How to Make a Beautiful Arch for Climbing Vegetables

Many climbing vegetables need support. See how to make this simple garden arch! It’s a very efficient and attractive way to grow vining vegetables such as squashes, beans, and cucumbers.

And it’s very easy to adapt an off-the-shelf garden arch for this purpose.

We’re using two self-assembled arches made from powder-coated steel. Push your arches firmly into the soil where you wish to grow your squashes. To make the whole structure extra rigid, we’re tying our pair of arches together with zip ties at each horizontal bar.

Next we’re adding galvanized wire mesh to give the squashes plenty to grip hold of. Chicken wire or cattle panels would also work well. Wearing gloves to avoid scratches, cut the wire mesh to size using wire cutters. Fix the mesh to the arch with zip ties or heavy-duty garden wire.

You can create additional supports if you need to using heavy-duty wire or thick garden string. Securely tie one end of the wire to the front of the arch then spool out the wire horizontally across the arches, tying it to the middle vertical supports. When you get to the other end of the arch, tie it into position then run it up the support about six inches. Tie it into place then return to the front of the arch and tie it in, then repeat as often as you need to.

Before planting, add plenty of well-rotted compost to the planting area. Plant your squashes, making sure to lean the stems towards the mesh, and water thoroughly. You might need to loosely tie the stems to the support to start with.

See more tools and techniques—and our easy tool to plan the perfect garden! Try out our online Garden Planner for free.