Content
- How to build a simple raised bed of pallets
- What you need to build a pallet raised bed
- Building instructions for a raised bed made of europallets
- So the pallet high bed is filled and planted
- Plant sidewalls of the pallet high bed
- This is how you plant the pallet high bed
- Tips
A raised bed of pallets is stable and cheap
How to build a simple raised bed of pallets
From four standard Euro or transport pallets, you can build a sturdy raised bed in no time at which you will enjoy for years. The special feature: if you install a floor in the individual layers between the inside and outside of the pallets, you can still plant strawberries and herbs in there. Thus, you not only use the actual bed, but also the vertical side walls.
Previous article Construction manual - So you can easily build your DIY raised bed yourself Next article Build a classic raised bed of wood yourself - Suitable types of woodWhat you need to build a pallet raised bed
Of course, for a raised bed with a floor area of about 1.5 square meters, you should first get four Euro pallets. You can buy these cheap in specialized shops or on the Internet or ask at various companies and forwarding companies, whether they have to deliver. In addition, you will need several narrow boards that you can saw or cut to size as the floors for the planters in the side walls.
Other materials and tools:
Of course you can use normal screws instead of Spax screws, but then you need a drill to drill the screw holes.Spax screws have the advantage that they are self-tapping and therefore no pre-drilling is necessary.
Building instructions for a raised bed made of europallets
First of all, you build the plant boxes by inserting the perfectly sawn boards as bottoms in the side panels. For each pallet you need six short and narrow boards. Then dress the resulting plant boxes with pond liner, so that later the soil filling has no contact with the wood - otherwise rotting is the result. Once done, you can start building the actual raised bed:
Finally, staple pond or bubble wrap on the inside of the raised bed to the pallet wall. The floor of the raised bed is covered with wire mesh, so that no vermin such as voles can penetrate. Place the bed on a depressed, level surface, which you may also seal with a weed fleece against invading weeds.
So the pallet high bed is filled and planted
The plant boxes on the sides fill you, depending on which plant types are to be put in there, plant, flower or herd earth. The raised bed itself is classically filled with a mixture of coarse and fine organic material. As the lowest layer coarse material such as hedge and shrub cut, branches and even green crop residues (eg from cleared summer flowers, shrub stalks) into the raised bed. The material must be well set before you finally fill in about 20 to 30 centimeters thick raw compost, grass sod and shredded material. The uppermost layer forms finer, more mature and well-rotted compost mixed with garden soil or potting soil.
Plant sidewalls of the pallet high bed
The planters on the side walls together make up around four square meters - so much space, for example, to be able to plant herbs. Please note that the different herbs have completely different requirements in terms of location and substrate. Mediterranean herbs such as oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme need a dry, lean substrate and a sunny spot - so they prefer to plant in potting soil mixed with sand or herb soil in the upper boxes. Nutrient-rich soil, on the other hand, requires many classic dishes such as parsley, chives or lovage. In addition, the planters are ideal for growing exotic things such as coriander and Thai basil or herbs such as nasturtium, watercress, sorrel, wild rocket / rocket, etc.
This is how you plant the pallet high bed
As in every raised bed, the high-level pallets in the first year also have high-depleting plants, in the second year medium-earners and finally in the third year weak-eaters. This order has to do with the fact that the nutrient content of the inner layers decreases from year to year - and usually needs to be replaced after three to four years anyway. In order to be able to use the space in the raised bed effectively, you should always combine plants with different growth forms. Thus, in addition to rather wide-awake lettuce, a row of cabbage striving to reach the height comes next to one or two rows of carrots a row with one or two courgettes or pumpkin and bush beans. Raising plants are best placed directly on the edge, then they can tend down along the side walls - but of course should not obstruct side planting.
Tips
If you cover the raised bed (for example, with a construction made of squared lumber and a cover with transparent film or Plexiglas), it can even be used as a cold frame or mini-greenhouse. A canopy is also useful if you want to cultivate tomatoes and protect them from the dreaded brown and late blight.