I recently added some cattle panel trellises to my large raised garden beds. Cattle panels are an attractive and long lasting item to use to build many styles of trellis. This is a simple two step process that anyone can do (with help.)
For my trellises I chose to make arches for the feel of a green tunnel as I walk underneath them. To build them in this manner you will need at least two raised garden beds that are next to one another.
Cattle Panel Trellis Materials List
To build these trellises you will need the following materials. You will also need a hammer and some work gloves. I highly recommend wearing long pants. This is a two person job!
- Cattle Panels (I used 16′ x 50″)
- Fence Staples
Building Cattle Panel Trellises
Step One – Create Arches
Have two people start on each end of a cattle panel and gently create an even arch by walking toward one another evenly. Once you have a narrow enough arch you can wedge one side of the panel against the inside of one of your raised garden beds and gently move the second side in to place.
Be careful not to bend the cattle panels too rapidly or you will end up with an odd looking arch!
Step Two – Secure the Panels
Once you have the panels in place, secure them with fence staples. The trellises will straighten up as you secure them and you can gently adjust them once they are in nailed down.
Finished Cattle Panel Trellises
My large raised garden beds are ten feet long. I used two panels for each bed, leaving a gap in between. I really like how they turned out, let me know what you think!
