How To Build Your Own Container Garden From Reclaimed Shipping Pallets
What's better than starting your very own container garden with fresh organic herbs and veggies?
Starting one for FREE!
This picture is an actual photo of the container garden I made out of reclaimed shipping pallets...
...and I'm going to show
you how to make one too!
So you think it's too late to get started on a container garden?
Wrong.
Lots of herbs and vegetables can be planted through late summer, you just have to know which ones.
I got my container garden built and planted about 3 weeks ago. I wanted to go all organic with my garden, so I planted a variety of Bonnie plants that I found at my local Home Depot.
Unfortunately the pickings were slim as far as the organic Bonnie plants went, but that's probably because I was getting quite a late start on this new garden.
Building a Planter from Reclaimed Pallets
For this container I more or less followed these Instructable instructions I showed you last month in 3 Free Container Garden Plans Using Reclaimed Pallets.
"No Nail Pulling Required"
One of the biggest hassles of working with reclaimed pallets is breaking them down. They're usually nailed together with nails that have screw-like thread on the end, and the thin planks splinter when you attempt to pry them out.
This particular plan was touted as the "no nail pull method"...but was it really?
Yes, for a while.
Since I don't have a table saw, I bought a $6 carbide blade for my circular saw to cut through the nails, which worked great until I dulled it completely about half way through the project. Luckily the blade was still sharp enough to cut off the slats, just not cut through the stubborn nails.
No problem, all i had to do was hammer them back into the support pieces (which are the pieces you can see at the top and bottom of each side of the planter)
Building Your Own
Simply follow the instructions in the instructable above and you'll be ready to plant in no time. It took me about 3 hours to construct mine...and most of that was spent in the breakdown process.
True, a table saw WILL make the job much easier, but you can use a circular saw as I did if you don't have one.
ALWAYS be sure to salvage non-pressure treated pallets if you plan on turning them into a container for planting. Pressure treated lumber will leach the chemicals used to treat it into your dirt and hence, your veggies.
What are you going to plant for a late summer garden?
This is beautiful!
i hear what you're saying ralph...and that's a choice everyone is going to have to make for themselves. Bottom line, for me, is being that i'm an avid DIYer and amateur wood worker, i'm 100% confident that i can tell the difference between treated and non-treated wood.
Again, to someone who knows the difference, they're as opposite as night and day. But like you said, if you're not positive, definitely ere on the side of caution.
I have to say that the whole treated/non-treated aspect of this project is enough to make anyone second guess trying this on their own. Even if I knew someone who thought they could tell the difference, as you suggest you can, I'm not sure I would completely trust their assessment. This really just isn't sound advice for people to go making things like this when there's a strong chance they could be poisoning their food.
GREAT question chelsie! If you got your pallets from a certain place (and didn't steal them), you can ask someone there. They should know.
If they came into your possession by some other means you're pretty much just gonna have to find someone who is familiar with the differences in pressure treated and non-treated wood.
Personally I can pick up a piece of wood (and in most cases, just look at it) and tell immediately if it's treated or not. Treated lumber has a different color and feel than non-treated wood. Often times it can even feel wet to the touch if it is freshly treated wood. Guess what that wetness is. Yup, the chemical solution that has yet to cure.
I've got a stack of pallets in the garage waiting to turn into beautiful containers. Is there any way to tell if a particular pallet has been pressure treated?