Double top wire grape trellis- Space Saver

I really like this type of grape trellis.

It has been very low maintenance, is very sturdy, the grape vines are mostly out of the reach of deer, the grapes get good sun exposure, and there is plenty of room underneath it to grow other plants and even small bushes.



I'm looking to move more towards a natural trellising system for my grapes, using bushes, plants, or other natural materials, that are free to obtain or grow, to lower the cost in the future.

The downsides of this trellis is that it's pretty expensive.

However, it can be an easy way to build a quality trellis that will last a really long time, and if you have a smaller growing area, it allows lots of things to be planted underneath it if needed, to greatly increase the available growing area.

If you'd like to see more videos like this, you can go to my Youtube channel at this link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRCqBr9G8JObD-cxQG8s5A and hit the subscribe button!

That does look nice. I only skimmed the video but it seems the main cost would be the wood posts, no?  I am thinking a free alternative would be 8’ long, straight Redwood/cedar/locust poles about 4” thick, which can be found for free around here. Cut stave points on them for driving them in, and basically follow the first couple steps of a junk pole fence/English dead hedge, but instead of filling it in, finish with a wire run through the posts like in the video. Thanks for the idea!

Ben Zumeta wrote:That does look nice. I only skimmed the video but it seems the main cost would be the wood posts, no?

Yeah, the posts were expensive, but I think the wire was actually even more expensive. It is a thick multi strand steel wire with a plastic coating. I probably could have gotten it at a better price, but I got it at one of the big box stores, and paid a premium price for it.

I am thinking a free alternative would be 8’ long, straight Redwood/cedar/locust poles about 4” thick, which can be found for free around here. Cut stave points on them for driving them in, and basically follow the first couple steps of a junk pole fence/English dead hedge, but instead of filling it in, finish with a wire run through the posts like in the video. Thanks for the idea!

That's a good idea Ben! Yeah, I think cheaper posts could be found and even harvested from the property if possible, which would really cut the cost a lot!

I've seen apples grown fairly tight together as a hedge. This is done to facilitate quick harvest and so they can begin fruiting quickly. When a row of these apples is no longer useful, it seems like the perfect spot to grow grapes, since you would need neither posts nor wire. The apples could be girdled so that they die, and then prune away all of the little scrawny stuff, leaving everything over half an inch, as the support for the grapes. They would eventually rot and topple over.

Alternatively, the apples could be kept alive, but severely pruned so that their main function is to work as fence posts.

I do similar sorts of wire supports for various plants so I'll add three comments:
1. I sometimes use a turnbuckle to give a way to tighten or loosen wires as needed.  If the hole is large enough for the eye section of the turnbuckle to go through, it also gives a tool-free way to slide the wire right out if you're doing major pruning or renovating and could do so either safer or easier with the wire temporarily out of the way. Grapes need it strong - a similar system for raspberries can be lighter, but really benefits from being easily unhooked for pruning.
2. We call the clip you used to hold the wire a "wire rope clip" and I find them very useful. They're adjustable, but they tend to damage the covering on the wire, so moving them a lot will increase the rust risk. Their other disadvantage is the tiny nuts are easy to loose in grass or mulch, so I've learned to put a tote bin/big sheet of newspaper/cardboard box under where I'm working to catch the nut if I fumble it. Theoretically, you can just loosen, but not remove the nuts when setting them up, but when working with stiff wire, I find it's sometimes much easier to remove the nuts completely.
3. I'm great at scrounging for free materials to build plant supports. But if I *have* to buy, I don't go cheap. Yes, quality wire is expensive, but grapevines are strong and heavy, and in the long run, I believe that it's more environmentally sound to buy quality and have it last than cheap and have to replace it. I've used similar wire/fasteners for temporary situations, only to be able to take it apart and reuse all the parts elsewhere.

I'm trying to rig up a short single-wire trellis to plant some thornless blackberries on. I've been trying to find high tensile wire in a short length, but I'm striking out. And then I got to wondering, could I use the dog tie-out cable I've already got to rig up something? Would that work? I'm not anticipating a huge amount of weight, but this is rated for dogs up to 250 lbs.

How does it visually compare to clothesline wire? I would think a 250 lb dog with a head of steam would need a comparative strength as a long clothesline and it would be fine, but I'm not an expert.

Jay Angler wrote:How does it visually compare to clothesline wire? I would think a 250 lb dog with a head of steam would need a comparative strength as a long clothesline and it would be fine, but I'm not an expert.

It's that red-looking coated tie-down wire. I don't have clothesline wire to compare it to. I've got to set up a 20- to 30-foot length of wire, and I have plenty of t posts if I need to put them close together. Assuming I can't afford high tensile wire and want to go with the best homeowner solution at the cheapest price, what would you recommend? I was thinking of using those one-way anchor vise thingies with whatever I get. I'm just horribly confused about what I need.

@Diane Kistner - I didn't have a way of giving you a scale as we were running out of light rapidly, but here are two pictures from small wire support projects I've done. The first is holding an espaliered Japanese pear tree. The second holds up 4" square fencing that supports thorn-less blackberry and goji berry plants. Hope this helps.

I've made a support for my grapes of black locust branches, two rows, just screwed them together, will keep me out of trouble for 15 years or so, i hope. Can walk under it if you're not too tall. It's pretty strong, i've had a hammock hanging on those branches.

Jay Angler wrote:@Diane Kistner - I didn't have a way of giving you a scale as we were running out of light rapidly, but here are two pictures from small wire support projects I've done. The first is holding an espaliered Japanese pear tree. The second holds up 4" square fencing that supports thorn-less blackberry and goji berry plants. Hope this helps.

Yes, it does. Thanks, Jay! That blue wire on the bottom looks very much like the dog tie-out cable I have in terms of size. And I'm glad to see how you use the turnbuckles. I couldn't visualize where to put them!