Hello, readers! Handyman here, again. This time I’m bringing you an idea of Perfection’s, so you know it’s bound to be a good one. One day she was searching the web and the idea popped into her mind that we should build an A-frame trellis for our peas AND our cucumbers… The idea was foreign to me, but I know better than to question Perfection. She’s usually right. Well, upon completing her search she determined that none of the designs that she saw were right for what she was picturing. So, what does she do? That’s right, she came up with her own design! I’ll be going over some information about why you should be growing peas and also cucumbers on a trellis, whether you use our designs or not. Then, of course, I’ll tell you how to build one.

Why an A-Frame Trellis for Peas and Cucumbers?

What’s the point of using an A-frame trellis? There’s the obvious answer, to keep your veggies off the ground, but there are plenty more reasons to make the jump.

One of the biggest appeals to me is based on a saying: Vegetables grow as big as their environment allows. All vining plants love to climb, so if you give cucumbers a path to climb (and sufficient nutrients to grow – my Compost Tea helps a lot!) then they are going to do just that. Instead of planting a couple per square foot – and not using the space they have to vine over – you’ll get more yield and utilize the space better.

Keeping the fruit off the ground also means they’re less likely to catch the diseases they’re often exposed to.

Another cool feature is that the fruit is going to hang straight down in the middle of the A-frame. That means that you’ll be able to see the fruit better, and it will be easy to pick.

Those are all of the reasons I could think of for why this is a great idea, and they’re enough to motivate me to make it happen. Not to mention this is a simple build to complete.

How to build this A-Frame Trellis

The first step is to know how tall, wide, and long you want your A-frame trellis to be. I wanted mine to be about 5.5 feet tall, and since I’ll be putting it in a 2-foot tall raised bed, the overall height for the trellis needed to be about 3.5 feet tall. My boxes are 4 feet wide and I wanted to plant peas and cucumbers in 4 feet of my box. So, this trellis plan is for a 3.5′ x 4′ x 4′ A-Frame. The legs of the A-frame also measure 4 feet long. This design works out well because the trellis net that I bought is 8 feet long; A perfect fit!

The building is simple. If you’re working by yourself, however, it would be a good idea to assemble each side on the ground, standing them up when you’re ready to connect the two sides.

Vegetables grow as big as their environment allows.

-Unknown

Print Recipe

Sturdy, Simple, A-Frame Trellis

This easy to make A-frame trellis is sturdy enough to handle the rigors of not only peas climbing up its lattice, but cucumbers as well!

Course

Do It Yourself

Servings

3.5' x 4' x 4' A-Frame

Ingredients

• 4" Deck Screws
• 2 2" x 4" x 8' Pressure Treated Boards Or twice the quantity of 2" x 2" x 8' - See first direction.
• 1 8' Trellis Net

Course Do It Yourself Servings 3.5' x 4' x 4' A-Frame Ingredients 4" Deck Screws 2 2" x 4" x 8' Pressure Treated Boards Or twice the quantity of 2" x 2" x 8' - See first direction. 1 8' Trellis Net

Instructions

1. The first step is to cut the 2 - 2"x4"x8' pressure treated boards in half, creating 4 2"x2"x8' boards. Or you could choose to buy the 2"x2"'s instead.
2. Then, for one side, cut the 8-foot section in half, giving you two 4 foot lengths and miter one end of one of the two sections at a 45-degree angle.

   
3. Place the two 4' sections together, with the mitered edge at the top of the "A" making sure that the width of the legs equal 4 feet. Then screw the top edge together with a 4" deck screw.
4. Next, you make the middle support for the A. You do this by cutting a 2' section off of one of the 8 foot long 2" x 2"'s. On each end of the 2"x2"x2' section, miter a 22.5-degree angle.

   
5. Place this between the two legs of the A-frame where the angles match up flush to the legs and secure it with a 4" deck screw on each side.

   
6. Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for the other A-frame side, ensuring that you cut the 2' section from the now 6-foot long 2"x2".
7. After both sides have been assembled, cut the remaining 2"x2"x8' into two 4-foot sections. You should now have three 2"x2"x4' sections.
8. Use these sections to connect the two sides; one at the very top, and one halfway down on each side using the 4" deck screws.

   
9. All that is left to do is attach your trellis net. Staple the bottom corner where you want the net to start.

   
10. Then stretch the netting across the frame to do the bottom corner on the other side, ensuring it is tight.
11. After that, you should stretch the netting up one side (preferably the side you started with) and staple the top corner, and then work your way down with the stapler to secure the one side.
12. Stretch the top corner of the other side up, keeping the net tight, and do the same thing on this leg. Then repeat on the other side.

    

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When To Build Your A-Frame Trellis

You can wait to install the trellis if you’d like until the peas are about 4 inches tall. Then, stand back and enjoy seeing the progress of the peas and cucumbers up the trellis each day. For an extra nutrient boost, try out my compost tea recipe; your veggies will love it!

Next week, tune in to read about the many and incredible benefits of eating organic and some simple things that anyone can do, even with limited space, that won’t break the bank!

Until next time…

Handyman is on the job!