How to Make Bamboo Fence Peas
Bamboo fencing is suitable for growing peas and other twining vines. The narrow width of each of the bamboo poles that makes up the fence is just the right size for pea vines to climb, and the spaces between each of the poles in rolled fencing gives the vines room to twine about the poles. The fencing also is attractive once gardening season is over, lending both privacy and natural interest to the landscaping. Rolled bamboo fencing is readily available and easy to install. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Post-hole digger
- Fence posts
- Rolled bamboo fencing
- Hammer and nails
- Hand cultivator
- Mulch
Instructions
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1
Dig a hole one foot deep with a post hole digger on one end of the garden row. Dig a second hole at the end of the row, or dig a hole every 4 feet if the row is more than 4 feet long.
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2
Set a 6-foot tall fence post into each hole. Fill the holes around the post with soil and tamp it down well to support the post.
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3
Nail one end of the rolled bamboo fencing to the first post. Unroll the fencing to the next post and nail it down. Continue for each post on the row until all the fencing is installed.
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4
Sow pea seeds as soon as the soil warms enough to work in early spring. Plant each seed 1 inch deep at the base of the bamboo fencing, spacing the seeds 2 inches apart along the row.
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5
Guide the young vines onto the bamboo fence once they are long enough, within approximately two weeks of sowing. Pull the tips of the vines to the trellis and wrap the end clockwise around a bamboo post one to two times. Vines will then climb the trellis on their own.
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6
Water as needed to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Peas may not require frequent watering depending on how moist your soil remains in early spring.
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7
Weed between the pea vines by hand or by breaking up the top 1/2 inch of soil with a hand cultivator. Once vines are climbing the trellis, lay a 2-inch thick layer of organic mulch on the bed to preserve moisture and prevent further weed growth.
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8
Harvest the peas as soon as they are ripe to encourage further pod production on the vine. Pick shelling peas when the pods are still tender but the peas are full-size inside the pod. Pick edible pod varieties when the peas inside the pods are still small and immature.
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Tips & Warnings
Erect the trellis on the north end of the garden and plant the peas so they climb the south side of the trellis. This way they receive full sun without blocking light to the rest of the plants in the garden bed.
Harvest in the afternoon when the plants are dry. Harvesting wet vines may spread disease.
