A trellis can be complicated or simple in construction.
A trellis is an effective means of adding a vertical element to your yard or saving space on an apartment patio or balcony. They work well for growing anything from moon flowers to even cantaloupe. Avoid buying an expensive trellis for the climbing plants in your garden by making one of your own. You won't need to do any sawing or use any power tools to put together your inexpensive, simple trellis.
Instructions
1. Lay the bamboo stakes parallel -- about 4 to 5 feet apart -- on the ground, depending on how wide you want the finished trellis to be.
2. Lay the bamboo cane in parallel rows on top of the stakes, perpendicular to them. This fleshes out your trellis. Break or cut the ends of the thin canes so that they are even in length and so they extend 4 to 5 inches beyond the stakes on either side. When setting them out, space them evenly but leave 1 foot at the bottom of the stakes so that there is room to drive them into the ground.
3. Lash the canes to the stakes with twine, according to the pattern, size and spacing you prefer for your trellis. Wrap the twine once each way around the intersection, tie it in the back and trim the ends with scissors. It is important to get the knots as tight as possible because the bamboo is slippery and does not grip easily.
4. Cut six to seven 7-foot pieces of twine. Take one at a time and tie it securely to the bottom "rung" of your trellis. Loop it tightly around each rung, working your way to the top, and then tie it to the last one. Repeat this for each length of twine. These form the vertical climbing supports, creating a quick trellis.
5. Install your trellis. Position it about 4 to 5 inches out from a wall or fence. Pick your spot according to the amount of sunlight your plants will need. Use a hammer or mallet to tap it into the ground. Move back and forth, hammering each stake 1 inch at a time until the bottom rung is 1 to 2 inches from the ground.
Tags: your trellis, bottom rung, inches from, into ground