Build a cattle panel trellis that can handle a hurricane!

We build three trellises out of fence components and cattle panel that we expect to last through Florida storms... including hurricanes! We show you how we do it, what parts and tools we use and what to watch out for on the way.
We also build a frame without a panel for our tomatoes. We can always move panels around afterwards and having the frame in place serves multiple purposes.
We'll include some links to some parts and tools below, along with a timing index so you can jump to any part you need if you want to skip back and forth while planning your build.
If you have any questions or if there's anything we missed or can clarify, leave a comment below and we'll answer all we can!
If you're looking for the video on our arched trellis, it's here:
• How to Build a Strong ...
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Parts and tools:
Auger bit: amzn.to/3nHWGt7
Fence Top Rail: www.lowes.com/pd/Galvanized-S...
Brace Rail Clamps: www.lowes.com/pd/BRACE-RAIL-C...
Carriage Bolts: www.lowes.com/pd/5-16-INX1-1-...
PVC pipe cutter: amzn.to/2WBuEnh
Green vinyl tape, single: amzn.to/37HZqRA
Green vinyl tape, 5 pack: amzn.to/3pdcuEs
Some of the above links are affiliate links. We earn a small percentage if you purchase using our links and it's doesn't add any extra cost to you. Every bit we can earn is another pack of seeds we can show you how to plant and grow later. :)
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0:00 Intro
0:30 Description and caution
1:51 Trellis part list
2:19 Tools
2:36 Auger bit and other digging options
4:13 Measuring the bed
4:59 Drilling the holes
5:43 Measuring pole and trellis height
6:00 Installing poles
6:20 Trellis length - 8 foot version
6:52 Second pole, working in the bed
7:09 Extra brace rail clamps
8:00 PVC spacers
8:28 Installing brace rail clamps and top pole
8:40 Installing tension clips
9:14 Hanging cattle panel
10:00 Installing side tension clips
10:18 Replacing old trellis plants
10:54 Cut top pole and install end brace
11:30 Start of 16-foot panel install
12:20 Joining top rails
13:09 Installing 16-foot top rails
13:39 Hanging the 16-foot panel and finishing that trellis
14:37 Building a frame without a panel
15:08 Description of tomato trellis frame
15:28 Securing the poles after installation
15:50 All the trellises
16:37 Green tape
18:04 Conclusion

[@liocean9636]

What an amazing method of building trellis. I'm gonna try this. Atlanta 8a

[@daveakins8348]

Thanks Makes this look easy enough for me to talk my wife through the project 😊 Ok, the hard part is going to be talking her INTO the project😲

[@AnoleGarden]

You know you NEED it! ;) Thanks for the comment!

[@cherilynne1946]

😂

[@besstb5331]

Thank you! This was really helpful and iI love the look!

[@AnoleGarden]

We like them a lot more now that they have had some time to lose the shininess they had when new. Thanks!

[@dianacoburn8269]

Awesome Idea!

[@KIMMIEnFLORIDA]

Nicely done! Greetings from Tallahassee Zone 8b...subbed!

[@AnoleGarden]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@Fred.pSonic]

06:52 This is an excellent video but you forgot to explain how to drink the coffee Bennie Hill style. Very crucial step!

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

YOU ROCK! Thanks for sharing.

[@AnoleGarden]

Our pleasure, thanks!

[@anthonynguyen9779]

I have been looking to do this for quite some time but unable to find all the parts here in Houston. The main problem is how to connect the cross bar. I see that you have found the two pieces cross bar connector; will have to see if they have that here. I have two suggestions for you. If I didn't see it in the video, you should screw the vertical bars into the raised wood bed; then have cross bars connecting the vertical trellis together. This will provide more resistance to wind. Anyway, thanks for making this video and share your experience.

[@AnoleGarden]

If you can't find them locally, here are a set of 10 brace clamps on Amazon... amzn.to/39wUNuu - Note: Note, I have no idea about the quality, I just wanted to give you an option. We thought about screwing the rails into the bed, but the top board on our raised bed overhangs the bed a bit and would be awkward to add spacers to. But we may attach them to the low beds. Thanks for the suggestion and let us know if you get your completed!

[@anthonynguyen9779]

@@AnoleGarden I went to lowes and by chance found out my mistake. I have been looking inside at the electrical tubing instead of looking outside at gardening section / fencing. The stuff outside, such as1 3/8" tubing are 3 or 4 times more expensive but more sturdy than the 3/4" electrical conduit. Will have to rethink my design.

[@teresaholland4790]

Great video but please up the volume thanks for the great article

[@AnoleGarden]

I hear ya (pun intended)... Audio is something that we've been working on quite a bit. Hopefully our newer videos are better. We can't replace the audio in videos that are already published, but we may record this one again in the future. Thanks for letting us know!

[@patrickkinney4998]

After hurricane Michael, there wasn’t much left. I was surprised that my chickens lived. The coop didn’t make it tho. There was someone’s headlight from their truck in my backyard. Don’t know where that came from

[@AnoleGarden]

Nothing is totally "hurricane-proof", but we do the best we can and these trellises have done really well for us so far. Animals seem to know the best places to go when they need to... so I'm not surprised that your chickens knew what to do as long as they weren't trapped. Glad to hear they were okay!

[@jennybaez-cepeda4919]

Thank you very much for this video I really really liked it and I’m thinking about doing the same thing this weekend but I have a quick question since I am new to gardening. I want to build three trellises 3 feet wide. How can I orient them so they can get the most sun since I have a small space north to south? Thanks

[@AnoleGarden]

Generally North to South is recommended unless you're specifically trying to shade something else. The east side will get morning sun, the west side will get afternoon sun. We hope it works out great for your trellises!

[@jennybaez-cepeda4919]

@@AnoleGarden thanks 🙏🏽 I appreciate it

[@jennybaez-cepeda4919]

@@AnoleGarden muchas gracias

[@m.gfaust8828]

How have they fared?

[@peony7967]

Can you provide link to the fittings you used?

[@AnoleGarden]

If you expand the description, we've included links to the rails, clamps and bolts there. If there's something else that we missed, please let us know and we'll see if we can find it. Thanks!

[@peony7967]

I have checked there is the tension clamp. But the t-clamp or something like that is what I would like to find. I am thinking if if I can get a t clamp then it is more stable

[@peony7967]

Here is the link you posted for one of the clamp. It looked like there is another clamp, I will watch the video again to give you the name you used www.lowes.com/pd/BRACE-RAIL-CLMP-1-3-8-INX1-3-8-IN/1002858880

[@AnoleGarden]

The tension clamps are what we used to attach the panels to the poles. We used a brace rail clamp (kind of a T) to attach the poles to each other. These are the tension clamps: www.lowes.com/pd/BRACE-RAIL-CLMP-1-3-8-INX1-3-8-IN/1002858880 The brace rail clamps are linked in the video description. We've tried wrapping wire to attach the panels, but didn't like the result. You could probably use some kind of shipping strap or something, or even get creative with a rope, but those could both eventually rot or get brittle from the sun. If you're really handy, you could just use some galvanized steel strap and drill or bolt it as needed.

[@peony7967]

@@AnoleGarden thank you. I am not handy at all and am a COVID gardener :) this is my second year gardening. I do not like using tape or string. I will look more into it.

[@dianacoburn8269]

Can you give an Idea about how much it cost for the materials?

[@AnoleGarden]

This was all at the beginning of covid, so it was "reasonable", in our opinion. The prices now are much higher... 1 panel is about $30, 5 rails is $100, probably around $30 for the various clamps and bolts and such. That's about $160 per panel if you're doing 16-foot long ones.

[@carlylanham6153]

Does the weight of the plants cause the trellis to sink farther into the ground?

[@AnoleGarden]

No, it does not. We used the post pounder to pound the posts in... it's not affected by the weight of the plants.

[@lindabirmingham603]

Are your trellises running east and west or north and south?

[@AnoleGarden]

The openings of the trellis face East/West. This orientation works best for our space. Orienting the openings North/South offers the best light on either side of the trellis. We are in Florida, getting enough light isn't an issue. At times, too much light is a problem!😅

[@lindabirmingham603]

@@AnoleGarden OK, thanks!

[@charlesoberdorf8478]

I've watched a number of your videos and have a problem hearing you, even with the sound turned up. Otherwise, good ideas for trellising!

[@AnoleGarden]

Thanks for letting us know... You may have moved up our decision on some new microphones. I will also attempt to do a more thorough job making sure the vocals stand out on future videos. Unfortunately, I can't adjust any that are already posted, but hopefully you'll notice an improvement after our next two videos. Thanks for the feedback, we hope you'll check us again in a couple videos and find an improvement!

[@crochetingaroundnewzealand]

This is great but please don't do voice overs. It's easier to understand when you talk while you're actually doing it and you point to things. In the voice overs you're using names I don't know. Plus it's all monotone, very hard to listen to for a long time.

[@AnoleGarden]

Thanks, we'll definitely keep it in mind. This was one of the first ones, and we havre gotten better microphones, so future ones may be better. We won't do VO very often (it's a hassle to edit to get the timing right), but sometimes it necessary if it's not appropriate for us to be wearing mics or if the surrounding noise is too high.

[@Fred.pSonic]

@@AnoleGarden Absolutely nothing wrong with your voiceover (and it's certainly not monotone, not sure what she was talking about), you brought crucial details into focus.