What Does Trellis Mean?
A trellis is a structure used to support or train tall, vining, sprawling, or climbing plants as they grow. A trellis, or trellising, is commonly made from wood, plastic, metal, rope or string, and is also used in vertical gardens and all sorts of traditional horticulture.
While some plants tend to automatically wrap themselves around trellises, others need to be trained to grow in a certain direction. Growers achieve this by strategically placing their trellis in addition to softly bending and tying plants to the supports.
Maximum Yield Explains Trellis
Trellises are quite common in vegetable gardens, since some plants, such as beans and peas, often need something to hold on to and climb as they grow. Other plants, such as cucumbers, melons, and squash should be supported by a trellis to provide higher quality and more aesthetically pleasing fruit.
A trellis is also commonly used in cannabis cultivation to support or train larger strains as they grow.
In some cases, it is important to support a plant to prevent overgrowth. Tomatoes, for example, can sprawl out for a long distance over the ground, which is why they should be adequately contained by a trellis.
While some horticulturalists opt for metal tomato cages to prevent overgrowth, many horticulturalists use straw or wooden ones since these are more flexible with the plant’s tendency to sprawl its fruits over long distances. In these cases, it is important to prune the plant first and then tie it to the trellis.
There are organic options, like bamboo trellises, however, they have been known to harbor bacteria and should be sterilized before use.
Many growers use trellises in addition to twist ties, plant clips, and an assortment of household objects to effectively trellis the plants in their growrooms.
A trellis can also help in monitoring pest control efforts because it keeps plants away from soil-bound insects, worms, and other parasites.
