I've got a grove full of live bamboo that I can harvest and use for poles or what have you. Now it's not the really really thick kind (photos of my bamboo are in the 1st and 3rd posts of this thread), like the kind you make furniture out of, but I'm thinking if I take a few pieces and bind them together it might work. What do you folks think?

Also, typically speaking... If I want to make a tripod trellis with bamboo for climbing plants, how thick would you recommend the tops should be? Also how tall?

I'm new, so I'm just very curious. We're needing to cut down a lot of the bamboo, and I'd like to do something with all the poles.

Are there any alternative frugal ideas for square foot gardening boxes?

I found this link handy on building tripods and trellis pieces if anyone is interested.

The teepees need to be sturdy enough to support whatever kind of vines you're planting on them.

Grapevines, for instance, would need a heavier support than peas.

If your poles are thinnish, you can set them closer together.

I don't think it's critical;
if the poles are as big around as your thumb, they're probably plenty sturdy for teepees.

I've seen bamboo fencing, & it's very nice, but I think you have to string it together with twine & tie knots between each pole, sort of like stringing pearls only with at least 2 rows of strings.

Best luck, & have fun!

I got a couple dozen bamboo patio torches at a church sale once. Still have them tucked away waiting for the right spot and place to make a type of teepee with the poles (sans torches). I will probably reinforce them like I stated above and then use nylon stockings to help support next years squash in a verticle setup. Might work.