Bamboo Tomato Trellis

Bamboo tomato trellis/"cage" - pretty, easy to build and very cheap. This trellis has a natural look that will add a fun aesthetic element to your garden. This is a great alternative to traditional tomato cages which typically run $12 each.

Your tomato plants need to have a trellis/cage for support - otherwise your plants will rest on the ground and your tomatoes will rot.

This project is very "green" - bamboo is a plant that grows very quickly and is invasive in NC - you don't have to feel guilty about cutting it down! The twine is compostable, and the bamboo stalks, if stored inside over the winter, can be used for a few seasons.

The only thing you have to buy is the twine a few dollars/roll.

Tools/supplies needed:
Sledgehammer
Scissors
Ladder
Twine

Step 1: Harvest Bamboo

I live in NC and bamboo abounds - many of my neighbors have an endless supply of unwanted bamboo growing in their yards. I spread the word and acquired approximately 40 stalks between 6-24 feet in length (for free!).

use a saw to cut down the bamboo near its base. Then, saw off all branches so that you have a straight pole remaining.

Next - be sure to put allow your bamboo to dry out (to prevent it from growing in your garden) by leaving the stalks raised above the ground for a few weeks*.


*This is our first time using bamboo for this purpose - we didn't not allow the bamboo to dry thoroughly because the tomatoes were desperate for support. I'm hoping that since we're only keeping the stalks in the ground for the season that we won't run into the problem of having the bamboo grow in the garden.

Comments

[gollihughj]

I used your idea for our gardens this year, has been working great!I made the upright stakes very tall (about 8 foot above ground) so that as the plants grow, we continue to add supports for the plants. Bamboo was free (neighbor has tons that he continually thins) and the jute twine was like 3 bucks a roll. Thanks for the Great Ible! Also, this Ible got me interested in bamboo work and have since started with making functional bamboo trellis work, and even native american style flutes that I'm still figuring out what I'm doing. Thanks again!

[armoire]

So glad you liked it! I've since moved to MA and work for a school garden non profit and I just put up a new bamboo trellis at the school. Good luck with the flutes!

[Rocksterr]

You want to soak the bamboo in the ocean in my neck of the woods to prevent fungus and bug infestation.  That will also help preserve the bamboo and it won't grow either since the salt water will kill it. 

[spykey808]

 zap straps work well too, but they are not bio-degradable

[chinkypin]

Another solution to the problem of sprouting stakes, at least according to my crazy chinese dad, is to make sure the stakes are planted upside down- that is, with the root end in the air. Dunno if it's true or not.

[WVSundown]

I have used "tomato shelves" (horizontally laid 4x4 fencing) with much success, so I know this method works very well. Kudos to you for using found materials and recycling. Thanks for the info!!

[daphnek]

If when you are lashing the poles together, like above, the horizontal will stay more secure if you wind the end of the twine around the whole knot, but between the two poles. Check out lashing instructions in any Girl Scout manual. :-)

[shermce]

In Louisiana it takes a while for bamboo to die after being cut. I would let it dry for four or five weeks before putting it in my garden. Our local bamboo is extremely hardy.

[homba]

Another option is to save your tall sunflower stalks from the last year - I'm trying it out this year. Not as strong as bamboo, but I grow tons of sunflowers every year and hate to discard useful things.

[bandoliergroup]

I harvest some each spring and make loads of stakes and trellises and such. Smaller bamboo works great tepee style in pots too - shove in 3 stakes around the perimeter and tie together at the top. Works great with veggies in pots and is easy to tie off to. I think it looks great - starting off green and weathering nicely as the season goes on.

[loximuthal]

This is a great idea. Several of my neighbors also have bamboo. I think they like it, but it keeps spreading beyond where they want it, so getting some should not be too hard. My tomato beds are not nearly so ambitious (total of three plants ;-) but I can scale it down.