5 Benefits of Vertical Gardening + the Best Trellis for Your Garden

By Real Farmer Jeff

Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.

Since I first started gardening, one of the biggest game changers that I’ve learned is that trellising your plants provides many benefits! One of my main goals with my small townhouse garden is to experiment with more trellising options in the upcoming years.

Below you can find the top benefits of trellising your plants, as well as eight popular trellising options! The cost of each option will depend on the materials you use and if you are open to a DIY project; however, most of these trellises can be created inexpensively.

Let’s get started!

Cherry tomato plant climbing a wooden trellis in a vertical garden under bright sunlight

5 Benefits of Trellising Plants

Maximizes Space Efficiency: By growing plants vertically, trellising helps make the most of limited garden space.
Keeps the Garden Organized & Aesthetic: Trellised plants look more neat and structured, reducing clutter. It also prevent plants from sprawling uncontrollably.
Improves Air Circulation, Sun Exposure & Reduces Disease: Elevating plants allows for better airflow, reducing the risk of fungal diseases like powdery mildew and blight. Additionally, trellised plants receive more even sunlight, leading to better photosynthesis and improved growth.
Easier Harvesting, Cleaner & Straighter Fruits: Plants are easier to pick, reducing strain on your back and knees. Trellising also helps produce cleaner, straighter fruits, as they don’t rest on the ground where they can become misshapen or dirty.
Prevents Pest & Rot Issues: Keeping produce off the ground minimizes exposure to soil-borne pests and diseases, as well as reduces the risk of rot and slug damage.

Jeff installing a metal trellis on a wooden fence in a backyard. — I created this flat panel trellis to grow beans. Flat panel trellises are ideal for growing beans because they support vertical growth, improve airflow and sunlight exposure, and make harvesting easier.

Types of Trellises

1. A-Frame Trellis

A freestanding, tent-like structure with two slanted sides meeting at the top, forming an “A” shape. It provides support on both sides, making it perfect for climbing plants that need stability. Often collapsible for easy storage.

Material: Wood, bamboo, metal, or PVC
Best for: Cucumbers, beans, peas, small melons
Installation Time: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Cost Estimate: $15 – $50 (DIY with wood/bamboo), $50 – $100 (store-bought)

2. Flat Panel Trellis

A simple vertical trellis made of wire, wood, or metal, typically attached to walls, fences, or garden beds. It provides sturdy, upright support for plants that grow tall and need light anchoring.

Material: Wire mesh, wood lattice, metal, or plastic
Best for: Tomatoes, peppers, flowering vines (morning glories, clematis)
Installation Time: 15 – 45 minutes
Cost Estimate: $10 – $40 (DIY with wire mesh/wood), $40 – $100 (pre-made)

Illuminated arch trellis at night with vertical melon vines and solar lights, showcasing strong garden support and ambient lighting in a small backyard. — I built this arch trellis out of cattle panel to grow several varieties of melons. It provides strong support for heavy fruit, encourages vertical growth, and creates better airflow and sun exposure.

Close-up of hanging melons growing on a cattle panel trellis with string lights, highlighting vertical gardening benefits and efficient use of space. — Here’s a **link to how I built my arch trellis**. You can also grow other vegetables. on here. Here is a link to the **solar-powder outdoor lights** I put on the trellis that only took 20 minutes to assemble.

3. Arched Trellis

A curved structure designed to create an archway, allowing plants to grow over and around it. This type of trellis is both functional and decorative, often used for creating garden tunnels.

Material: Metal, wood, PVC, or cattle panels
Best for: Climbing roses, gourds, beans, cucumbers, grapes
Installation Time: 1 – 2 hours
Cost Estimate: $50 – $200 (depending on material)

4. Cattle Panel Trellis

A heavy-duty, industrial-style trellis made from strong steel livestock panels. It can be bent into an arch or placed upright, offering support for heavy crops.

Material: Heavy-duty galvanized steel panels
Best for: Pole beans, squash, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers
Installation Time: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Cost Estimate: $25 – $75 (panels cost $20 – $30 each)

Close-up of cherry tomatoes ripening on vertical vines attached to trellis system, emphasizing yield and airflow advantages. — This photo shows how I use the string-wrap trellis method on my tomato plants. To secure them, I use vertical string and **vegetable clips**. Optionally, you can build a wooden trellis like mine that you see in the photo. Here are **instructions** on how to do that.

5. Fan Trellis

A trellis that expands outward in a fan shape, designed to support espaliered plants or climbing vines against walls and fences. It allows for structured, controlled plant growth.

Material: Wood, metal, wire
Best for: Espaliered fruit trees, climbing roses, clematis, vines
Installation Time: 1 – 2 hours
Cost Estimate: $20 – $80 (DIY), $50 – $150 (pre-made)

6. String-Wrap Trellis (Tomato String Method)

A vertical support system where strings are attached to a sturdy wooden beam or horizontal frame, with each string anchored to the base of a tomato plant. The plant is gently wrapped around the string as it grows for upright support.

Material: Wooden posts or frame, heavy-duty twine or nylon string
Best for: Indeterminate tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers
Installation Time: 1 – 2 hours
Cost Estimate: $20 – $60 (DIY with wood and string)
Notes: Ideal for high-yield tomato production. Requires regular pruning and maintenance to keep plants growing vertically.

Wide wooden trellis structure propping up tomato vines growing in raised garden beds, demonstrating ideal vertical plant support.

Thanks for reading along! I hope you’re able to find the best trellis(es) for your space. It’s seriously such a game changer. Best of luck with your garden this year!

If you enjoyed this blog post, be sure to check out my other gardening blog posts:

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Welcome!

We’re Kyrié and Jeff—a foodie and farmer sharing approachable recipes and fresh-from-the-garden inspiration.

Our Story

2 Comments

Jalen Sellers on June 22, 2025 at 2:09 pm

One benefit I didn’t think of is straight fruits. Very good point!
Reply
Bryson on June 25, 2025 at 5:55 pm

The part about airflow and disease prevention was something I hadn’t considered before.
Reply

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Jeff has a deep passion for gardening. Each year, he cultivates hundreds of pounds of vegetables—along with the occasional fruit—turning his garden into a thriving and productive space. Combined with Kyrié’s cooking, together, they create exciting meals using Jeff’s harvest.

More Gardening Tips from Jeff