Simple DIY Modern Garden Beds

So you're ready to begin your journey to homesteading, you're ready to sow your first seeds or plant your first potatoes. Enjoying the taste of homegrown organic food and filling your kitchen with the smell of fresh produce. But then you remember you don't have a huge garden to plant in, you just have a bit of free space on your balcony or just a small tiled area by your hedge. Well in this instructable I will show you step-by-step how to turn free pallets into strong, large and easy-to-build raised planter boxes!

Materials:

1. Pallets (The amount depends on the size of the pallet, see the cut list in step two for specifics)
2. H3 Treated pine 90 x 45mm (H2-treated pine is also ok but not preferable - see step two for lengths)
3. Screws (8-10 60mm Galvanised)
4. Nails - Galvanised twisted decking nails are ideal, however, you can also reuse nails from the pallets
5. Plastic Sheeting (Optional)
6. Staples (Only required if you are lining your box with plastic)
7. 8x Tiles 5x5cm (Normally come on a sheet, and are often easy to find second-hand)

Tools:

1. Drill with drill bits and countersinking bits
2. Handsaw or drop saw/table saw/track saw etc.
3. Hammer with nail-removing hooks
4. Clamps
5. Staple gun (Only required if you are lining your box with plastic)
6. Knife (Only required if you are lining your box with plastic)
7. Pliers (Only required if you are lining your box with plastic - to remove staples if needed)
8. Tape measure + pencil

Safety Gear:

1. Eye protection
2. Ear protection
3. Dust Mask
4. Gloves

There are tons of videos online about how to take apart pallets but I'll give you a quick rundown. First, when choosing a pallet, look for ones with solid stretchers, minimal cracked planks, and that are not made of plywood (The pallet shown in the images above is made of plywood, but was for a separate project).

The easiest method of breaking down a pallet is to just take a saw and cut off the end stretchers, then using a hammer, knock off the planks from the middle stretcher and finally pull out all the nails. However, the issue with this is that the final length of the planks is shorter than the pallet you originally picked up. Depending on the size of your pallet, this may not be an issue.

If you want to make use of the entire pallet, you will need a pallet buster/crowbar. You can buy these for fairly cheap, or if you own a welder, you can quickly make one with random metal scraps in under 5 minutes (like I did). You can see the general shape below, or search around online to find one you'd like to copy.

With a pallet buster in hand, and pallets filling your back garden (or living room), it is time to break them down. Simply insert the pallet buster's prongs into the pallet and pull each plank from the stretcher.

Any stretchers that still have nails in them can be removed easily with the back end of a hammer. Save the nails! You can use them later!

Then you can take the planks and lay them all out flat, with the nails pointy end upwards (don't step on them! It will hurt). Using a hammer you can then hit the nails back out of the plank, you only need to hit them out far enough such that the prongs of the hammer can fit under the nail's head. Then just pry out the nail.

Now you should have tons of planks and stretchers, free of nails, and free of cost!

Pallet wood:

8x Side Panels (Half a plank long - 583mm)

8x Front/Back Panels (Full plank - 1166mm)

2x Front/Back Frame Beams (Made from the pallet's stretchers, 950mm long)

2x Side Frame Beams (Made from the pallet's stretchers, the same length as the side panels - 583mm)

2x Frame Cross Beams (Made from the pallet's stretchers, 500mm)

2x Reinforcing Beams (Made from the pallet's stretchers, 260mm), these are best to measure yourself once you have built the back of the box and installed the main frame to compensate for any misalignment.

The equivalent of 6 full planks for the base (I found 3 wide boards were equal to 4 standard boards. Hence on one of my boxes I used 6 normal planks, and on another box, I used 2 normal planks + 3 wide boards)

Other:

4x Legs (Made from H3 treated pine - 90 x 45mm)

H2-treated pine is also ok, but not preferable. Legs can be any length you want, I wanted legs that were 300mm off the ground, so I cut my legs to 680mm long. This accounts for the width of 4 planks widthwise (4*95mm in my case) + the length of leg I wanted.

A second pallet made from darker/lighter wood (to contrast) can also be used to add trimming to the planters for visual effect. Corner trimming should be cut to the length of the legs, and front/back trimming should be cut to the length of 4 planks widthwise (4*95mm in my case). This is elaborated more in a later step and is optional.

The first step is to build the sides of the planter. For this step you'll need:

• 4x Legs
• 8x Side Panels

First, take the two legs and lay them out on a flat surface. To ensure they're parallel, lay one side panel at the top and bottom of the legs as shown below. Make sure the panels are flush with the edges of the legs.

Then using nails secure the top panel, and the other 2 planks to the legs. At this stage, the general position of the legs is held by the 3 panels so you can move the bottom panel that was used for squaring and nail it next to the other planks. I placed my nails diagonally from each other to help improve strength, as opposed to securing nails in a straight line. This can be seen below.

Then repeat these steps with the other two legs and 4 side panels and you should have 2 sides that look like the following!

The next is to build the back of the planter. For this step you'll need:

• 2x Sides (From the last step)
• 4x Back Panels

By balancing the two sides on their edge, you can then lay out the four back panels on top to help align the sides. Make sure that the panels are flush with the ends of the sides (such that the back panels form a square edge with the side panels as shown below).

Then nail the back panels into the legs (I once again used diagonally placed nails - but this is a personal preference). You should now be able to stand the planter up on its legs, be careful not to snap anything as it currently doesn't have a structural frame.

Speaking of structural frames... it's about time we build one! For this step you'll need:

• 2x Front/Back Frame Beams
• 2x Side Frame Beams

First, stand the front and back beams on their ends. You can then align them by placing a side beam on top and placing one nail in the middle of the joining faces. This nail is simply to help support the general shape of the frame before we add screws. It is easier to see what I mean by looking at the images below.

Then carefully flip the frame over and repeat this process for the other side beam. Then carefully lift the frame, place it on a flat workbench/table and clamp both beams at one corner. By using a pilot hole and countersinking bit, drill two holes in the end with the nail and drive two long screws into the beams. This should be repeated for all 4 corners.

You have now completed the outer frame!

To help strengthen the frame and provide more support for the base (which we add in a future step), we need to add cross beams. For this step you'll need:

• 1x Outer frame (From the last step)
• 2x Frame Cross Beams

Simply hammer in the cross beams so that they're evenly spaced apart. The size of the 'gap' between cross beams will change depending on the thickness of your beams, but for me, it was 29cm for each 'gap'. You can calculate this by taking the overall length of the frame, subtracting the thickness of each end and both supporting beams, and then dividing this by 3.

'gap' size = [(overall length of frame) - (thickness of beams)*4] / 3

To hold these cross beams in place, countersink and fasten 3 long screws through each end.

Now it is time to fasten the frame to the remainder of the build. For this step you'll need:

• The Main Assembly (From a previous step)
• Structural Frame (From the last step)

By laying the main build on its side, you can drop in the frame and clamp it in each corner. You want to space the frame the thickness of two panels (or one beam) from the bottom of the main build as shown below. To keep the frame square, you also need to make sure it is spaced two panels (or one beam) from the bottom of the sides.

If your screws are slightly too short to fasten the frame securely to the legs of the main build, you can use a larger drillbit to make a deeper countersink, be careful not to drill too deep as it'll weaken the frame (large drill bits love to grab whatever you're drilling so go nice and slow). Then secure 2-3 screws in each corner.

Once you've installed the screws and removed the clamps, it should look like the following.

The next step is to add the base. For this step you'll need:

• The Main Assembly (From the last step)
• All bottom planks (sizes and quantities may vary)

Structurally, the base should be ideally nailed into the top of the frame. If you are growing flowers, tomatoes, peas etc. I highly recommend you secure your planks on top of the frame (you can use nails or screws). However, this option does remove around 1 panel's height worth of growing room for root development. This is fine for most plants, but since I intend on using these planter boxes primarily for sweet potatoes, I wanted as much growing room as possible. This means I installed the planks on the underside of the frame (you must use screws if you choose this option). The reason this is not ideal is that the weight of the soil will be pushing against the screws (constantly trying to push the base of the planter box), whereas when the planks are secured on the top, the soil is working to hold the base in place. You can see the difference in the image below (Left - Base on top, Right - Base on bottom):

To install the base, turn the main assembly such that the base is facing upwards (i.e. if you are installing the base on the top, the assembly should be right-side up. But if you are installing the base on the bottom, the assembly should be upsidedown). Then lay the base planks in their respective positions as shown (make sure you have two narrow planks on either side of the other planks - this way we can easily cut them shorter to account for the width of the legs).

For all the centre base planks, mark the length of excess that needs removing and cut them to length. It is easiest to mark one plank and then cut them all simultaneously. Then mark the end base planks and cut them in a similar manner. Then lie them in their final positions as shown below.

Depending on the width of your planks, you may find that one is slightly too wide. If you have a tablesaw or bandsaw you can easily rip-cut this plank before installing the base. If you are using a handsaw, wait until you have fastened the base, and then cut it off using the frame as a guide.

To secure the base on the underside, simply drill and countersink two holes for every plank along each of the four horizontal frame beams (screw in from the underside). To secure the base on the top, use one or two nails for every plank along each of the four horizontal beams (you can use screws if you'd prefer but they normally cost more).

Ignore how the first image doesn't have the base attached. I forgot to take a photo after I installed the base, however, you'll see in the remainder of the images that the base has been installed.

Due to the length of the back planks, to help avoid them looking like bananas once the soil is added, we need to strengthen the back. For this step, we need:

• The Main Assembly - With the base installed (From the last step)
• 1x Reinforcing Beam

To install the reinforcing beam, all we need to do is place it in the centre of the back planks and then nail it through the planks. You should use 8 nails, 2 for each plank.

Then you can either use two screws, or three nails to diagonally fasten the reinforcing beam to the main frame. I chose two nails as once they were hammered in as far as possible, I could hammer them flush (I later installed a third nail which is not shown in the images).

It is a bit hard to see where I have installed this beam, so refer to the image below for placement.

This step is optional but recommended. You'll notice there is a void at either end where the frame meets the side wall. If you're planning on lining the planter with plastic I'd recommend filling the avoid to remove unnecessary stress on the plastic sheeting. If you are not planning to line the box, you can leave this void, or fill it with non-treated offcuts. For this step you'll need the following:

• The Main Assembly (From the last step)
• Beam or leg offcuts

This step is super easy. Just drop the offcuts into place. You can optionally add a nail or two to hold them in place but it isn't necessary.

It is finally time to build the front of this box! For this step, you'll need the following.

• The Main Assembly (From the last step)
• 4x Front Panels
• 1x Reinforcing Beam

I wanted to add a unique feature to my planter box by having the front panel completely removable. The reason I wanted this feature is because I intend to grow sweet potatoes, and rather than digging around in the dirt and damaging my potatoes, I'd rather just tip it all out, grab my potatoes and then shovel it all back in. However, even with a removable front, it works exactly the same as a normal box (although it becomes much more complex to build, so if you don't need it, I would recommend against adding it).

If you don't want a removable front, you can install the front in the same way you installed the back and the back reinforcing beam (after you've done that you can then skip to the next step).

If you do want the removable front, you need to do it a bit differently. First, lay the main assembly on its side and lay down the front panels like so.

You can use 6 nails (two on either end and two in the middle) to secure the bottom plank as shown, this panel won't be removable (I moved the other 3 planks for clarity but you should leave them in place).

Then using screws, fasten the remaining 3 planks into the legs. Make sure the pilot holes are countersunk as shown below.

Then place the reinforcing beam in the middle of the front planks and clamp it in place. Do not nail or screw this reinforcing beam into the main frame like we did previously, we only want this beam to be joined to the top 3 panels. Use 5 nails to fasten the panels to the beam. Note in the image below, that the plank second from the bottom only has one nail in it, this is because the second nail would go into the frame and ultimately prevent the removal of the front panels.

Congratulations! You have just built a planter box. Whilst it doesn't look as pretty as it could, it is structurally finished. You can skip to step 15 if you're interested in lining the box, or you can skip to step 18 if you're just interested in getting soil in this box as soon as possible. If you're like me and want to make these boxes look beautiful, carry on to the next step.

Time to make this box beautiful! Using a slightly darker, and thinner wood (also sourced from a pallet) you can add optional trimming. You will need the following for this step.

• The Main Assembly (From the last step)
• 1x Front Trimming (+/- 1x Back trimming)

To install the front trimming, simply screw through the back of the front reinforcing beam, making sure to use a deep countersink so that the screw bites into the front trimming but doesn't poke through. If you have a removable front, make sure you only screw through the front reinforcing beam and not the main frame.

My box will be against a wall and thus you will never be able to see the back of the box. Consequently, I didn't add trimming to the back of the box, however, if the back of your box will be visible, you should also install back trimming in the same manner.

We also want to add trimming to every visible corner. For each corner that has one visible face, you only need to add one piece of trimming as shown below.

For those with two visible faces, you should add two pieces of trimming as shown below.

If you have a side that will be against a second box (either the short side or the long side), you should install a wider plank on the mating corner(s). If you don't have a wider plank, you can use two narrow planks (one on each box). This is shown below.

Since the legs are one plank's width away from the outer panels, you'll need to fill this void with scraps. This also helps to prevent bugs, scorpions and spiders from living in this gap. In Australia, we have a ton of spiders and I don't need an excuse for more to live in my house! This is much easier to do with the box on its side. The images below show what I mean (you'll need to trim any long offcuts used to be flush with the leg).

To install the trimming, you can simply nail it into the box with three nails, one inline with the middle of the top panel, one inline with the middle of the bottom panel, and one slightly above the bottom of the leg. If you salvaged any rusty nails, I'd recommend using those as they blend in more than the shiny new ones. If you have a removable front panel, you will need to screw in the trimming rather than nailing it into place (as it covers the screws needed to remove the front panel, and thus must also be removed when you wish to take off the front), you can do this either from the front of the panel, or you can use short screws and go in from the back (use two screws at the bottom near the leg, and one screw very close to the top so it isn't completely buried by soil once you fill the box).

To remove the front you should follow these steps in order.

1. Unscrew the side trimming
2. Unscrew the left side
3. Unscrew the right side

Be very careful if you are doing this step once the box is filled with soil as once all (or most) the screws are removed, the weight of the soil will likely push the front of the box. Never stand directly in front of the box during this step (if it is filled with soil) as you don't want to be crushed by soil. You can very easily remove the front by standing to the side of the box and unscrewing the front panels.

The final step of this planter box is to line it with plastic sheeting. I chose to use a roll of plastic because it was cheaper, but I would highly recommend using plastic sheeting. Simply lie the plastic sheet inside the box, fill it with a tiny bit of soil to help press the bottom into its final shape, then staple the top into the inside of the box, leaving a small lip between the top of the planter and plastic. If you have a removable front you'll need to line it separately. You can expand the images above to see some images of how I stapled in the plastic roll (but I would recommend you buy plastic sheeting).

Remember to drill drainage holes through the plastic and wood. To prevent the plastic from getting wrapped up in the drill bit, first cut an X-shape in the plastic with a knife, then drill in the centre of the X.

You can choose to not line the planter box if you are worried about the plastic being toxic, however, you can buy plastic specifically designed for lining planter boxes. I chose to line my box as I wasn't sure what the pallets were originally used to hold, and they had a bit of cement on the inside of some of them, additionally, I used treated pine for the legs, which I thought would be even more toxic than the plastic. Do some research based on your specific plastic sheeting and treated pine. Ultimately it is a personal preference.

The plastic sheeting will help to prevent the wood from rotting and prevent bugs in the soil from eating the inside of the wood, thus improving the life of your planter box.

The build is done!! I chose to build a second box, but the process is of course the same. Take a moment to admire your box and check out some of these photos!

Make sure you do this step before adding soil, as I didn't and hence you can see the use of a carjack in some photos.

Because the legs of the box will be touching the ground, over time they'll absorb water and stay wet. This can lead to rot. To help prevent this, you should raise them slightly off the ground using tiles. Simply lift the box and slide the tiles under the leg (you'll need two people for this step).

I only realised I needed tiles after filling it with soil, but all is not lost! Using a carjack you can raise the box and carefully add the tiles. Never go under an unsupported heavy object, use a stick or metal rod to help push the tiles into place to avoid getting your hand or arm trapped. Also, make sure you use a thick plank on top of your jack to spread the load across the entire underside of the box (rather than just one plank) and position the jack under the main structural frame not under an unsupported part of the base. Do this at your own risk.

If the step name wasn't clear, it is time to get some soil into these boxes!

I would recommend looking up a local soil yard as you'll likely be able to buy soil that is not only cheaper but higher quality than the bagged soil you can buy at hardware stores. Try to get a mix of compost, organic manure, and topsoil. This will help to encourage healthy growth for your plants.

Depending on what type of plants you intend to grow, you'll need to do a bit of extra research into what levels of NPK (nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium) your plants need to thrive. As a rule of thumb, nitrogen is great for leaves, and phosphorus + potassium is great for flowers and fruits (although all plants need all 3).

After you've bought some soil, it's as simple as wheelbarrowing it into your planter boxes. Whilst you can move your boxes after they've got soil in them, I'd highly recommend you place your boxes in their final intended position before filling them. If you do ever need to move the boxes, wait for the soil to dry out as the wet soil will add significant amounts of weight.

Since I intend to grow sweet potatoes, I needed a more sandy and loose soil than the compost-rich soil I bought. Because of this, I mixed in 1.5 wheelbarrows of soil for every 0.5 a wheelbarrow of sand I added (from my garden).

I was shocked to find fruit stickers in my soil! The government collects our household scraps each week to compost for local gardens and other council land. However, finding nine fruit stickers in the one scoop I bought made me realize what an environmental issue these pesky little stickers are. While we can make an extra effort to separate fruit stickers from compostable waste, it’s important to think about how to solve this problem on a larger scale.

Before sowing your seeds check if they benefit from soaking, and if you should directly sow them or transplant them after germination. Seeds such as peas and beans can greatly benefit from a quick soak the night before you plant them. Sweet potatoes (my chosen crop) need to form slips (sprouts) which can take up to 2 months (especially as it is currently the middle of winter). So while I wait, I chose to plant rocket and spinach as they are quick sprouting and will use excess nitrogen in my soil.

I'd recommend either sowing each seed in a small hole or in long trenches. If your beds aren't filled to the brim, you can scatter your seeds first, then scoop another shovel of soil on top.

Fertilizer plays a crucial role in enhancing the nutrient content of the soil, ensuring that plants receive the elements they need for optimal growth. By providing a balanced supply of nutrients, fertilizer helps promote healthy root development, foliage, and bountiful yields. Regular application of the right type of fertilizer can significantly improve the overall health and productivity of your garden. My favourite solid fertiliser is blood and bone (with added potash), and my favourite liquid fertiliser is Seasol with Wettasoil (a seaweed-based fertiliser).

Over the past month, I've taken a few photos to document the progress of my leafy greens. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a lush carpet of green in a planter box, especially when you can enjoy the fresh veggies it produces.

The most rewarding part of growing your food is the moment you get to harvest it. Here are some photos of some radishes I grew.

Update: I also added a photo of some of the rocket I grew, despite many battles against catapillars.

As mentioned, I am making my planter boxes for a variety of leafy greens as well as sweet potatoes. I needed somewhere to leave my sweet potatoes for a month or so whilst they grow slips so I quickly whipped together a smaller box with a similar concept to the large one and thought I'd include it as a bit of extra inspiration if large garden beds aren't your style (or you have super limited space and just wanted to grow some tomatoes, beans or other trellising plants).

If you're still reading, thanks for tuning in! A bit of woodwork is great fun and can be a nice break from work, school or other more complex engineering projects.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and I'm excited to show you what else I'm working on soon!

Overall I am super happy with how these boxes turned out. They make a great addition to any garden or balcony and have helped my family grow and eat fresh veggies. Over the month or so I have had these boxes they have experienced a ton of rain and the added moisture and weight have had no impact on the box's structural integrity. There has been no warping, despite my base being installed on the underside which I am pleased with.

We don't get snow or frost here in Australia, so if you do, you may need to think about whether this will affect your boxes, I don't think it should, but it isn't something I am able to test.

Best of luck making your own boxes and please leave a comment with any questions!