How to Build a Grape Trellis Backyard System

Construct a sturdy wooden support to give your grapevines a leg up.

By Geremy Chubbuck
Published on May 6, 2021
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Geremy Chubbuck

When deciding how to build a grape trellis, backyard systems with high angles achieve sunlight, airflow, and easy pruning.

Growing grapes is easy, fun, and rewarding. A friend of mine once said that grapes like to suffer, and I’ve found this to be true. Unlike many plants, grapes aren’t finicky, and they require little more than seasonal pruning, full sunlight, and elevation. A sturdy trellis will facilitate two of these three necessities directly (full sunlight and elevation), and aid substantially in the third (pruning).

These instructions are for a simple and effective inclined grape trellis sized to accommodate six grape plants; however, you can modify them to accommodate any number of plants. Trellising your grapes will boost production, and it’s easy to assemble this design in one day.

Trellis Considerations

My first trellis was made with maple and birch poles from my property. These were a good way to test the inclined trellis concept without investing money to purchase lumber. Fortunately, the design worked far better than I’d expected, and the grapes flourished. Unfortunately, the poles rotted by the third year, so I decided to upgrade. I’d have preferred to use cedar, but dimensional cedar was unavailable in my area at that time, so I chose pressure-treated lumber instead. You can use whatever type of wood you prefer. Grapevines can grow to be quite heavy, though, so the lumber must be substantial to avoid collapse.

Grapevines need support as they grow. I was fortunate to have a roll of salvaged stainless steel wire on hand when I built my trellis, which I fashioned into a latticework attached to the frame. If you don’t already have a roll of wire, invest in a 304 stainless steel wire that stays in place when bent. Stay away from rope, because it’s not as strong as wire, and it can degrade in the elements.

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