Making Garden Planters

[joiner_sim]

Hi all,
With the new year almost here, I know people start looking at doing up their gardens for the spring. So i've done my research and came up with an ideal price, size and design that can compete with what others are selling. However, I have two questions about the functionality of the planter.

I've read that the base needs to have drainage. My thoughts on this is to make a slatted base. With a 19mm gap between the slats, not being a gardener myself, I do not know if this is too big... wont all the soil just fall through? I have also seen that alot of planters come with a lining in them, one example of this was where it was there to prolong the life of the planter. Is this nessecary?

Thanks for any help you maybe able to offer me.

 

[foxhunter]

Line the planter with the bag your compost will be delivered in, arrange it so that the black interior is next to the soil. You could always use some of your expanded polystyrene and paint the exposed parts to match the wood. I have holes in the solid base of mine which I cover with remnants of landscape material left over from other jobs. This provides for sufficient drainage most of the time but if I want more I arrange broken pots or pebbles around the hole as you would when crocking an earthenware pot.

 

[woodstainwilly]

I buy square plastic pots then make the planter to fit
so that the plastic is unseen when it is full. Providing
the wood is treated inside and out they will last for years.
Willy.

 

[thecoder]

I buy square plastic pots then make the planter to fit
so that the plastic is unseen when it is full. Providing
the wood is treated inside and out they will last for years.
Willy.

+ 1 works well.

 

[joiner_sim]

I have loads of 3mm white polyproplene (plastic) offcuts. Do you think just sticking this to the insides will work well? And with the base, stick and drill holes where my 19mm gaps are. If I stick the plastic to the insides won't this restrict the movement of the timber, or will it not be enough to worry about?
If this idea is feasible, I think I'd cut the plastic so that it sits 50mm underneath the top of the planter so it is hidden once soil is inside the box, this would mean however that 25-50mm of timber would be unprotected by the plastic. The timber I plan on using is green treated softwood timber.
I know I could make this using traditional joints and methods, however I am thinking of the just glue and screw method, which some may disagree with. Even if you do, would you recommend a certain type of screw for this application. I have looked at http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails- ... Woodscrews and see the Turbo Ultra ones are supposidly the best for outdoors, but are a bit more expensive than the Goldscrews. With exterior wood glue, do I really need exterior wood screws?

 

[Jensmith]

I would drill drainage holes in the bottom. Leaving 19mm gaps I don't think is a good solution. As a gardener, you need to be able to use bits of broken pot or similar to stop the compost falling through. Holes are easy to cover, slots wouldn't be.

Not sure about wood selection but I'm not sure softwood will last very long?

Hope that helps.

 

[BigShot]

Re: broken pot...
If you're making a planter for others, consider that people WILL use broken crocks to help with drainage, but that doing so is unnecessary and may actually make drainage worse (water has a hard time going from a fine layer to a coarse one until the first is saturated).

The issue with unlined wood, is that it's in constant contact with wet soil. Quite the recipe for rot. If you're going to make drainage holes, it's probably smart to consider that it is unlikely to be level and so put one in each corner to make sure there's no standing water on the bottom.
The planter I made for myself has tile battens cut to fit perpendicular to the long side, a lining made from compost bag (punched through a lot between the battens), a thin layer of gravel (I didn't know the drainage thing was a myth then) and then a load of compost. Its going into its third year now and it's in great condition.

 

[Woodchips2]

I have loads of 3mm white polyproplene (plastic) offcuts. Do you think just sticking this to the insides will work well? And with the base, stick and drill holes where my 19mm gaps are. If I stick the plastic to the insides won't this restrict the movement of the timber, or will it not be enough to worry about?
If this idea is feasible, I think I'd cut the plastic so that it sits 50mm underneath the top of the planter so it is hidden once soil is inside the box, this would mean however that 25-50mm of timber would be unprotected by the plastic. The timber I plan on using is green treated softwood timber.
I know I could make this using traditional joints and methods, however I am thinking of the just glue and screw method, which some may disagree with. Even if you do, would you recommend a certain type of screw for this application. I have looked at http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails- ... Woodscrews and see the Turbo Ultra ones are supposidly the best for outdoors, but are a bit more expensive than the Goldscrews. With exterior wood glue, do I really need exterior wood screws?

Hi joiner-sim
I line them with plastic sheet to the base and sides but staple the sheeting rather than glue. You wouldn't normally fill a planter right to the top otherwise when you water it will flow over the edge. If you left the plastic 25mm short of the top that would work.I leave a gap between the bottom slats of around 6mm and drill a few holes in the base. If I have any polystyrene packing I often put that in the bottom before adding the compost.

I make them out of planed redwood for the sides and apply preservative on all the faces prior to assembly. The bottoms I make out of treated sawn softwood.

Regards Keith

 

[joiner_sim]

I think I will make the planter and line the insides with the 3mm plastic that I have available, keeping a wooden slatted base with plastic on top, drilled in all the places where I can, 3 holes per gap.

 

[studders]

I made some for the garden centre that used to be up the road. I used tanalised boards and coated the inside with bitumen paint. I drilled 3/4" holes in the base.
Whilst I was doing them I made some for myself, they lasted for years.