Reusing wooden pallets has now become a trend when it comes to building raised garden beds. It has become more popular especially for gardeners who are short and budget or just starting.
Though it is gained popularity, there are a few things you should consider before building a raised garden bed. Whether you are building a temporary garden bed or a permanent one, you can always consider reusing or recycling materials to minimize the costs.
important things to consider when building a raised bed garden out of pallets
Though it is an eco-friendly idea to reuse pallet wood for building raised beds or planter beds, you should first consider thinking about the safety of the materials that you are going to reuse. Most people will never stop to think if the wooden pallets that they are planning to reuse are safe or not.
It is a good idea to know that manufacturers of wood pallets both in Canada in the US are required to treat the wood used for shipping. Each pallet is required to undergo a process of fumigation or heat treatment. Both processes must be performed to meet any good standard as well as an approved source.
This regulation is required for the prevention of pest survival in the wood pallet when being transferred from one country to another. This is like the belief in how the emerald ash borer came to the United States.
When looking for pallets, gardeners should check for the IPPC or the International Plant Production Convention logo on the wood pallet. The logo will tell you if it was kiln dried, heat-treated (HT), or methyl bromide (MB).
See to it that you do not reuse any pallets that were treated with methyl bromide. Try to look for pallets that are heat-treated especially when building a bed for vegetable gardening.
Making use of a brand-new wood pallet is the safest option you have. However, if you are only left with the using wood pallets you should take precautionary measures.
things you should do before building raised garden beds with wood pallets
There are precautionary measures that you can do before you build a raised bed garden. Some of these important things are the following:
- Wash the pallets thoroughly
Use hot soapy water or mix bleach and water in washing the used wood pallets. Make sure that it let it dry completely.
- Consider sealing or painting the wood pallets
Though the effectiveness of sealing harmful chemicals or any bacteria in the pallet is unknown, you can use paint or any sealant for the pallet.
- Wear gloves when working
Whether you are using brand new pallets or using them, it is highly recommended that you wear gloves all the time. This is also recommended especially when sanding down rough areas around the pallet to avoid having any injuries.
Once you have considered the safety of the wood pallets that you are going to use, the ideas and possibilities of using this in your garden are endless. You can build a raised bed, shelving units, garden pathways, compost bins, garden furniture, fencing, and even vertical gardening supports.
how to build a raised garden bed made out of pallets
You can build a raised bed garden out of pallets wait for two or three pallets depending on the level that you want. The instructions below you can create a raised bed well a trellis wall suitable for climbing plants.
1. Choose three heat-treated pallets. Using a saw, caught two of the pallets in half lengthwise to get long horizontal slats. For this project, you will be using three halves and one whole pallet.
2. Stand the one who pallet up. The slats should be facing inward and horizontally. Stand the half pallets up longways making sure that it is protruding from the front bottom and the front edge outward from every side of the whole pallet. See to it that the sides are uniform with the slats in a horizontal pattern.
3. Start drilling holes Using a drill and 2.5 inches deck screws, screw all sides of the box the form a U shape. Make sure you are screwing into solid 2x4s of the wood pallets. This will ensure structural durability.
4. Take the third half pallet and then insert it between the ends the complete the square. Screw in the corners. This will complete the bed that has a box shape and a tall back.
5. Add a layer of a four-foot-wide landscaping fabric or weed tarp on the bottom of the pallet. Staple landscape fabric to keep it in place. Repeat this layer on the other side to cover the entire bottle of the bed garden.
6. Filling the garden bed with your preferred soil mix. The soil mix should contain welcome posted soil and topped with peat moss. You can now start planting and please all climbing plants toward the trellis wall.
If you are building a raised garden bed that has a basic square shape, you can follow the step by step guide below:
1. Using two pallets, cut them in half lengthwise. Make sure that you can maintain the long horizontal slats.
2. Screw all four sides together at the right angles just like the instruction described above to create a perfect square.
3. Add a layer of weed tarp as mentioned in the fifth step above.
different designs to try using pallets for raised garden beds
Making sure that you avoid chemically treated wood pallets, you can get started building your 1st planter box or raised garden bed. Below are some designs you can get inspiration from and try doing in your garden:
