How to Build A Bamboo Pea Trellis

A bamboo trellis lifts climbing pea vine off the ground.

Pea vines love climbing and bamboo is a natural product that makes an attractive trellis. Since bamboo grows quickly, a stand will produce more than enough stakes every spring for the early-growing pea patch. Your flowering pea plants will be lifted high off the ground by the bamboo trellis, producing healthier and more productive plants and fruit.

Things You'll Need

• Bamboo sections
• Zip ties or twine
• Hand saw
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Cut sections of bamboo in 8-foot lengths. Saw with a handsaw if the bamboo is too thick for regular pruning shears. Use bamboo that is at least 3/4 inch thick to provide the strength for holding up the vines, especially during windy weather.

2. Push the thick end of the bamboo sections 8 inches into the ground, standing straight up. Space them 12 inches apart from each other in a single row. Start a second row parallel, 2 feet away, using the same type of bamboo stakes.

3. Bring the tops of the bamboo together and cross them, sliding a long section of bamboo over the top of the intersection. Tie the bamboo to the cross section using the tip ties. Secure each set of bamboo stakes at their intersection on the cross piece, keeping each tie at the same height for uniformity.

4. Weave 1/2-inch sections of bamboo in and out through the stakes of bamboo, starting 6 inches from the ground, zip tying them in place to the vertical stakes every 3 feet. Overlap any sections that are too short to span the whole length of your trellis and tie them together. Place the woven sections every 6 inches to form a lattice for the pea vine to reach for. Repeat for the opposite side.

References

• Michigan State University: Build Your Own Bamboo Trellis
• University of Wisconsin Extension: Master Gardener Home Vegetable Guide