Bonide Products TP60 Bamboo Teepee Trellis for Climbing Plants, 60 Inches (When Open), 1 Trellis

One of my children got Morning Glory seeds and planted them in a large pot, only to discover some weeks later she urgently needed a trellis since it turned out to grow at warp speed. It appeared to me the best trellis format for a potted plant of this kind would be conical or pyramidal, providing not only well distributed support, but (especially for those who have read H. G. Wells' story "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid") a comforting feeling of containment as well.I purchased this triangular(ish) pyramidal trellis for the full amount Amazon was charging any other shopper. It is manufactured in China (likely Zhejiang just as with similar trellises) and sold by Bond Manufacturing in California, a bamboo importer now selling outdoor products. Expand it for use and collapse it for off-season storage. When expanded, its shape can be made almost conical by manually adjusting the pieces so it fits better a round pot (Fig. A). It is not hard to open or close the trellis, whose bamboo pieces are joined with round-head aluminum rivets (Fig. B). The quality of the bamboo is unremarkable.USEFUL LIFENo information is given on expected useful life. In my experience here in the Mid-Atlantic region, _outdoor_ bamboo poles or stakes last no more than about 2 years if inside the ground, up to 10 years if not in contact with the ground, and an intermediate period if only standing on the ground. Off-season storage will prolong the life of this trellis, and so should do applying a hand of water seal (to avoid wicking) and then another of polyurethane (to seal it); the bamboo needs to be dry for this process to be successful. Because absorption improves with weathering --a process usually taking 6 to 12 months and resulting in a grayish tone-- I have only applied a water seal after receiving the trellis and will wait until next year to reapply it and then apply the polyurethane. Seals are applied with a brush, and you will get good results also by dipping the dry bamboo ends in the seal container to achieve better penetration.WARRANTYThere is no description of a warranty in this page; however, its Product Information section provides a link to an Amazon's boiler-plate page about requesting warranties. There is also no description in the seller website, but it has a page for sending messages to the company.SAFETYMost of the aluminum rivets end in flats points, but there are a few sharp tipped ones (Fig. B, red circle and inset) that can actually cut the skin if mishandled. I have taken one star for this problem since there is no clear warning about this risk in the seller's packing box.Also, this page currently makes no mention of toxic concerns. Nevertheless, the same trellis sold in other stores carries the Proposition-65 warning about the item containing chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm following exposure above certain threshold limits. Unless such chemicals were no longer used in this Chinese-made product now, there is no good reason for Bond Manufacturing not to provide the warning here too, since California residents also shop in Amazon and the seller is located in that state. This is egregious given that Amazon has the page "About California Proposition 65" <amzn.to/2xkHM67>, which allows sellers to provide the warning to shoppers by placing a link to it in the Product Information section of this page. Wash your hands well after handling the trellis. I have taken out a second star because of the lack of warning.

I grew cucumbers on it this past Spring/Summer and itnheld up well. I will be using it next year as well for the same purpose. Keep in mind that you will need to find a way to stake it to the ground. It blows down easily.

The item itself is nice, I think it would have been just what I wanted in the yard if it had arrived intact. I took a chance and ordered even though others had issues with arriving damaged. I am sad to say when it got here today the top was broken. I little bubble wrap would probably solve the problem, not sure if I will try and order again. The return was easy.

Exactly what I was looking for! I saw it on a garden YouTube. I placed it over a climbing vine. Can’t wait to see it as it grows.

It is cute but a tad bit small for the price. We wanted to use it to plant beams but had to add taller bamboo.

Love these! Ordered 4 for my cucumbers and they not only work well, but look pretty cool.

One broke while opening it to put over our container. Low quality-sounded like a good idea- nope!

Love this item!