How to Make a Decorative and Functional Pea Trellis

English peas, snow peas and sugar snap peas have beautiful pale green vines and delicate flowers. So why not grow them up a trellis that is as pretty as the plants? Peas grown on trellises produce bigger yields and are less prone to disease. This bamboo trellis takes less than half an hour to construct, requires no special tools, and makes a beautiful focal point in a kitchen garden. Plus, peas grown on a trellis produce bigger yields and are less prone to disease.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• (3) 8- to 10-foot tall bamboo poles
• 15 U-shaped or circular bamboo stakes
• (1) 14-inch long plastic zip tie
• Tape measure
• Garden twine

1. Gather the three bamboo poles together. Make a loop with the zip tie and slip it over the poles. Slide the tie down about 8 to 10 inches from the top of the poles and then zip it tight so the poles are held firmly together.
2. Create a tripod in the garden by opening up the poles and spacing the base of each pole 3 to 4 feet apart. Stabilize the tripod by driving the poles at least 12 inches into the soil (18 inches is best).
3. Use the U-shaped or circular bamboo stakes to create decorative panels around the base of the tripod. To create a panel, simply push a curved bamboo stake into the soil at the base of one tripod leg. Then, take another curved stake and push it into the ground next to the first. Be imaginative with the design of the panel. Try using different shaped stakes, crisscrossing their legs or varying their heights. Tie the curved stakes together with twine at points where they cross the legs of the tripod.
4. Install lengths of twine for the peas to climb up. First, measure the distance from the top of the tripod to the top of the curved bamboo stakes (it should be between 6 and 7 feet). Then, cut a length of twine to fit the measurement. Tie a loop at one end of the twine and slip the loop over the top of one of the bamboo poles. Pull the twine very taut and tie the loose end to the top of a curved bamboo stake. Repeat, attaching a length of twine from the top of the trellis to each curved bamboo stake. To tighten up any loose lengths of twine, simply push the curved bamboo stake into the ground a bit more.
5. Presoak your pea seeds overnight in a jar or presprout the peas. Then, plant the peas 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart all along the base of the trellis. As the peas germinate and grow, train them first up the curved bamboo supports and then onto the twine.