Raised beds are popular with many gardeners because they offer a number of benefits. Your plants will grow better there because raised beds ensure a warm and fertile environment. In addition, there are not so many weeds to fight and such places in the garden look neat and pretty. You can build and fill a raised bed from pallets - it's very easy. Read on to find out our tips and guides!
Which pallets are suitable for raised beds?
Examine the pallet carefully and check for an IPPC stamp. If you do not find any marking on the pallet, it is better not to use such a pallet for growing vegetables. It is best to use pallets that have an HT stamp. The HT stamp means that the wood of the pallet has been heat treated and not chemically treated. Avoid chemically treated pallets to protect yourself and your vegetables from toxic contaminants.
How to build and fill a raised bed from pallets?
It's easy to build a raised bed out of pallets.Here are the tools needed:
- 2-3 pallets per square bed, depending on whether you want a trellis for climbing
- saw
- Staple gun
- Decking screws
- Drill with a star-shaped screwdriver bit
- Weed film
- Composted soil
- Potting soil
- Raised bed and potting soil mix
Manufacturing stepsof a pallet garden bed:
- You can start with either two or three pallets, depending on whether you want to build a flat, square garden bed or a garden bed with a trellis wall for climbing plants. Here we showhow to make a raised bedwith a trellis wall.
- Select three heat-treated pallets. Use a saw to cut two of the pallets in half lengthwise. Make sure to retain the long horizontal slats. You will use three half palettes and one full palette for this project.
- Set up the entire pallet so that the slats are horizontal and facing inward. Set up a half pallet so that the slats extend outward from the front bottom front edge and up from each side of the entire pallet. The sides should also be even with the slats in a horizontal pattern.
- Use a drill and decking screws to screw the sides of the pallet box into the back, creating a U shape. Be sure to screw into the solid parts of the pallets to ensure structural durability.
- Then take the third pallet half and slide it between the two ends of the U to complete the square and screw it into place at the corners. This creates a square box shape with a high back.
- Lay the weed tarp from the bottom side across the bottom of the bed to the bottom side and staple it in place with a staple gun. Your pallet raised bed is now ready to be filled.
What should you consider when setting up and filling a raised bed?
First, you should think about choosing the right location for your raised bed. What needs to be taken into account:
Be aware of sunlight.Herbs, vegetables and flowers need lots of sun. Therefore, you should choose a location in full sun to ensure 8 hours of sunlight per day for your plants. And if you don't have sunny spots in the garden, then choose plants that do toothrive well in partial shade, e.g. E.g. rocket, parsley, mint, chives and pansies.
DO NOT place your raised bed in a damp area.Raised beds absolutely need good drainage so that the plants don't rot if they are constantly waterlogged.
Nutrient-rich soil is a must for every garden.Building and filling your raised bed from pallets allows you to fill it with a soil mix that is better than the natural soil in your garden. Of course, compost is your garden's best friend - make your own compost or get a bag of ready-made compost mix to add to your new garden.
Which raised bed soil to use?
Wondering what type of soil you should use for a raised bed? And how much? Use a bag of pre-mixed raised bed mix that already has compost and organic matter in it.
Inspect the soil before shoveling it into your new raised bed. Topsoil should be dark and crumbly and have an earthy smell. Do not buy soil that has a high clay content, has an unpleasant odor, or is sticky to the touch. In general, you should aim for the following ratio of soil components:
Raised bed “recipe” = 50-60% topsoil + 40-50% compost
Another important question. How deep should your beds be? Leafy vegetables and herbs require a depth of at least 10 cm, while tomatoes, pumpkins and other deep-rooted plants require at least 12-18 cm of nutrient-rich soil.
Soil temperature is an important factorwhen sowing. Most plants thrive at a moderate soil temperature of 15 to 21 degrees C.
How do you plant raised beds?
In your raised bed you can grow herbs, vegetables, flowers – anything you would enjoy. As a rule, raised beds are intended for intensive planting. When plants are close together, soil moisture is retained and open space for potential weeds is minimized. However, overcrowded plants never reach their full potential because they are stressed by poor air circulation and competition for nutrients and root space.
Try row sowing:With rowsyou can plant your plantsorganize and make weeding and harvesting easier. Use a small trowel or other hand tool to make a shallow furrow (a very small trench) that runs the entire length of your raised bed.
Read the back of the seed packet to see how much space each plant needs, then use a seed spacing ruler to accurately space the seeds along the furrow.
