This is my first build of a garden planter box out of reclaimed wood pallets I’ve found. It was a terribly easy project:
- cut boards to width/length,
- screwed them to a 4″x4″,
- put in a base.
I think for my next pallet planter box project, I’ll also include some shelving on the bottom
I got the wood pallets from a construction site down the road, the screws were screws I pulled off of an old shelf unit and the only material I had to purchase was the fence boards as the siding. Overall, it was a very cheap and extremely easy project.
The box itself holds 450 cubic yards of soil which is perfect for a nice big planter! The overall sizes of this planter box are 5″ x 2″ x 18″.
What did you use for support on the base? Would the weight of soil, especially when damp/wet be too much for just boards, is there any cross support?
Not only do you need to check the math on 450 cubic yards, but you need to really do the math on what you have listed as the measurements. What you have listed are in inches(5″x2″x18″) not feet(5’x 2’x18″)
About how many pallets did you need to build the planter?
I made one of these boxes and used barn siding and then paired it with exterior paint, I now have mold coming through the paint, what could I have done to prevent this?
Use heat treated pallets and they are safe! There is usually some type of stamp on every pallet. As long as it has “HT” it has been heat treated vs using chemicals. Google this for more information. Happy gardening :)
I wouldn’t grow vegetables in any pallets. They’re all treated and can poison the food (that you will eat). You can only use non treated wood (cedar preferably to prevent rot).
Hi Hope,
You should read our article on pallet safety here: https://www.1001pallets.com/pallet-safety/
You’ll see that not all pallets are chemically treated, the HT ones can be used to grow vegetables as they are Heat treated and not chemically treated like MB ones.
You might want to check the math on the amount of dirt your planter holds. 5 ft x 2 ft x 18in (1.5ft) is 15 cubic FEET not 450 cubic YARDS which would be a huge truckload!
I was thinking the same thing. Last time I check the largest load most semi’s can hold is 20 cubic yards lol.
I was going to say the same. 450 cubic yards would be 45 – 10 cubic yard dump trucks. A 10 cubic yard dump truck has a bed that is around 15 feet long.
NEVER use recycled pallets for growing food or children’s play (ie sand) as you don’t know what the pallet was previously used for. Could and most likely chemicals or something you shouldn’t be eating.
as long as it has the letters “HT” on the side of the pallet it has been heat treated, Not chemically.
Great for kids play too as an alternative to the sand tray. Soil over sand any day……it’s a medium we should all become more familiar with?
penser à mettre un film de protection au fond … ;)
Steph Buchan, I stand corrected 😂😂 (there’s even storage underneath)
if the water cant pass the bottom the wood is going to rot quite fast Oo put some holes inside the bottom so the water can drain…
Ah bah c’est ce que je veux 😍😍
copy cat my husband makes these exactly like these