6 Best Fruit Tree Trellis Nettings

You’ve planted the fruit trees, maybe a few apples to espalier against the barn or a row of blackberries that need taming. Now you’re staring at a bunch of gangly whips, realizing they need direction and support to become productive. On a homestead, every square foot counts, and trellising is how you maximize your vertical space, improve air circulation, and make harvesting easier. Choosing the right netting isn’t just about holding up a branch; it’s about investing in a system that fits your budget, your timeline, and the specific needs of your trees.

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VIVOSUN Heavy-Duty Polyester Trellis Netting

This is the workhorse you see everywhere, and for good reason. VIVOSUN netting is affordable, widely available, and its polyester construction holds up surprisingly well to sun and rain for a few seasons. It’s a fantastic starting point for training fruit trees.

The 6-inch mesh is a double-edged sword. It provides plenty of attachment points for training young, flexible branches of an apple or pear tree into an espalier shape. The downside is that harvesting larger fruit through the mesh can be a pain, and the netting has a notorious habit of tangling into a frustrating knot if you’re not careful when you store it.

Think of this as your go-to for new projects. If you’re experimenting with a Belgian fence or training your first grapevine, VIVOSUN lets you build the system without a huge upfront cost. Just be patient when you unroll it and accept you might be replacing it in three to five years.

Agfabric Garden Netting for Large Homesteads

When you move from training one tree to training a whole row, you need to think in bulk. Agfabric is the answer for covering large areas without breaking the bank. It typically comes in long, wide rolls that let you create a continuous wall of support.

This is usually a lighter-weight polypropylene netting. It won’t have the brute strength of some professional-grade options, but its value is in the sheer square footage you get for your money. It’s more than strong enough for guiding raspberry canes or creating a support plane for a dozen dwarf trees along a fence.

The best use for Agfabric is creating large, uniform trellises. Imagine a 50-foot row of blackberries you want to weave into a wall of fruit. Rolling out a single, wide piece of this netting between posts is far more efficient than stringing individual wires or using smaller nets. It’s about economy of scale.

Tenax Hortonova: A Durable Professional Netting

If you’ve ever thought, "I only want to do this once," then Hortonova is your netting. This is a professional-grade product used by market gardeners, and it’s built to last. The biaxially oriented polypropylene is incredibly strong and sag-resistant.

The real benefit here is longevity. While the initial cost is higher, this netting can easily last a decade or more, even under heavy fruit loads and intense sun. It shrugs off the weight of a mature pear tree laden with fruit and won’t stretch out of shape by the end of the season.

This is the netting for your permanent installations. Use it for the heirloom apple espalier you plan to pass down, or for the main support structure of a permanent vineyard row. It’s an investment, but it pays for itself by eliminating the need for replacement and the labor that goes with it.

Jobe’s Jute Netting for Biodegradable Trellising

Jute netting fills a very specific niche on the homestead: temporary, natural support. Made from plant fibers, it’s completely biodegradable. At the end of its life, you can simply compost it or let it break down in place.

The obvious tradeoff is its lifespan. This is a one-season product. The natural fibers will rot over a wet winter, making it completely unsuitable for the permanent structure a perennial fruit tree requires. Don’t expect it to support a heavy branch for multiple years.

So where do you use it? It’s perfect for providing gentle, temporary support for a first-year tree whip, guiding its initial growth without girdling the trunk. It’s also great for annual vines you might plant near your fruit trees, like pole beans or cucumbers, keeping them from swamping the main tree while they grow. Think of it as a short-term tool, not a long-term solution.

Ross Trellis Netting for Its Simple Installation

Sometimes, getting the job done is more important than getting it perfect. Ross Trellis Netting is designed for convenience. It’s the option you grab when you realize your kiwi vines are getting out of control and you need a trellis up now.

The netting itself is a fairly standard nylon or polyester, perfectly adequate for most backyard fruit applications. Its main selling point is ease of use; it’s often packaged to resist tangling and is easy to cut and handle. It won’t have the rigid strength of Hortonova, but it will certainly support a decent crop of grapes or passionfruit.

This is the choice for the time-crunched homesteader. If you prioritize a quick and simple setup over multi-decade durability, Ross is a solid pick. It bridges the gap between the cheapest options and the professional-grade stuff, offering a good balance of strength and user-friendliness.

Vigoro Trellis Netting: The Budget Hardware Pick

Every homesteader knows the value of the local hardware store for a last-minute fix. Vigoro trellis netting is that readily available, no-frills option you can pick up with your other supplies. It’s inexpensive and requires no planning or waiting for delivery.

You get what you pay for. This is often a lighter-weight plastic that can become brittle after a season or two of intense UV exposure. Don’t expect it to handle the immense weight of a mature, heavily-fruiting tree for very long.

Its strength lies in its accessibility and low cost. It’s perfect for trying out a new trellising method on a small scale, supporting a young plant in its first year, or for a temporary setup for something like ground cherries or vining melons. When you need a solution today and your budget is tight, Vigoro gets the job done.

Ultimately, the best trellis netting is the one that matches the job and your long-term vision. A cheap, temporary net is a waste if you’re building a permanent espalier, just as a professional-grade net is overkill for a one-season experiment. By matching the material to the mission, you ensure your trees get the support they need to thrive without putting unnecessary strain on your homestead budget.