We Tried Using A Dollar Tree Trellis For Our Houseplants With Fabulous Yet Frugal Results
I have about 60 houseplants, some of which are more demanding than others. While I know that no plant is impossible to kill (I've tested this theory many times) pothos is among the most tolerant of various conditions. My oldest and largest plant has vines over 20 feet long which I have tacked to my dining room ceiling to give it a jungle vibe. From this parent plant, I propagated others that are scattered around this house, especially in areas that only offer low-light conditions. This golden pothos continues to grow even in the dark corners of our shady home. When it was finally time to move the plant in my living room to a bigger planter, I needed to figure out how I was going to support its vines. I may have found a solution at the Dollar Tree.
Before buying a small trellis, I looked at the many options available. There were plenty of inexpensive options, but they were all too small for the 5-foot-long vines on my plant. Since pothos plants require very little maintenance, I plan to continue my current practice of general neglect. It will be a few years before it needs to move to a larger pot, so I needed a big enough trellis to let it grow but not so large that it looks sparse.
Materials
The materials required for this project were very basic. This pothos plant has spent many years in a 6-inch pot. 5 years? Longer? I honestly don't know. It might have been fine in that planter for a while longer, but the vines were getting a little out of control and it was looking a little shabby. The leaves still looked healthy, but the vines had no place to climb and were just piling up. I'd love to be able to let them go wild. But, a certain cat who I can't keep away from houseplants would find a way to destroy those lovely leaves. I also didn't want my curious kitty to make herself sick.
I already had an 8-inch terra cotta pot, which was the perfect size to upgrade this plant, but I had to somehow squeeze in the trellis I got from Dollar Tree. So, I would have to make some adjustments since the trellis was too wide as-is. However, at about 24 inches tall, it was already the perfect height for growing vines.
Trellising my pothos
This project started with moving my pothos into its new planter with fresh soil. I needed to unwind the vines which had become very intertwined. I wanted to do that before attaching them to the trellis so I knew exactly how long they were and to get a picture in my head of how to secure them.
With my pothos in its new home, I had to figure out how to adjust the small trellis to fit the pot. Since it was too wide, I removed the bottom lateral bar to bend the supports to fit within the planter. A basic wire cutter worked perfectly to cut the thin, plastic-covered metal. I also removed the bottom two vertical bars to give the trellis a finished look. Without those pieces, the trellis fit beautifully in the 8-inch planter. To secure some of the vines, I attached them loosely to the bars with floral wire.
Results
The structure of this trellis provided more places to attach vines than the cheap options available on Amazon. The interior bars and ornamental features on the top and sides also gave me a lot of places to secure the vines. Now, they have room to grow while giving individual leaves more access to what little light I have in my home.
I know these trellises are intended for outdoor use, but as a long-time gardener, I can't think of many outdoor plants where these tiny trellises would be sufficient. They are flimsy and small, so any outdoor vines would quickly overtake them. They would also easily be bent by weather. But, what makes them too delicate for the outside world makes them perfect for supporting houseplants. They may just need a few adjustments depending on your planter size. Plus, there are lots of easy-to-grow indoor plants where you could use this trellis to add extra support and visual interest.