Staking tomatoes with Bamboo

14 years ago

Last year I scrambled to get support for the vastly increased number of tomatoes I was growing. Sopamanda graciously offered me bamboo from her stash in Tulsa, but Spademilllane tempted me with an unlimited supply at his home just minutes from my house. My only regret about my transaction with SML was that I wasn't able to harvest more, and I suspect he will say that he, too, wishes I had gotten more.

I posted a question last year on the tomato forum about how best to utilize my supply of bamboo, given that after 3 days of harvesting I was nowhere near having enough for a tepee for each tomato. Digdirt and others enlightened me on the concept of the Florida weave, and it worked very well for me.

Below is a copy paste of a post I made this morning on the vegetable forum, trying to help out a gardener who has similar circumstances. I think you'll get a kick out of my Scottish engineering, and I hope Spademilllane will appreciate seeing how his gift was put to work. From the vegetable forum:

Last year I posted a similar question regarding CHEAP on the tomato forum. I was in possession of many 12 foot pieces of bamboo. They suggested I try something called the Florida weave. A search here on on google will give you lots of info. Some suggested it wasn't a very sturdy method, but with my implementation it stood up very well to strong Oklahoma winds and is still in place for another year of service.

To install the bamboo I used rows 5' on center. Each bamboo pole was buried 2 feet deep, 3 feet on center. The tomatoes were planted in the middle of the 3 foot spacings, then supported using the Florida weave techinique. I believe my succes was due in large part to burying the stakes so deep.

With 12' poles, 10' above ground there were lots of jokes about picking tomatoes on a ladder. I stopped weaving once the vines were beyond my overhead reach, and the vines simply flopped over and began growing downward. It worked well for me. I chose not to shorten the poles because at some point the bamboo will rot at ground level and I'll still have plenty of length to rebury and use them a second or third time.

This year I'll be growing green beans on the same bamboo, trellis style with string. I've attached photos taken this week. You'll note I have installed real estate signs in between the five foot rows. I have planted several pea varieties and run string from sign to sign to support them. The spacing is a little tight, but the peas will be dying out about the same time it's warm enough to plant the beans, giving me more room to work. In addition, I know from last year that I can pick peas from inside the real estate sign rows.

Do be sure the bamboo is THOROUGHLY cured before you bury it. I harvested my bamboo from the largest private bamboo preserve in the state. The newly acquring owner, dismayed with what to do with it all remarked, "Friends don't let friends plant bamboo."

I've include one link for Florida Weave. Notice they put two tomatoes between each bamboo, whereas I put just one. Either way you use a figure eight style weave. Also note, I don't stop in very often, so please accept my apologies if I don't make it back to answer questions. Hope this helps.

Seedmama

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida Weave

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Comments (7)

Okiedawn OK Zone 7
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Seedmama,

What a great use for bamboo! I bet Robert was thrilled to get rid of some of his extensive bamboo grove.

I like the Florida weave, but before I learned it existed, I already had acquired a huge collection of tomato cages.

Just yesterday one of our neighbors looked at all the tomato cages behind the garage and commented on how many there were. I thought he was going to have a stroke when I solemnly replied to him "Yes, it is a lot isn't it, and I'll use every single one of them."

If I didn't have all those cages, I'd likely use the Florida weave and I'm really glad to hear it works well for you.

Dawn
scottokla
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I need some bamboo! I bought a bale 2 yeas ago, but I need some a little longer and thicker and the ones you are using look great. I'll keep my eyes open for some that won't cost too much to drive to get.

Thanks for posting that. Pictures are great.
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Thanks for all the input. I've done a search here for Florida Weave, but all the threads seem to be missing. I'll try again in a couple of days. Time seems to fix that sometimes. The canes range from 1 1/2 inches to 4 inches in diameter, with most of them being about 2 inches. They are sturdy and have little flex. "If seedmama wants to bury her stakes 3' deep then I wish her luck - it would be totally impossible here. But no one uses or wants to have to use a ladder to pick their tomatoes. ;) LOL. This gave me a chuckle. Here's how the 12' length came to be. I had cut and stripped a number of canes and had them lying the back of the pickup, extending well beyond the bed extender. The canes averaged 30 feet, with the last 6 feet having noticeably more flex. I could safely and legally haul 16 foot lengths, but I just couldn't imagine needing 16 foot canes. On the other hand, I have some 10' canes that are too short for green bean teepees. Needing to make a decision in the field I concluded that cutting 6 feet off the tip, then cutting the remaining 24 feet in half would give me plenty of length to work with. I could always trim them shorter, but couldn't make them longer. Furthermore, I reasoned if I got some rotting on the end I could trim it off and still use the canes again in the future. I'm not married to 12 feet, and it really didn't seem that long lying in the back of the pickup. Tripods do seem to make more sense than singles. I'll have to see how much more time I can find to harvest bamboo. Additionally, I'll check further into the Florida weave. Assuming I go with tripods, does anyone have a favorite knot they use to secure the top? Thanks for responding to my questions, Seedmama
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Something to consider is that if you are due to deliver in August that your ability to crawl and kneel is going to be limited pretty soon. I let mine sprawl after they outgrew their cheap wire cages. It was a PITA to rummage through the sprawling leaves and stems to find the tomatoes. I found many more bird-damaged ones on the ground than on the caged parts. Rotting was not a problem because it was dry and they were on a really thick layer of compost and shredded tree branches. (that's an expense of you don't have a shredder, possibly more of an expense than some remesh and hog rings. You can use all sorts of things as supports if you put your mind to thinking "what can hold them off the ground" instead of "must buy something labeled tomato cage".
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spademilllane
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
By all means, if anyone wants bamboo you can come on over and harvest away. I've already had two groups of people this year--friends and family of some help I've hired for building decks and a path. But there is so much more and it's ready to go!

There is also lots of bamboo that is dead and dried already--all you have to do is go into the forest and start harvesting it.

Seedmama: I'm impressed with your engineering skills in using the bamboo. Just drop me a line when you want to come over and harvest some more.

In fact, would you be interested in starting a bamboo fence factory? Maybe bamboo roofing for a pavillion you've always wanted to build? Maybe a bamboo fishing pole factory? You know where to get it!

--Robert

P.S. Remember that this bamboo isn't just the small stuff. There's plenty of bamboo that's 2 inches to 3 inches in diameter. Some is more like 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter, but there isn't much of that yet....just a few specimens are that big.
seedmama
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Robert's bamboo stash is akin to the Grand Canyon: Neither words nor pictures can adequately capture its enormity. I would not have had nearly the tomato crop I had last year without Robert's generosity.

I had been thinking I would wait until fall, post tick season, to stop by. But Mom is back in the gardening business, and I'm going to need some for her.

I remember your email security is better than Ft. Knox. My new email starts with "hybrid" and includes my profession. I'll be emailing you soon.

Regards,
Seedmama
spademilllane
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Here we go, I've created an e-mail just for the occasion:

Parties (or singles, for that matter) interested in bamboo can contact me at

bambooGalore@Cox.net

If any of you want to dig up rhizomes, even better, though not recommended. I've got some choice Black Bamboo, which is very, very expensive if you buy it at a nursery.

Also, I have dwarf bamboo (gets to about 3 feet high in Oklahoma weather), which grows in the shade ONLY. It works great around trees and in shady wooded areas. Again, a very expensive plant at a nursery but yours if you want to brave the ticks.

I only have a few ground rules: don't leave trash, don't dress the bamboo (remove leaves etc) without burning or otherwise disposing of it (I don't want to pick up your bamboo leavings, I have enough of my own!)

--Robert
sopamanda
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hey Seedmama (waving vigorously)!!

Glad to see you got what you needed.

We have a new house/new yard this year. I have a patio of wintersown plants and my friends on facebook think I'm nuts. However, I have convinced a good chunk of friends to try it. Even had a 'wintersowing party' earlier this spring. ROCKS!
seedmama
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hey sopamanda! I'm waving right back at you!!! Winter sowing really does rock. And it is so empowering! Where there is fear, there is no great gardening!

Staking tomatoes with Bamboo

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Okiedawn OK Zone 7

scottokla

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