Bamboo screen and peas

[vixylix]

Hi all,

Still sorting out garden and fence plans - quick question - if I bought one of those bamboo screens

Apollo Screening Bamboo Slat 4m x 2m at wilko.com

Would peas / beans / broad beans manage to grow up it or would they need tying in?

Thanks

[Zelenina]

I'm very doubtful, vixy. First of all the bamboo screens I've seen had very narrow, weak canes that I don't think would bear the weight of plants, either climbing up or fastened to them. They are purely for screening purposes.

Then I don't think the plants would climb up them anyway. Broad beans don't actually climb at all. French and runner beans climb by twining their whole stem around a stick or cane, but I don't see enough space between those canes for them to be able to do it. Peas climb by winding tendrils around a support, and they might be able to wrap them between and around those canes, but they would be seeking the light and trying to grow away from the screen, so it would be very hard to get them to do it. They prefer climbing up netting or through twiggy pea sticks.

[Jungle Jane]

You could add a trellis in front like in this link but a bigger one or a few joined together? I don't think it would take the weight of runner beans on its own & if they did try to twine into it,it might break?
GAP Gardens - Peas growing up bamboo screen fence - Image No: 0074019 - Photo by Clive Nichols

[Zelenina]

Yes a trellis or net in front of the screen might work. But I think you'd need to look at the screening first to see how strong it is. The ones I've seen were made of very weak split canes and couldn't really support anything, but there might be stronger kinds that you could fasten things to.

[Zelenina]

Yes a trellis or net in front of the screen might work. But I think you'd need to look at the screening first to see how strong it is. The ones I've seen were made of very weak split canes and couldn't really support anything, but there might be stronger kinds that you could fasten things to. The one in Jane's picture looks much stronger, but is possibly custom made.

[vixylix]

Thanks both - I've got a new plan!

I'm going to fasten the screen behind the wall (we need the cover) and attach trellis to the front of the wall for the peas. I love it when a plan comes together!

[Bigmallly]

Bear in mind that Beans wind round supports where as Peas/Mangetout throw out tendrils to grab hold of the supports.

[vixylix]

Good point BM - I need to re-think my plan for the runner bean supports then - although at the moment I can't get them to blimming germinate (plus neither of us really even like runner beans )

[Bigmallly]

I'm not a lover of Runners but CFB's are ok.

[veggiechicken]

Grow runners/climbing french beans up a wigwam and use netting for the peas.