How to Make a Wooden Crate for Planting

Do you love gardening but don’t have a place to plant trees? Maybe your house has a lot of space, but the soil is too dry to be suitable for farming? A wooden crate that is both cheap and easy to make will be an effective solution! Planters can come in many shapes, sizes, and are made of many different materials. You can learn how to build a tree trunk quickly and without spending much.

Table of Contents

Measure and cut wood

Think about what size planter you want to pack. The size of the planter box will be based on the number of plants you plan to grow in a container and the area of u200bu200bthe area where you plan to place the container. According to this article, we will be packing a small planter, about 120 cm x 60 cm in size.

Buy wood. Untreated wood or cedar would be great for this project, as they are both easy to build and resistant to rain and sun when placed outdoors. To build a 120 cm x 60 cm small planter, you can purchase lumber about 360 cm in length to cut into the sides of the planter. The wooden bar must be at least 24 cm wide. You will also need a piece of wood for the bottom of the crate if you plan to place the crate on a hallway floor or similar surface. If the planter is on the ground, you can open a cardboard box to a flat surface and line the bottom to prevent weeds. ^{[1] X Research Source}

The lumber that’s been pressurized contains chemicals that can kill the plants in the crate and contaminate the food with harmful chemicals like arsenic if you grow vegetables in the bin. You can substitute with ACQ treated wood, a wood treatment process that doesn’t use harmful chemicals. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Cut the stick into the correct size pieces. Using a measuring tape measure each side, mark the places you intend to cut with a pen or pencil. Use an electric saw or a regular hand saw to cut the pieces of wood to the correct size (2 pieces 60 cm long and 2 pieces 120 cm long), trying to cut as straight as possible. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you do not have any saws or do not want to manually cut the wood, you can ask the staff at the wood store to cut the wood to the size you need. You may need to pay them a little bit for the sawing fee, but some shops will cut the wood for their customers for free.

Stick the pieces of wood together

Drill guide holes in the two wooden slats. Guide holes are holes drilled into the wood to ensure that the wood does not crack when screwed. You just need to drill these holes at the ends of the wooden slats (short bars). Drill 3 holes about 2 cm from the edge of the wood. The center hole should be in the middle of the width of the slat.

Galvanized screws to attach the wooden slats. It is better to use galvanized screws for outdoor planting wooden crates, because galvanized metal can withstand the elements and will not rust. Arrange the slats so that the directional holes are at the outer corners. Use the drill and drill bit to secure each screw through each hole and into the adjacent wood. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You can also use a screwdriver instead of a drill and drill bit.

Measure the inside length and width to determine the size of the bottom of the bin. Use a saw to cut a piece of wood for the bottom of the crate to the measured dimensions, then place the piece of wood in the crate. Use drills and galvanized screws to attach the piece of wood on the bottom of the crate to the sides of the box. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Remember that this step is only necessary if you plan to place the planter on a hallway floor or similar surface.

Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the barrel. Turn the fully closed container upside down and use a drill to drill 4 or 5 drainage holes in the bottom of the barrel. These holes are important, as most plants will become infected if they become waterlogged, i.e. the roots stay in the wet soil for too long.

If you have a larger container, consider drilling a few more drainage holes.
Again, if you are going to place the planter on the ground, this step is not necessary. All you need to do is open the cardboard box to a flat surface and line the bottom of the wooden crate.

Finishing wooden crates

Place plastic or vinyl mats on the bottom of the planter container. This lining will protect the wooden bottom of the planter box. Cut the liner to the same size as the piece of wood used for the bottom of the crate. Spread the liner on the bottom of the box and use a few small nails to secure it. Remember to punch drainage holes through the liner to match the holes in the bottom of the barrel if the barrel has a bottom. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Smooth rough barrel edges. This step is to beautify the tree trunk, but it is not absolutely necessary. Use a sander or sandpaper to sand along the sides and corners of the barrel. Grind the sides of the crate to clear away potential debris. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Paint wooden crates with paint, primer or wood cleaner. Choose paint in a color that matches the decor of your home or yard, or use wood polish to bring out the color of the wood. You can also leave the natural wood as it is, because cedar is inherently a beautiful wood.

Do not paint the inside of the wooden crate as the chemicals can contaminate the soil and plants. Instead, you should use a nylon backing (perforated) to protect the wood.

Spread a thin layer of gravel on the bottom of the bin, then pour compost or potting soil into the bin. The gravel layer helps maintain drainage in the planting container. The type of soil or compost you use will depend on the type of plant or flower you intend to grow in the crate. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Plant flowers, plants or seeds of the plants you want to grow. Don’t forget to water! For ideas on flowers and plants that can be grown in crates, check out the wikiHow articles.

Enjoy your new planting crate!

Advice

You can use this guide and reduce the size to close the planters outside the window.

Warning

As always, when working with tools, don’t forget to wear eye and hand protection.

Things you need

4 long pieces of wood. We use wooden slats 5cm thick, 24cm wide (2 pieces 120cm long, 2 pieces 60cm long)
Another piece of wood cut to the size of the bottom of the barrel
Drill or screwdriver and galvanized screws
Nylon or vinyl backing
Small nail and hammer
Woodland
Plant or seed

Steps