DIY Mobile Planter Box

A raised garden bed can be anything that is used to elevate the growing level of your garden and it doesn’t have to be built for that purpose. In fact, a number of salvaged items can be used to fulfill the need. This means a treasure hunt and the search for useful things that cost little to no money.

When searching for inspiration, choose from materials that are non-toxic. After all, one of the motivations of growing your own produce is to ensure the food grown is chemical-free and damn tasty, so why compromise that by using a vessel that could leach nasty chemicals?

Practice your haggling well before you are called into action at whatever salvage yard, refuse center or hoarders’ house you stumble across. Our technique is the three-phase strategy – start low, look confused, and don’t say another word. We’ve had mixed success over the years. It’s a bit like fishing – you often don’t even get a bite, but in the right conditions and at the right time, you could be in for a haul.

Remember that traditional raised garden beds are generally built out of durable materials to last and on soft landscapes so that water will drain through the existing soil structure.

Our salvaged or upcycled items – fruit bins, packing crates, wheelbarrows, old bathtubs – are contained and, in some cases, less than durable. They are guided by a different set of rules for preparing them and ensuring they function well.

1. First comes the hunt. If you’re anything like us, you will relish the challenge of finding your recycled crate and at a rock bottom price. Without giving too many of our secrets away, look up timber recycling centers or maybe you know an importer. Tiles, car parts, white goods, garden pots, things used to disguise illicit drugs – all sorts of interesting stuff – arrive on boats in nice, big wooden boxes. When scouting, make sure you don’t turn up in an expensive 4×4 (SUV); it will knock you back a step in the haggling process.

2. Because your raised bed is contained, it has the potential to be mobile, and castors will help with this. However, be aware that a large box filled with wet soil is really, really, really heavy and will not only require heavy-duty castors but also a smooth rolling surface. Turn the container upside down and attach each castor to each corner using hex screws. It’s best to drill a leader hole before attaching each screw, and an impact drill will make the job a pleasure.

3. The next thing to consider is drainage. Even though the recycled crates you use won’t be watertight, they won’t drain particularly well, so be generous in adding drainage holes using the power drill and some 10-20 mm (1/2-3/4 inch) drill bits. A couple of tiny holes at the base generally won’t be sufficient – give water freedom and help it out.

4. Be aware that there will be drainage runoff, so be mindful of where the water will run when placing your box. Locate it close to a drainage point or near soft landscaping (grass, for example). This will mean your space will be left clean and dry rather than a slippery, dirty mess.

5. Unlike your traditional raised bed that is built to last (made out of lovely dense timber or stone), your recycled unit was probably not designed to hold large quantities of wet soil. When you can, help protect the wood from premature rotting by lining the box with food-safe plastic. Cover and staple the sides because they will make contact with wet soil but don’t line the base and make it watertight again!

6. With a deep unit, decide whether to entirely fill it with soil. If you are planting a fruit tree, this may be necessary, in which case it is best to BRACE your crate. Do this by attaching two timber panels on the inside wall of the crate and then joining them with a bracing timber. This way the force that the soil and water put on the unit is largely diminished.

7. Most edibles, however, only require 12 inches of soil, and reducing the volume will lessen the stress on the container. You can build a false bottom using old plastic pots, covered over with styrofoam boxes for extra strength. This will elevate the soil height. First, build your pots up. Once you are satisfied with the level of the pots, place styrofoam boxes upside down over the top, which will create a relatively even, flat base.

8. Now, lay weed matting over the top and staple it into the timber so that the soil does not fall through.

9. Fill with good-quality organic potting mix. Don’t be stingy at this point. In small spaces, better quality soil makes all the difference.

10. Plant out with seasonal produce.

Your container will now be a good-looking, durable, and mobile food-growing machine, ready to be put to use.

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The Ultimate Tomato Trellis