How to Take Care of a Mandevilla Trellis

Wood Trellis

• 1

  Check for rusty fasteners on wood trellises before the beginning of the growing season. Remove and replace rusty screws or broken nails or brads.

• 2

  Inspect the wood for damage and sand down chipped edges and rough spots with sandpaper.

• 3

  Apply two coats of wood preservative to all edges and surfaces of the trellis. Wait four hours between coats. The preservative helps to keep moisture from penetrating the wood and alleviates blistering from the sun.

Metal Trellis

• 4

  Clean rust spots off metalwork with steel wool.

• 5

  Use a wire brush to remove flakes of old paint.

• 6

  Apply a light coat of rust-inhibiting paint over the entire trellis.

Wire Trellis

• 7

  Inspect the wooden posts that keep trellis wire secure. Regular fencing wire as well as rubber-coated wire can withstand tension as long as the posts remain solid and sturdy. Treat these posts with wood preservative at least once a year.

• 8

  Check fence wire and make sure the fence line remains straight and true. Use your hands to reshape kinks or bends.

• 9

  Examine rubber-coated wire for surface breaks. Dab liquid rubber paint over visible sections of exposed wire to prevent rust.