Vertical Gardening: Trellises, Stakes and Cages by Crop

Why grow upward

University of Kentucky Extension describes vertical training as growing plants upright rather than horizontally, on wood, wire or string trellises or in cages; it allows more plants per square foot and gives cleaner fruit that is easier to harvest. Virginia Cooperative Extension's guide (HORT-189, 2022) names balconies, patios and fence lines as good places for it and adds better airflow, which reduces disease, and foliage kept off the ground, which may reduce pest problems.

The costs: Nebraska Extension warns that plants loaded with fruit can be remarkably heavy, especially melons and tomatoes, while beans and peas need the least support; University of Minnesota Extension (UMN) notes that trellised cucumbers may need watering more often; and tall rows shade their neighbors.

Support types at a glance

Support	How it is built	Key numbers	Typical crops
Trellis	Two steel T-posts joined top and bottom by heavy-gauge wire, or 2×4s, with plastic netting, wood lattice, nylon fencing or woven-wire cattle fencing between (Virginia); heavier mesh for larger-fruited crops (UMN)	Posts at least 18–24 in into the ground; mesh holes no more than 4 in across (Virginia). Stakes 5–6 ft apart, with a third in the middle of a wider trellis (UMN)	Pole beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, tomatoes (Virginia)
Single stake	Wood, bamboo, PVC, metal conduit or rebar; wooden stakes at least 1 in thick (Virginia)	A 7–8 ft stake driven 1–2 ft deep, 3–4 in from the plant, within two weeks of planting; ties about every 12 in (Iowa State)	Tomatoes, peppers (Virginia)
Stake-and-weave	A stake between every other plant, twine woven along the row (Virginia)	First twine about 10 in off the ground once plants are 12 in tall, then another line every 10 in (Virginia)	Rows of tomatoes; suited to determinate types (Iowa State)
Cage	Livestock fencing or chicken wire (Virginia), or concrete-reinforcing mesh (UMN, Nebraska), rolled into a cylinder	4-in mesh is wide enough to harvest by hand; fasten to one or two stakes (Virginia)	Melons, summer and winter squash, indeterminate tomatoes (Virginia)
Tripod or teepee	Three poles or branches joined at the top (Clemson)	Five or six bean seeds in a circle 6–8 in from each pole (Clemson)	Pole beans
Living trellis	Sweet corn (Virginia, Kentucky)	Pole beans planted near or beneath the corn rows	Pole beans

Drawing by The More One Sows, based on the cited sources. Not to scale; plants are schematic.

1. Trellis: two posts with netting or fencing between; mesh holes no more than 4 in across (Virginia); stakes 5–6 ft apart (UMN)
2. Single stake: 7–8 ft long, set 3–4 in from the plant, stem tied about every 12 in in a loose figure 8 (Iowa State)
3. Stake-and-weave: a stake between every other plant; first twine about 10 in up when plants are 12 in tall, then every 10 in (Virginia)
4. Cage: 20–24 in across and 4–5 ft tall, steadied by 1 or 2 stakes (Iowa State); 4-in mesh lets a hand reach through (Virginia)
5. Below the ground line: trellis posts at least 18–24 in deep (Virginia); a single tomato stake 1–2 ft deep (Iowa State)

Which crops go on which support

Crop	Support	Numbers and notes
Pole beans	Trellis, teepee, A-frame or tripod	Trellises at least 6–8 ft tall and sturdy enough for wind and rain (Clemson); 6–8 ft stakes (Wisconsin). Beans twine on their own (Nebraska)
Bush beans	None	Bush varieties need no support (UMN). Half-runners, with runners about 3 ft long, may yield more on a 3–4 ft trellis (Clemson)
Peas, short (to 3 ft)	Stakes and strings	4-ft stakes set about 1 ft deep and 10 ft apart, with six strings 6 in apart, the first 6 in above the ground (Wisconsin)
Peas, tall (to 6 ft)	Netting	10-ft stakes set 18 in deep and 8 ft apart, with 6-ft-wide nylon netting of 6 × 6 in mesh (Wisconsin). Lightweight netting is enough for peas and beans (UMN)
Cucumbers	Trellis	About 6 ft high, top and bottom wires with twine at each plant, posts no more than 15 ft apart; rows 3 ft apart instead of 5 ft (Clemson). No slings, but check that fruit does not wedge in the mesh (UMN)
Melons, small winter squash	Trellis with slings, or cage	Choose varieties with fruit up to about 3 lb, no larger than a small melon or small winter squash, and support each fruit in a cloth sling (UMN); cages for heavy crops (Virginia)
Summer squash	Cage	A cage crop (Virginia); small squash on a trellis need no slings (UMN)
Large squash, pumpkins	Ground	Too heavy for trellises (UMN)
Indeterminate tomatoes	Tall stake, cage or trellis	They keep growing all season and sprawl unless supported (UMN); 8-ft stakes (Virginia)
Determinate tomatoes	Shorter stake, cage or weave	6-ft stakes driven 2 ft deep (Virginia); commercial conical cages work for determinate types such as 'Roma' (UMN)
Peppers	Single stake	Can be tied to individual stakes (Virginia)

Green beans are sold in both bush and pole forms, so check the tag (Nebraska). Crop-by-crop timing and spacing are on the beans, peas, cucumbers and tomatoes pages.

Building a trellis, step by step

Put it up early. Install supports while plants are young, ideally at planting time (UMN).
Choose the edge. Put tall crops such as pole beans and tomatoes on the north or west side of the garden so they do not shade smaller crops (Kentucky).
Set the posts. Drive posts at least 18–24 in into the ground (Virginia), deep enough that the trellis does not tip in a strong wind; a 6-ft stake pounded 1 ft in leaves 5 ft of trellis (UMN).
Add the climbing surface. Keep mesh holes to 4 in or less (Virginia); attach it with staples, locking ties or wire. For peas and beans, twine woven between a top and bottom wire also works, and untreated sisal, cotton or hemp twine can be composted with the vines (UMN).
Plant at the base at the same spacing the crop would have on the ground (UMN).
Train the vines. Guide or tie small plants until they climb on their own (Virginia), and weave growing tips through the mesh every few days (UMN). Peas and beans twine by themselves; tomatoes and watermelons need tying (Nebraska).
Sling heavy fruit. Large-fruited melons need a sling for each fruit (Nebraska, UMN); old t-shirts, mesh bags, old nylons or strips of cloth all work (Virginia, Nebraska).

Tomatoes: stake, cage or weave

Iowa State Extension compares the methods. A single stake gives an earlier crop but a lower total yield and more sunscald and blossom end rot, because of the reduced leaf canopy; Iowa State does not recommend it for determinate cultivars. A wire cage needs no tying or pruning. UMN adds that commercial conical cages often cannot contain indeterminate plants, and that letting plants sprawl on straw needs four or more feet between plants and leaves fruit exposed to slugs and rot.

For a homemade cage, UMN cuts 4-ft-wide concrete-reinforcing mesh with 4-in holes at 56 to 60 in, giving a cage about 18 in across, held by two stakes inside; the mesh is stiff, so wear gloves and eye protection. For pots, see growing tomatoes in containers.

Where sources differ

Question	Positions
Stake for one tomato plant	6-ft stake driven 2 ft deep for determinate types, 8-ft for indeterminate (Virginia) vs 7–8 ft driven 1–2 ft deep (Iowa State), which does not recommend single stakes for determinate types at all
Cage size	20–24 in across and 4–5 ft tall (Iowa State) vs about 18 in across from 4-ft-wide mesh (UMN)
Starting the weave	First twine about 10 in up when plants are 12 in tall, then every 10 in (Virginia) vs 8–10 in up when plants are 12–14 in tall, then every 6–8 in, on 6–7 ft stakes driven 1 ft deep every two plants (Iowa State)
Trellis post depth	At least 18–24 in (Virginia) vs 1 ft for a 6-ft stake (UMN)
Cucumber trellis height	About 6 ft (Clemson) vs 3–4 ft (UMN)

Placement, shade and underplanting

Sun. Tall crops go on the north or west side (Kentucky); sun-loving bush beans, eggplant and peppers go on the south side of taller crops (Virginia). In a grid bed, the square foot gardening page shows trellised crops on the north edge.
Underplanting. Radishes, turnips and lettuce can grow beneath taller crops and be harvested early; lettuce may benefit from the shade (Virginia). Nebraska suggests spinach and other greens beside vertical structures.
Patios and balconies. Virginia lists both as places for vertical growing; weight, wind and railing limits are covered in balcony gardening. The garden types overview compares vertical growing with beds and containers.

Vertical garden checklist

Vining varieties for supports, bush varieties where there will be none.
A support sized for the mature plant loaded with fruit, installed at planting.
Trellis posts at least 18–24 in deep; mesh openings of about 4 in.
Tall rows on the north or west edge; quick greens or radishes underneath.
Tomato stems tied loosely in a figure 8 with stretch ties or cloth strips (Iowa State).
Slings for melons; large squash and pumpkins left on the ground.
Trellised plants checked for water more often (UMN).

Sources

All sources were opened and checked in October 2026. Rules and figures change; confirm with the original before acting.

Vertical gardening: trellises, stakes and cages