What kind of cord is suitable for a plant support?

When making a climbing support, you should opt for a robust type of cord (e.g. made from jute or sisal) which can bear the weight of the plants and fruits. Because the cord is exposed to the elements and to the weight of the plants, it will quickly become worn. However, making a rope system with plastic-coated wire is a long-lasting alternative.

Which type of support is best suited to tomatoes?

Single pieces of twine, spiral stakes and sturdy bamboo or wooden stakes can be used to make supports for tomatoes. When choosing the right support, you should take into account the height you wish your tomato plants to reach.

Which type of support is best suited to climbing roses?

Although a rose arch is ideal for climbing roses, pergolas, espalier supports and sturdy grid trellises attached to house walls also offer sufficient support for these plants.

What kind of wood is suitable for making a plant support?

Robust, weather-resistant wood is suitable for plant supports. Indigenous robinia, Douglas fir and larch are all good choices when building a plant support. Waterproofing and regular care protects the wood against moisture, fungus and insects. In order to prevent direct contact between the wood structure and the soil, we recommend placing the posts on galvanised metal feet.

What type of vegetables need support?

Vegetables such as cucumbers, peas and runner beans need frames, and tomatoes also appreciate sturdy support – both to help them bear their weighty fruit and because otherwise, they will sprawl and take up a lot of room in your planting bed. Plant supports save space because they enable plants to grow upwards.

What types of fruit are suitable to grow with espalier supports?

Many varieties of fruit can be grown as espaliers. Classic examples include apples, pears and cherries, which can be freestanding or secured against a wall. Heat-loving apricots, figs and grapes can also be grown in this way, but should be secured to a south-facing wall.

What type of wood is best for building a pergola?

Weather-resistant wood is suitable for a pergola. You can buy pressure-treated wood from a specialist retailer or simply treat the wood yourself. Indigenous larch, spruce and pine are all good choices for building a pergola.

DIY plant supports

Support for climbing plants and fruit: our guide shows you how to build a suitable support for your plants.

11.02.2025

Weiße Rankhilfe zwischen pink und lila blühenden Pflanzen im Garten

When is it useful to build a support?
Climbing plants and suitable supports
Building an espalier support
Building a pergola as a plant support
DIY rose arch
Building a plant support from wire rope
Building a grid trellis

When is it useful to build a plant support?

DIY plant climbing frames, grid trellises and espalier supports are popular mechanisms that allow you to add both functional and decorative elements when designing your garden. They offer important support for many climbing plants, fruits and berries. Wooden, rope or wire structures give plants the stability they need to grow upwards or outwards as the respective species requires.

Trellises are particularly valuable in smaller gardens, because they increase the available gardening space by expanding upwards. For example, many fruit trees can produce a rich harvest in an espaliered without taking up much room. The great thing about it is that, because an espalier tree is a flat form, the fruits are set in a single layer and therefore get better sunlight, meaning the quality of fruit is often higher with an espalier trellis.

Climbing frames and espalier support systems can also make wonderful decorative elements. Climbing plants growing on climbing frames form a green tapestry that beautifies unappealing house walls and railings. Freestanding espalier trees are often used as partitions in a garden.

Climbing plants and suitable supports

Plant supports come in different shapes and sizes and are usually made from metal, wood, rope or plastic. The way you build a support system will depend on the plant type and characteristics:

Plant type	Characteristics	Suitable supports
Climber (e.g. clematis, pea, common grape vine, cup-and-saucer vine)	Vertical climbers. Corkscrew-like twisting tendrils. Have stems and shoot tendrils or petioles which have been converted into clinging parts which wrap around supporting objects. Dependent on trellises..	Trellises with approximately equal numbers of vertical and horizontal elements, not spaced too far apart. Slender trellis systems made from rope. Vertical rods, wire or slim rope. This ensures that the short climbing tendrils can hold strongly enough. Grid-type climbing aids. Light bamboo lattices for tub plants.
Self-clinging climbers (e.g. ivy, Virginia creeper, climbing hydrangea, trumpet vine)	Form clinging roots that enable the plants to climb walls, trees and objects. Supports are optional with these, but recommended if you wish to protect masonry. The residue and traces of these plants are difficult to remove from the surface to which they are attached. Trellises protect house fronts and surfaces from damage. The stems become woody and heavy over time.	Sturdy, robust wire suspension systems. Wooden column support or grid trellis.
Ramblers (e.g. rambling roses, blackberries, clematis, winter jasmine, espalier fruit)	Often heavy boughs, which frequently have thorns, prickles and lateral branches or are inherently wide-spreading. No clinging parts: stems are manually woven into the climbing support and secured if necessary.	Medium to large grid trellises or rope systems made up of mainly horizontal elements. Cords or special covered wire offer additional hold. Rose arches
Twining vines (e.g. runner beans, hops, honeysuckle, kiwi, wisteria, chocolate vine, Dutchman’s pipe climber vine)	Stems grow upwards and wind around supporting objects in a spiral shape. Dependent on trellises. Twining vines will wind either to the left or to the right – you should pay attention to which your plant does when training it onto the trellis, being sure it can twine in its natural direction, otherwise it will fall off the support.	Vertical and diagonal gridded trellises Where the trellis bars are smooth, regular interconnections are important, otherwise the stems will slip off the trellis. Light bamboo canes or ropes are sufficient for annual twining vines (e.g. runner beans). For hardy twining vines (e.g. wisteria), it’s important to provide sturdy, strong stakes and supports. Grid trellises are not necessary.

Plant type

Characteristics

Suitable supports

Climber
(e.g. clematis, pea, common grape vine, cup-and-saucer vine)

Vertical climbers.

Corkscrew-like twisting tendrils.

Have stems and shoot tendrils or petioles which have been converted into clinging parts which wrap around supporting objects.

Dependent on trellises..

Trellises with approximately equal numbers of vertical and horizontal elements, not spaced too far apart.

Slender trellis systems made from rope.

Vertical rods, wire or slim rope. This ensures that the short climbing tendrils can hold strongly enough.

Grid-type climbing aids.

Light bamboo lattices for tub plants.

Self-clinging climbers

(e.g. ivy, Virginia creeper, climbing hydrangea, trumpet vine)

Form clinging roots that enable the plants to climb walls, trees and objects.

Supports are optional with these, but recommended if you wish to protect masonry. The residue and traces of these plants are difficult to remove from the surface to which they are attached.

Trellises protect house fronts and surfaces from damage.

The stems become woody and heavy over time.

Sturdy, robust wire suspension systems.

Wooden column support or grid trellis.

Ramblers

(e.g. rambling roses, blackberries, clematis, winter jasmine, espalier fruit)

Often heavy boughs, which frequently have thorns, prickles and lateral branches or are inherently wide-spreading.

No clinging parts: stems are manually woven into the climbing support and secured if necessary.

Medium to large grid trellises or rope systems made up of mainly horizontal elements.

Cords or special covered wire offer additional hold.

Rose arches

Twining vines

(e.g. runner beans, hops, honeysuckle, kiwi, wisteria, chocolate vine, Dutchman’s pipe climber vine)

Stems grow upwards and wind around supporting objects in a spiral shape.

Dependent on trellises.

Twining vines will wind either to the left or to the right – you should pay attention to which your plant does when training it onto the trellis, being sure it can twine in its natural direction, otherwise it will fall off the support.

Vertical and diagonal gridded trellises

Where the trellis bars are smooth, regular interconnections are important, otherwise the stems will slip off the trellis.

Light bamboo canes or ropes are sufficient for annual twining vines (e.g. runner beans).

For hardy twining vines (e.g. wisteria), it’s important to provide sturdy, strong stakes and supports.

Grid trellises are not necessary.

Building a suitable climbing support

From a single vertical stake to complex rope systems, climbing supports vary in appearance, stability and alignment. Each type is better suited to some plants than others in its own way.

We present five versions below, and offer instructions to help you build the climbing support that best suits your needs.

Expert tip from the Two Thirsty Gardeners

When choosing the right garden trellis to put up to suit your needs and requirements, there are a few considerations to take in.

The first is size. You want a trellis that is big enough to contain whatever it is you’re growing up it, but not so big that the attached plant doesn’t look lost and lonely in the middle. Most trellises are designed to fit between the top and bottom of a fence, against the side of shed or a wall, but you can get some that are made to tower above the top of the structure on which it’s attached.

If you’re going for this oversized approach then bear in mind that, in building regulation terms, a trellis counts as a fence so any local restrictions you have in place regarding fence height will also apply to a trellis.

Bewachsenes Holzspalier zwischen grünen Büschen, davor Gartentisch und zwei Stühle

Building an espalier support

An espalier support is a sturdy kind of plant frame and is ideal for long-lived perennial plants that grow both upwards and outwards. When covered with plant growth, espalier support systems provide excellent summer privacy screening as an alternative to hedges and fences. They also facilitate the greening of exterior walls with climbers and twining vines.

How to build a DIY espalier frame

Espalier supports facilitate space-saving planting of ornamentals and fruit trees, even in small gardens. They also enable you to encourage plants to grow in a specific shape: palmette, U-shaped and fans are all simple forms that can be easily achieved and maintained.

We will show you how to build the basic structure of an espalier, which can either be freestanding or secured to a wall.

Freestanding garden espaliers are suitable for pome fruit, such as apples and pears, as well as for raspberries.

To make one, start by driving sturdy stakes firmly into the ground about two to three metres apart.
Then you need to fill the space between them: For lighter plants, stretch wire rope between the posts. You could also set the stakes in concrete to ensure that the taut wire does not simply pull the posts over. For heavier plants, you should secure multiple wooden slats to the posts.
If necessary, you can cut these to the desired length using a small saw (such as the GTA 26 garden pruner). You will need to take the plant type into account when deciding the spacing between the individual wire ropes and slats.
Finally, tie your plants in to the espalier in the shape you wish them to grow.

Wall espaliers, where they can enjoy ideal ripening conditions in a sheltered position along a south-facing wall. Pome fruits and decorative plants (e.g. clematis) also grow well as wall espaliers, but they should be positioned along east- or west-facing walls.

For large fruit trees, secure 5 x 5 cm timbers vertically along the wall at least 40 centimetres above the ground.
Then affix either 24 x 48 mm roof battens or 3 x 3 cm square timbers to the vertical posts. Wire rope stretched taut is also suitable, though to ensure that the supports do not overheat in summer, choose a plastic-coated wire. You will need to take the plant type into account when deciding the spacing between the individual wire ropes and slats.
Finally, tie your plants in to the espalier in the shape you wish them to grow. Removable espalier supports may be a practical approach, especially for plastered house walls that will be painted from time to time.

Branches bearing pears on a dark green espalier frame against a light-coloured wall

Which types of plants will grow well on an espalier support?

Espalier supports are suitable for various home-grown fruit and vegetables. They are a sturdy, long-lasting type of plant support that can be used anywhere. They also make it possible to grow heat-loving fruits such as apricots and figs, even in cooler regions. To do so, simply ensure that the site is south-facing and sheltered from wind.

It’s also worth knowing that a fruit espalier growing along a sheltered south-facing wall offers warm shelter and a rich source of food for birds and insects – so it’s a great way to make your garden more wildlife-friendly.

For those who really like to get to work

Wooden pergola as a plant support between green and flowering bushes in a garden

Building a DIY pergola as a plant support system

A pergola is a structure consisting of supporting pillars and an open lattice roof. Pergolas are often made of metal or wood and can be used for heavier plants than other plant supports. When covered with greenery, they offer a sheltered relaxation space and also provide welcome shade in the garden.

How to build a DIY pergola

Set at least four posts made from weather-resistant material into the ground. If you are making a wooden pergola, a high-performance chainsaw will make your work easier, as you can use it to cut the beams to the right length. For wooden pergolas, we recommend placing the posts into galvanised metal feet to avoid direct contact with the soil.

Add two parallel crossbeams, each connecting two of the posts. Now secure as many rafters as you like between the crossbeams and perpendicular to them. For better screening, you can also add wire rope trellises along the sides.

Then add the plants of your choice around the pergola.

Which types of plants will grow well on a pergola?

A pergola is a sturdy type of plant support that is grown over by twining vines and ramblers. It offers a secure frame for a wide range of climbing plants, such as trumpet vines and grapevines. Pergolas are an excellent way to showcase magnificent roses or wisteria – a truly beautiful sight during the flowering period.

DIY rose arch

The classic romantic frame for climbing plants: a rose arch made from metal, wood or wire. These arches are often used in entrances or as a dividing element between two different areas of a garden. This timeless plant support can be built quickly and in a number of different designs.

Wooden rose arch covered in growth and standing over a garden path beside a lawn with a rotary washing line

How to build a DIY rose arch

First you need to choose the material you will use to build your rose arch. Since it will be completely grown over in a few years, the quality and robustness of the material you use is of central importance. Larger plant frames should be built from weather-resistant wood. Reinforcing steel also makes a sturdy structure; you can bend it into shape or or have it formed by a professional. Alternatively, you can build supports from thicker branches taken from your own garden or gathered from the woods.

Now you can decide what shape the structure should be. The top could be straight, arched or pointed. Anchor the two ends of the rose arch securely in the ground. You can concrete the ends in for additional stability – this will ensure that your rose arch stays put even in strong winds.

Dark purple clematis in front of a wooden plant support

Which types of plants will grow well on a rose arch?

By cleverly combining a variety of climbing plants, you can ensure that your rose arch will always be covered in beautiful greenery. Different varieties flower in turn, so as soon as one beautiful plant has finished blooming, the next begins – clematis and assorted roses are popular choices. Place two plants on each side.

Be sure to pay attention to the vigour of the plants: fast-growing types such as Goldfassade climbing roses will quickly reach the roof and produce a magnificent garland of flowers.

The location of your rose arch will also determine the plants you select for it. Speak to a specialist to check whether your climbing plants prefer a spot that is sheltered from the wind, sunny, semi-shaded or shaded.

Building a support from wire rope

Wire rope trellises are popular for many reasons. They are sturdy and do not rust, which makes them very durable. They can also be adjusted easily, offering considerable creative scope when it comes to design.

Wire ropes can be used in both espaliers and pergolas, while some plant supports, such as rope systems, are made entirely from wire.

How to build a DIY wire rope system

Rope systems can be secured to a wall or to wooden stakes in various ways. First select a suitable location for the rope system. Lay the rope in your chosen design and secure it to the wall or to the frame you have chosen using a wire tensioner for each length of rope.

The place you are mounting the trellis or the frame must be sturdy enough to withstand the tensile force of the tensioned rope system. Then tension the rope system.

Which types of plants will grow well on a DIY plant trellis made from wire rope?

Wire rope trellises are suitable for all common climbing plants, from climbers to twining vines. However, you should check in advance which design best suits the requirements of your climbing plant.

Grid supports made from dark brown wood, half overgrown with dark green leaves

DIY grid support

The grid support is one possible design that can be used for espaliers, pergolas and rope systems. The advantage of the grid form is that plants can spread out in a high and wide network.

A thickly overgrown grid support not only looks good but also affords excellent privacy from neighbouring gardens.

How to build a DIY grid support

Make a frame consisting of at least two wooden, bamboo, metal or plastic stakes. Secure wooden battens, metal rods, wire ropes or cords between the stakes and arrange them in a cross grid.

When building a grid support, you should ensure that the spaces between components are relatively small. Your grid supports should be securely anchored if in the soil or in a plant container.

Which types of plants will grow well on a grid support?

Plans with a thick stem framework, such as rambling roses, need a sturdy grid system. A fine-meshed grid structure also offers abundant support points for lighter leaf-stalk climbers.

Upcycled support made from old plastic bottles on a piece of twine

How to build a upcycled DIY support

Upcycling has also become a trend in the garden. Do you want to reuse existing objects or materials? Great! Old ladders, wicker baskets, pieces of fencing, furniture or garden tools can be used to make grid supports, giving them a new lease of life.

Summary: DIY plant supports

Plant supports are great for climbing plants, allowing them to grow in the way that best suits each variety
A planted support frame: a source of shade and a partitioning element, privacy and shelter from the wind
The size, shape and material for a support will vary depending on the plant type
Possible shapes: individual stakes, complex rope systems, espaliers, pergolas, rose arches and grid trellises
Espalier supports: sturdy support systems made from metal, wood, wire or rope
Grid trellises: mesh-type frames enabling plants to grow in various directions
Wire rope supports: durable, usable on their own in rope systems or added to espalier supports and pergolas
Pergola for heavy climbing plants with thick growth (e.g. grapevines)
Low-cost alternatives: old ladders, wicker baskets, pieces of fencing, furniture or garden tools