The Nifty TikTok Trick To Help You Save Money On Plant Trellises

When growing climbing plants or vegetables like English ivy or cucumbers, their vines can get out of control if they're left to grow on the ground. Sometimes they'll even make their way up the side of a house if they're near it. Gardeners often use plant trellises to keep them in one place. They can also be used as a privacy screen when they get filled with plants, but holding onto veggies is their priority. Trellises are made of many materials, such as wood, iron, metal wire, steel, etc., which range in price, but can get expensive quickly, especially when you buy multiple. However, TikTok user @OwningChickens claims that using cattle panels will give you the same outcome as using standard plant trellises, except at a lower price.

Cattle panels are similar to metal wire plant trellises. Using cattle panels prevents small animals from reaching anything growing along them, so you won't have to worry about losing vegetables. They're made of farm fencing wire that's turned into a wide arch that can be used to create paths in a garden or on a farm. Keep in mind that cattle panels are weighty, so when you're DIYing a trellis with them, you'll need an extra helper.

Setting up a cattle panel trellis is a simple project for any DIYer. TikToker @OwningChickens suggests using cattle panels from the Tractor Supply store and T-bar posts to support them. You only need one 16-foot cattle panel, four 6-foot studded T-bar posts, 24 zip ties, a tape measure, and a small sledgehammer.

Choose where you want to set up your cattle panel. It's best to pick a sunny spot near your garden or in the center where you'll grow your vegetables and plants. Once you find the best place, use your measuring tape to measure how far each T-post will be from each other. You'll want four to five feet of space in the arch's center from wall to wall. The posts will be placed in each corner of the panel. Use your sledgehammer to situate the posts in the ground. They should all be leveled and the same height.

Then, mark the center of the panel to ensure it stays centered when it's put up. Secure one side of the panel to two posts with zip ties. You'll need six zip ties per post; secure them around the horizontal wire to the post. Finally, fold over the panel, ensure the mark is still in the center, and zip-tie the other side to the posts. Repeat the steps if you're going to install multiple trellises.