If you don't want to let the self-climbing ivy climb directly up a wall, you must offer the popular climbing plant a suitable trellis. You can easily build this yourself and thus optimally adapt it to the spatial conditions.
How do I build an ivy trellis myself?
To build an ivy trellis yourself, you need sturdy wood, roof battens, Phillips wood screws and possibly weather protection glaze. Lay the slats 20 cm apart, form a grid and screw it together. Attach the grid to the wall or free standing.
Why does ivy need a climbing aid?
Ivydoes not form stable structures, butclimbsup to twenty metersin height. With its shoots converted into adhesive roots, the plant holds on to almost all surfaces.
Planted on a trellis that can even stand freely in the garden, the ivy quickly outgrows it. In this way, the climbing aids become a dense, evergreen privacy screen.
What materials can I use for an ivy trellis?
Since the ivy stands in the same place for several years and gains quite a lot of weight over time,stable woodis the best choice. Pine and spruceare quite durable and work well. However, these woods are not as weather-resistant as the slightly higher-pricedlarch wood.
But with your imagination you can also build pretty trellises for the ivy using old ladders and fence scraps into which you integrate parts of old furniture or garden tools.
How much material do I need for an ivy trellis?
That depends onhow big the trellis should be and how wide you plan the gaps between the wooden strips. A square grid structure measuring 20 by 20 centimeters has proven successful for the ivy.
Material list for a 2 meter wide trellis:
- 20 roof battens
- Phillips head wood screws
- possibly weather protection glaze
How can I build the trellis for the ivy myself?
The construction of the trellisis not complicatedandcan also be done by amateurs:
- Provide wood with a protective coating if necessary.
- Lay out half of the roof battens vertically, twenty centimeters apart.
- Place the remaining slats over the top to form a grid.
- Check whether everything is straight using a spirit level and a meter rule.
- Screw with the wood screws.
How is the trellis attached?
You can attach the resulting trellis to the house wall using mounting brackets. For a free-standing privacy wall you will also need:
- At least 3 pressure-impregnated piles with a diameter of 8 centimeters and 250 centimeters long
- Matching ground sleeves
- Impacting aid
Assembly instructions
- Mark the location for the stakes.
- Insert the driving aid into the ground sleeve.
- Lock the impact aid and drive the sleeve into the ground.
- Screw the trellis for the ivy to the stakes.
Tip
Only let ivy grow on walls with intact plaster
Damage to the masonry, where ivy grows with its roots, can be made worse by the greenery. The adhesive organs growing into the holes expand cracks in the plaster and spalling can occur. Since the green no longer allows as much air to reach the wall, moisture can collect and water can even penetrate the wall.
