Did you know that grapes do not need to grow in the neat rows you see at wineries? We have three different types of grapes and with my haphazard gardening style, they are lucky if they get a pruning every year, yet they continue to produce prolifically.

Several years ago I acquired a couple of Canadice grape plants. Not having any carpentry skills, I was trying to come up with an easy way to create an arbor for them. Then I saw a cattle panel at the local lumberyard. Although not quite wide enough, it was long enough to create an appropriate sized arch, and sturdy enough to hold the weight of the vine. If I put a few of them together I could make a decent-sized arbor to hold the grape vines.

I convinced Gary to take a look at them and we bought three cattle panels along with a few T-posts. Once we got the panels and T-Posts home we determined where to place them according to where the grapes were planted. We pounded in eight T-posts, one where the corner of each panel would be when arched. We arched each panel and tied them to the T-posts. We also zip tied the panels together where they met. This simple arbor has been in place for many years and has held up quite well. Not only does it keep the grape vine up, and make it easier to harvest them, it also provides a nice shady spot to sit and rest when it’s time to take a break from garden work on a hot day.

This type of cattle panel arbor could also be used for other plants as well. Clematis, jasmine, and honeysuckle would all be good candidates to climb on this type of arbor. Wisteria and climbing roses, though, would likely be too heavy. Although I haven’t tried it, I also think this type of arbor would be great for growing green beans, cucumbers, and gourds as well.