Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
veryzer

trellis question

veryzer
14 years ago

I'm looking for a tall trellis for my snow queen clematis. The one I bought last year is 6' but by the time I drove it into the ground it was about 5.5'. The clematis was overtopping it after about 6 weeks and is putting up lots of new growth this year.

Would any 8'+ trellis need to be screwed to the wall (which I wouldn't mind but my wife would as we could be selling in a few years)? For example, I found a Panacea trellis measuring 9' that has two 7" stakes to go into the ground. Would this be sufficient support for a metal trellis or would I have to also make use of the couple wall screws that are provided? Any suggestions are appreciated.

Comments (4)

  • nckvilledudes
    14 years ago

    Why worry if the trellis is not tall enough for your clematis? Many of mine reach the top of 8+ foot tall trellises and then cascade back down onto themselves or travel horizontally. This isn't an issue for me but may be for you.

    What type of house do you have that you are worried about screwing something into? If it is wood or masonite, you can easily fill the holes when you are ready to move and paint the areas. If your house is stucco, the small holes could easily be patched. If your house is brick, you can purchase a masonry bit and drill into the mortar, install lead anchors and put your appropriately sized screws into the lead anchors. When you are ready to move, you unscrew the anchors, pull out the lead anchors, and fill the holes with mortar in a tube, similar to what caulk is sold in, from your local hardware store.

    I guess a bigger question for me is why are you planting a clematis on a trellis and worrying about the holes in your house if you are attaching it to a wall? Wouldn't you leave the plant and trellis when you moved since most people consider that to be a permanent addition to the property and would be included in the sale unless it was specified otherwise in the contract.

    7" stakes for a 9 foot trellis is not going to provide a whole lot of support for the trellis, especially if you have any sort of windy conditions.

  • greenguy1
    14 years ago

    If you're not keen on attaching the trellis to the wall, get some sturdy stakes at least six feet long (the longer the better if they will be supporting a 9' tall trellis) and drive them three or so feet into the ground so they are spaced to match your trellis's uprights. Then attach the trellis to the protruding parts of the stakes.

    You can get 8 or 10 foot long pieces of 5/8" rebar at any building supply store, these should be rigid enough to not sway much (1/2" rebar won't be) and won't be too obtrusive (in my humble opinion).

    - Steve

  • cmdonahue15
    14 years ago

    For Veryzer - I made a 9' trellis from 5/8" rebar that I purchased very inexpensively at Lowe's. I spaced three bars about 4-5" apart from each other, then used short sections of pre-cut 10" lentghs of rebar, and lashed them with steel wire to the vertical bars at about 14" intervals. I attached the top ends of each verticle bar to the inside face of the roofing fascia board and the entire structure looks just great. Very unabtrusive and is rusting in the weather nicely. Depending on where you are siting this, you could do the same, or as the others suggested, attach it to the house and worry about the rest later! You could easily modify the dimensions I used to fit your own needs and aesthetic sense. Good luck! Flowerqueen

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    14 years ago

    flowerqueen, could you post a picture of that?

Sponsored
Outdoor Spaces
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars19 Reviews
Experienced Full Service Landscape Design Firm Serving Loudoun County