Trellis Frames

The most basic wire frame: here, rot-resistant pointed robinia stakes are hammered into the ground (life span 10-25 yrs); the wires or ropes hang slack because high loads are created in taut wires which tend to pull the lateral stakes inwards. The stakes should therefore be set at an angle to the outside right from the start, or better -- braced using one of the three options below.

Here is an example of the simplest wire frame design--  a double espalier for raspberries-- without any guy ropes or reinforcement of the stakes to increase stability, and therefore with relatively slack wires to avoid pulling on the stakes. Three methods are possible to reinforce the solidity of such a structure. The three variants described below are available for additional bracing:

- Tether: tensioning / guying (standard solution)

- Strut (stakes / support posts)

- Crossbar (transverse beams)

The use of a metal spike on the base of the post makes it possible to use less rot-resistant wood and increase the life of the post. (Place the metal spikes in the ground, insert and screw the posts into them.)

Aligning the height of the posts is most easily done using the middle post as a reference. Once all the posts are driven in at the same height, the holes for staple nails or continuous wire ropes are marked and drilled.

Drive in a stake by means of a post/pole driver. Such a device can be easily rented in wine or fruit-growing regions or at building supply and hardware stores. Every 2 or 3 strikes, the desired alignment is checked and corrected by means of a vertically positioned spirit level.

In the case of robinia wood, the slanted posts are mitered as precisely as possible and screwed to the end posts. Here - in a vineyard - galvanised lock screws were used instead of stainless steel. The aggressive robinia wood, however, already dissolves the zinc coating, as you can see from the discolouration.

Usually the end posts are anchored in the ground at an angle towards the back. In vineyards, heavy stones are also buried in the ground with a wire attached, thus creating and strengthening the tension.

The anchors are not quite set on top but at about 2/3 the height of the post to prevent the post from bending in the direction of the tensioned wires or stainless steel cables.

Vertical end post of a row of vines, supported with guy lines and double wires.

Slanted end posts in a small winter vineyard, robinia trunks (whole, half, or quartered) with almost vertical guying.

With a slanted position of the end posts, the anchoring can be brought more vertically into the ground. This method is applied mostly in the vineyards to win the last few inches in a row of vines for the fruit-bearing 'leaf wall' or canopy. 

The tensioners (turnbuckles) of the guy ropes are hooked directly into the ground anchors.

Special case of horizontal guying. The wall eyelets required for it must be sealed in ('glued in') conically with compound mortar; plastic rawl plugs are not sufficient for such loads.

FassadenGrün recommends this ground/earth anchor for an easy and optimal "guying" --tensioning/anchoring. It is screwed into the ground like a screw and can support a load of several hundred kilograms.

The system 0050 is also useful when you can't drill into a post (for example, a neighbor does not want to see a hole in his wall). Here, dark varnished wooden posts were placed in metal ground spikes and fitted with zinc-plated cover caps (available in hardware stores). The guying of one side (in the photo above right) was done with a horizontal stainless steel cable mounted into another boundary wall.

As an alternative ('variant 2') to the guying described above, supporting stakes (made of e.g. robinia/lokust wood) can be used-- dug in and set on a stable pressure plate. This can be a natural stone slab, rock, or brick. The earth should first be compacted under the slab. Install the posts so that they lean outwards slightly to counteract the subsequent settling and tendency to shift inwards.

Trellis system for blackberries with double wires and staple nails and an additional support post in the middle.

End posts with a slanted supporting post in a vineyard near Meißen/Saxony; here made of reinforced concrete. The posts are inserted into notches.

A pressure-treated, weather-proof, darkly varnished wooden post for a trellis of vines in a ground spike (ground sleeve). Use long spikes at least 900 mm (35.43 inches) long.

Long before there were wires in the vineyard, the individual posts were connected to each other and stabilised with wooden crossbars. This third variant of reinforcement is particularly relevant for smaller trellis frames in the home garden.

Additional slanted struts are used to further reinforce such wire frameworks.

If transoms (cross beams), also called 'riders' are put above the climbing frame, the trellis frame becomes a pergola.

In some cases it may be a good idea to tension cables vertically, especially for voluble twiners, since they love to wrap themselves around vertical supports. The easiest way is to guide the ropes through the cross beams (transoms) by drilling holes and fastening the ropes from behind with clamping rings.

Hops on vertical stainless steel cables

Beans also need vertical climbing aids.

A fanlike tensioning is particularly attractive.

Combination of horizontal and fan forms on a climbing frame

Here the ropes of several fans intersect each other, creating a dense vine braid. A ground anchor is screwed into the bottom centre. Eyebolts WH 06060 or inexpensive staples nails KN 04055 are screwed into the frame of the wood. A cable can also be 'carried' by multiple eyelets (3 or 4), so that ultimately fewer cable clamps are required.

For changing the direction of the wires ropes, the ring screw element WH 06061 was used here.

Climbing aid made of intersecting soft wire-cable. Thin stainless steel wires are fundamentally "softer," more malleable, and thus more easily guided into angled forms, especially for short distances. In such cases, the comparatively harder wire makes tensioning more difficult.

For heavily-stressed eyelets (those serving as a 'feeder'  for multiple outlets), we recommend the eyebolt WM 08080.

Intermediate posts: If the length of the row is longer than 4 or 5 metres (13.1234 feet), additional posts are required (at intervals of every 4 or 5m). In the vineyard, long rows of 80 to 100 m length are formed in this way.

Stainless steel cables pulled through the midway posts and secured with clamping rings.

It is often more effective to tension a pair of wires (a "double wire") per tier instead of just one wire. Shoots of growing plants can then not only be tied to a wire but be inserted between the 2 wires. The wires should be tensioned sequentially from top to bottom. 

In viticulture (commercial wine and fruit growing), galvanised metal stakes with the addition of aluminum ("Crapal" quality) are often used--  here, an intermediate post in a row of vines.

Installations with system 0050 can be susceptible to lateral wind pressure, especially in exposed positions with full vegetation. When in doubt, go with longer ground sleeves (drive them in as far as possible), reduce the height of the posts and the amount of tension in your ropes- or use double 'guying' (tension-anchoring) at the end of each row.

FassadenGrün recommends and sells this cable tension adjuster (GS-Nirosta), which can be added even after the wires have been mounted- onto taut or slack wires (to some extent also onto 3mm / 0.11 inch wire)- without cutting the wire, and can be finely tensioned at any time with a spanner/wrench.