the market. But you can also easily build your own wine trellis yourself. We present two options below.
Different types of wine
Each type of wine is a climbing plant that climbs up or tends to the side and needs help to do this. But here, too, there are different types that place different demands on the trellis. Many varieties are climbing plants that wrap their movable shoots around a support, which then later become woody wrapped around the trellis. Of course, a stable climbing aid is important for this, which can be built from slats, rods, grids and wire. The climbing plants include the common virgin vine and the real wine. Many varieties of Virginia creeper, on the other hand, only need a rough wall that they climb up themselves by attaching their adhesive discs to the masonry.
materials
A climbing aid can always be made from different materials. However, these should be particularly strong and resilient for vines. Because the shoots that wrap around here become lignified after a year and get thicker and thicker over the years. However, this could destroy a light structure. The following materials are suitable for a vine trellis:
- metal rods
- usually made of stainless steel
- Plastic (could break after some time)
- wood
- made of domestic or tropical hardwood
- e.g. B. from robinia
- for wooden beams: post shoes
If wood is used, it is helpful if it is treated with a protective paint or impregnation. It will be like this more weather resistant and lasts for several years. However, care should be taken to ensure that the agents are plant and environmentally friendly, otherwise they damage the wine and the harvest.
Required tool
If you want to build a wine trellis yourself, you also need the right tools. Therefore, this, like the required materials, should be prepared in advance. The following tool is required to create the free-standing climbing aid:
- saw
- mallet
- spade
- level
- wheelbarrow
- shovel
- Cement, sand, alternatively concrete
- Hose with water connection
- alternatively watering can filled with water
- Drill with mixer attachment
- screws
- spacers
If the vine trellis is to be attached to a wall, a drill with drill attachment, cordless screwdriver and screwdriver are also required. In this case, the wheelbarrow and the hose with water connection can be dispensed with, as these are required for mixing the concrete with a free-standing vine trellis.
Build vine trellis
If complete kits from the trade are not to be used, then the climbing aid for the vines can also be manufactured according to individual dimensions and your own wishes. However, the principle of building it yourself is the same. A frame must be built between which metal rods, wooden strips or wire cords are stretched. It is always important that the scaffolding is solid anchored in the ground otherwise it threatens to tip over later. Such a frame can either stand alone or be anchored to a house wall. It is suitable for arch training in half or flat soil as well as for cordon training as a cone or stretcher of the vines. Depending on which trellis is being built, the following must be considered:
- House wall could be damaged
- Putz may suffer from the vines
- free-standing trellis requires concrete setting
- more workload
- Grape vines can spread better freestanding
- are more protected from wind and rain on the house wall
- can embellish old terrace walls
Detached trellis
Wooden stakes, alternatively metal poles, are needed to create a solid trellis wire frame. For a 2 meter high trellis you will need:
- 2 sticks with a length of approx. 2.5 m (for a larger trellis you need 1 additional stick for every additional meter)
- 4 sticks about 1-1.5m long (for each extra long stick you need 2 extra short ones)
- plastic coated wire
- Thickness about 2.5 to 3.0 millimeters
With the poles, it should be noted that these must be anchored about 50 cm into the ground in order to give the free-standing vine trellis the necessary support. Because a fruit-bearing vine can become very heavy.
create frame
The frame is created as follows:
- stick two long sticks straight into the ground about a meter apart
- screw two rods on each side diagonally outwards
- at an angle of about 45°
- rising from bottom to top
- Distance to middle about half a meter on the ground
- To do this, dig holes about 50 cm deep
- Insert rods and fill with concrete
- Reinforce wooden posts with metal post shoes
clamp wires
The wires are now pulled horizontally between the concreted-in wooden posts as a climbing aid. When attaching to the posts, care should be taken to ensure that the height is exactly the same. Tighten the wires as follows:
- first wire about 60 to 80 cm above the ground
- next wires at a distance of 25-30 cm
- Drive thick nails into each of the wooden posts
- attach wire to this from post to post
- Wrap each nail tightly several times
- Be sure to note the tension on the wire
In this way, six wires find space on the trellis from bottom to top. This creates a solid vine trellis that will also withstand many vines in autumn.
Climbing aid on the house wall
The climbing aid can also be set up on a house wall. The construction is created in a similar way to a free-standing vine trellis, but is connected to the wall so that there is sufficient support. However, it should also be ensured that the wooden strips are at least ten centimeters from the wall. This ensures good air circulation. For this purpose, long screws must be used that can find a hold in the wall despite the distance. When setting up the climbing aid on the house wall, proceed as follows:
- Screw four wooden sticks or more to the house wall
- Distance between the bars of about one meter
- push the lower part into the ground for a better hold
- Use metal post shoes
- Pre-drill holes in house wall
- Insert dowels
- Screw on wooden slats
- use spacers
- attach the first wire about half a meter above the ground
- further wires each at a distance of 25 to 30 centimeters
To fasten the horizontal wires, thick nails are first driven into the wooden slats at the same height. This can happen to the house wall but also to the outside. The nails are now wrapped tightly with the pulled wires so that they get a good hold. It is also important to pay attention to the tension of the wires so that they do not sag. Because if vines are very heavy in autumn, they could easily sag if the wires are poorly tensioned. This is a problem, especially with the lower grapes, as they could touch the ground and rot.
