Last updated on February 23rd, 2012
THE WAY I SEE IT, a tee-pee-type trellis — the kind the colonists used — makes the best support for tomatoes and other vining crops. Mine, pictured above, is made from sumac (yes, sumac!), a weed-tree that flourishes in these parts. You can easily make such a trellis, using nothing more than sumac, bamboo, or maple saplings, and a little jute twine. Just follow this photo-tutorial:
For a trellis that occupies a 4-foot by 8-foot space (or raised bed), gather the following:
12 thin sumac trunks (or whatever you have at your disposal), each approximately 7 1/2 feet long, and 3-inches in diameter
1 additional, thin sumac trunk, 8 feet long, and approximately 2-3 inches in diameter (for the cross-beam)
Jute-twine
First, cut 12 thin trunks of sumac; you need nothing more than a pruning saw to sever the soft wood.
Next, arrange a tripod at each end of the bed, as illustrated above. Simply plunge the trunks into soil, to a depth of 6-12 inches.
Pull tops together, and lash with jute-twine. (If, in a previous life, you trained as girl-scout, you will undoubtedly do a better lashing-job than me.)
To make a cross-beam, simply lay a piece of sumac in the crotches of the two end-tripods.
Finally, criss-cross two trunks at the center of the structure, and lash them in place. Do the same for the remaining pieces, at equal intervals between.
Anchored in soil, and lashed with jute-twine, this super-duper trellis is sturdier than the stoutest wire tomato cage on the market. And indeterminate tomatoes aren’t the only crops that will climb its rustic frame — pole beans, cucumbers and heavy winter-squash will, too.
Don’t miss a thing at A Garden for the House…sign up for Kevin’s weekly newsletter!
Related Posts:
How to Plant Potatoes
Gift-Wrapped Tomatoes: Tomatillos
Recipe: Eloina’s Ultimate Salsa Verde
Justin says
Wow, what a great use for sumac! Can't wait to see what the structure looks like when it is covered with tomato vines.
Adele says
Love your trellis, Kevin! So…Adirondack! And like Justin said, a great use for sumac, which grows in abundance here in the Midwest, too.
Phoebe says
That trellis will look like a green skyscraper once the tomatoes get going.
I take it you didn't use poison sumac!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Phoebe – From what I've read, poison sumac is actually pretty rare. It grows almost exclusively in bogs and other wet areas.
Gardenlady says
Kevin, how tall are you? Will you be able to reach the uppermost tomatoes at 7 feet???
Eric says
I was wondering the same thing as Gardenlady!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Gardenlady, Eric – I'm 5'8″. I plan to stand on the edge of the raised bed to harvest the “high altitude” tomatoes!
Anonymous says
Not trying to make you jealous but………..here in Charleston, South Carolina we have been blessed with a very early and long growing season. My seed started tomatoes are already a foot tall outside. The asparagus, newly planted, has peeked out of the dirt and already has two ferns and I picked my first ten strawberries yesterday morning. Love your newsletter. It inspires me.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Dear Anonymous: you have indeed made me VERY jealous!
And by the way, I adore Charleston, SC, and used to visit every April. I'd live there if I could!
Ruth Eliot says
Early blight ruined my plants last year and so far already seeing spots on lower leaves. YIKES!!
Peggy says
I didn’t know sumac ever grew to 3″ in diameter. I like your trellis.
Dee says
Kevin
I live in a condo community. I can plant up to two feet from the outer wall of my unit. Is there a way to grow tomatoes using a trellis type support