How to Make a Wood Pallet Garden

Wood pallet garden frames are the latest trend in gardening. If this is something you want to experiment with, they’re the easiest raised garden bed ever and an eco-friendly, time-saving approach to growing flowers or vegetables at home. They cut down on the time spent weeding and make plant identification a breeze. The instant rows created by the pallet slats give weeds no place to grow and are the perfect place to write plant names. Wood pallet garden frames require no assembly, are readily available, and are also usually free. Check your local recycling center for information on where to find wood pallets to use as garden frames. When you locate wood pallets, make sure to choose ones that are in good, sturdy condition and have not been treated with pesticides. NOTE: If you’re unsure whether your pallet has been treated with pesticides, it’s best to only put non-edible plants in them.

How to Make a Wood Pallet Garden

Materials Needed for a Wood Pallet Garden

• Wood Pallets
• Garden Soil
• Seeds or Plants
• Permanent Marker

Instructions for Making a Wood Pallet Garden

1. Choose a sunny location in which to set up your wood pallet garden frames.
2. Prepare a garden bed by rototilling, aerating, and working compost into the soil just as you would any garden, but in dimensions to accommodate the wood pallet.
3. Dig a rough outline of approximately half the depth size of the outside frame of the pallet (approximately 4 inches) and place the wood pallet in the area. This will help to stabilize the pallet. Hammer the edges with a rubber mallet for more stability.
4. Add enough soil to fill the open rows approximately ¾ way full.
5. Plant seeds, seedlings, or starter plants in the rows that are created by the openings in the wood pallets.
6. Label the rows by marking on the pallet with a permanent marker or a handmade wooden stake.
7. Water and care for your wood pallet garden just as you would any other garden — minus much of the weeding — and enjoy a compact, efficient little vegetable patch with much less work.
8. When it’s time to rotate your garden at the end of the growing season, just lift the pallet from the ground and store away or move to next year’s location.

Have you ever used wood pallet garden frames? This post was first published in 2012 and has been updated.

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