A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Build a Grape Trellis

Several rows of grapes growing on a trellis at a winery

Are you looking for information on how to build a grape trellis? For many, a grape trellis is a way to help grapes grow properly. They also look very attractive and they can provide a nice screen. A trellis in the right location a climber growing on it can also provide great shade.

Just remember that when plants flower birds and bees will be attracted to the flowers. Hummingbirds are nice next to your deck or patio but some guests may not like bees flying around.

A trellis to grow your grapes on can also be very healthy for the grapes. If you position the trellis correctly you can have the vines get the maximum amount of sun during the day.

The vine growing on the trellis will also make it easier to prune the grapes. Ideally, you want the leaves and the grapes to get maximum sunshine. What most wineries do is to prune the leaves that are shading the grapes. But you don't want to remove too many leaves either since the plant needs the leaves to grow.

Building a grape trellis is a fairly simple project and something you can do in a day or a weekend. Just make sure you have it all planned out before you get started.

This article will mostly discuss building a trellis for growing grapes at home. If you want to build a trellis system for a winery, I recommend you download the this PDF from the University of California Agriculture.

Planning your Trellis

As with any new project, before you begin building your trellis, you should sketch a plan of your yard. Indicate the best places for your trellis structure. If you have a patio, you may want it to cover a part of the patio in order to offer shade to your guests, or you, when you are sitting on the patio.

Some people enjoy covering the entire patio with a trellis in order to give constant shade, especially when they live in a hot climate. Deciding where you’d like to place the trellis is the key to the next step, as you’ll need more materials should you decide to cover the entire patio area.

Building your Trellis

As always, make sure that you do not need a permit, or have a permit in place before you begin construction. Once you have the measurements of how large you would like the trellis to be, use those measurements purchase your materials. Always make sure that you purchase more than you need, as most hardware stores will allow you to bring back any unused lumber, and it is always better to have more than not enough.

You then need to dig corner post holes so that you can have support for your cover. You can fill these holes with concrete or you can purchase concrete pyramid bases, which may save you a bit of time. Put the bases in the holes, and use treated 4x4’s that are at least eight feet long as your structural supports. This should form your base.

You can then lay out the pieces that you want for your top, screwing them into place while they are on the ground. With a helping hand you can get the frame that you screwed together on tightly, secure in knowing that it will not move since you have it set in concrete.

Decorating your Trellis

Some people like to know how to build a grape trellis in order to grow plants and vines. This can be an attractive look, and it can add to the shade. You may even want to use it for its intended purpose – a grape vine.

If you do plan to cover your trellis with plants and vines, though, make sure it gets enough sun to support each of your choices. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, though, there are several other ways to decorate your trellis.

Some like to hang scarves from the trellis, and still others just leave it bare. That is fine too! Just make sure that you decorate your trellis to match the rest of your yard, and you will be able to enjoy it all year long.

For more information on arbors and trellises, please read these articles:

Grow your vines on a grape arbor

Creating privacy in your backyard with a trellis