Wooden pallets

Built earlier this year.







This pallet wood planter is based on my other sand box planter. I wanted to extend the growing season so just added a lid cover to it.

The planter measures 204 x 92 x 48cm, internal depth is 38cm. The lid is 102cm in height.

My shoestring budget didn't stretch enough to fill it with compost so I am currently growing stuff in buckets.


As others have mentioned, OP, be sure to use pallets marked only with IPPC HT or EPAL. Even then, be sure to inspect them carefully - look for uniformity because repaired ones exist and the donor pallet wood used for the repair may not conform to the stamped markings.

Where there are no markings then use your own judgement and common sense.

Thoroughly wash and sanitise the wood after you have finished building your planter.

I wet the wood first using a hose then scrub it clean using a bucket of water and Fairy Liquid. I rinse that off and then wash it again using a dilute bleach solution (mix the bleach solution according to the instructions as for use on counter tops).

I then leave the bleach solution to soak in for about 15-20minutes before rinsing it off. Then, I would repeat the rinse each day over the course of five days.

Of course, it rained so heavily when I constructed both of my planters that I didn't need to do that myself.

Incidentally, if you're concerned about the safety of using bleach, well, don't be as that is how butchers' blocks are cleaned and sanitised after use.

 

I made a cold frame from pallets.....just finished it yesterday, all ready to house my tender and young plants when it gets cold.

 

They're clearly marked so they wont get accidentally cut up and used for firewood.

 

There look like they were newist pallets

 

Tip: To avoid gaps between but-jointed boards, make sure they are dry before using, and clamp them together tightly with sash cramps before fixing to framework.

 

Oh dear, I think that I might've been naughty again ...

 

And a Co-op plastic box

 

Seeing Redwing's creation convinced me that we too (the community garden) needed a new propagator/cold frame.

So, I set about improvising with the bits and bobs that I had salvaged over the course of seven months.



Interior lined with horticultural fabric, foam floor underlay and reflective space blanket.


Stainless steel hinges.



The only items that I spent money on were the hinges, black screws and staples for the lid.

Everything else was salvaged and recycled stuff including the pallet nails, underlay and the transparent 2mm plastic sheeting for the lid. That's one of the benefits of living on a big housing estate - you find all manor of usable stuff on a regular basis around the area.

Tips:

Use the back of the saw and/or the paving slabs to check for squareness.

Use the cosmetically and structurally good pallet wood on the sides where they will be visible - use the less perfect on areas where they will be hidden from sight.

Score the pallet wood with a sharp blade beforehand for a cleaner saw cut line.

Use blunted nails in a staggered dovetail pattern for extra strength and to prevent the pallet wood from splitting.

 

I have a big ant problem where I grow and have found that type of sandwich construction encourages ant nest building between the pallet slat outer wall and the inner lining, with the ants filling it full of soil (clay in my case) causing the whole thing to rapidly rot and also attract ants into every pot/tray/etc. inside. And if ants don't take over, woodlice will also find it a cosy habitat and find a way to get in between the layers, make it their home and go out to eat any fresh seed shoots on stuff growing there.

 

Hope you find an Antidote

 

Good work Mr Q! Here is a picture of mine filled up all ready for winter.

 

Very nice, Redwing. I can now see the foresight in your design with the tall sides to accommodate the staked plants.

 

Woodlice is unavoidable in the community garden because rotting wood is what they predominantly feed on.

I guesstimate that the pallet wood boxes will last between 3-6 years before they are structurally decayed beyond repair - the sandbox planter maybe a little bit less because it is supporting over a ton of sharp sand.

I've tried to improve the longevity of the boxes by not letting them touch the soil directly, and the insect hotels and piles of scrap wood that I deliberately left in certain places were intended to lure insects (such as woodlice) away from nesting in the actual boxes themselves.

As for ants - yes, we do get ants but none have infested any of the wooden raised beds or any of the pallet wood boxes in the garden. This is all thanks to the herb growing preferences of our five Turkish members that I observed and decided to adopt.

Turks love to eat spearmint and so they grow loads of it intermingled with their other vegetables. Spearmint, as it turns out, is a natural ant repellent which explains why there had been no infestations since day one.

So, I grew eight different types of mint in pots in close proximity to the pallet wood boxes. I observed that spearmint in isolation can some times be attacked by sap sucking whiteflies so I placed a hybrid lavender next to it just to be on the safe side.

 

Decking is fine in small doses, but it is slippery if you don't keep it clear of moss. The treads are not fail-safe and you can come a right pearler, if you ain't careful. However, decking is good and thick, and it makes great containers, seats, and low border fences.

Instance, I am planning to make a side entrance gate, using decking laid on a frame of 3 x 2 pressure treated timber. Also, my half-finished shed is positioned on a platform of decking to keep it clear of the ground. I am also going to put a container grown Maple, on a similar platform. Decking! I love the stuff... but no worries, I shan't go mad!

Regards Wobbly-John

 

I finished these over the May Bank Holiday weekend, one raised bed and two planters:






They were built from pallets donated to us last autumn.