So build it yourself

What you need to build a pallet raised bed

Of course, for a raised bed with a base area of ​​approx. 1.5 square meters initially four Euro pallets(€ 29.99 at Amazon *) obtain. You can buy or buy these cheaply in specialist shops or on the Internet. Ask various companies and forwarding agents whether they have any to hand over. You will also need several narrow boards that you can use as bases for the plant boxes in the side walls saw respectively. let saw.

Other materials and tools:

• Wire mesh (150 x 200 centimeters, mesh size maximum 12 millimeters)
• Pond or bubble wrap (sufficient for both the plant boxes and the bed)
• Weed protection fleece (optional)
• Cordless screwdriver
• Spax screws (12 each for the raised bed with 40 and 12 millimeters, 4 short each per plant bed)
• 12 metal brackets
• Wire cutters, staple gun and suitable clips
• gloves

You can of course use normal screws instead of Spax screws, but then you will need one more

drilling machine(€ 90.99 at Amazon *) for drilling the screw holes. Spax screws have the advantage that they are self-tapping and therefore no pre-drilling is necessary.

Instructions for a raised bed made from Euro pallets

First of all, you build the planters by inserting the appropriately sawn boards into the side parts as floors. You need six short and narrow boards per pallet. Then line the resulting plant boxes with pond liner so that the soil filling does not come into contact with the wood later - otherwise, rot will result. Once that's done, you can start building the actual raised bed:

• First place two pallets against each other at right angles.
• Connect them with three metal angles.
• One each comes down, in the middle and one up.
• The long Spax screws go into the thick end pieces,
• into the thin boards the shorter ones.
• Assemble a box from four Euro pallets in the manner described.
• To do this, climb into the inside of the bed in order to be able to attach the lower angles.

Finally, staple pond or knobbed sheeting to the pallet wall on the inside of the raised bed. The floor of the raised bed is made with Wire mesh(€ 65.90 at Amazon *) covered so that no vermin such as voles can enter. Place the bed on a flat, weed-free surface, which you can also seal against penetrating weeds with a weed fleece.

This is how the pallet raised bed is filled and planted

You fill the plant boxes on the sides, depending on which plant species you want to put in there, potting soil, flower soil or herb soil. The raised bed itself becomes classic with a mixture of coarse and fine organic material filled. The bottom layer is coarse material such as hedge and shrub cuttings, branches and still green harvest residues (e. B. from cleared summer flowers, perennial stalks) into the raised bed. The material must be trodden well before you finally fill in raw compost, grass sods and chopped material about 20 to 30 centimeters thick. The top layer is fine, ripe and well-rotted compost mixed with it Garden or potting soil.

Plant the side walls of the raised pallet bed

The plant boxes on the side walls add up to around four square meters of space - lots of space, for example Herbs to be able to plant. Please note that the different herbs have completely different requirements in terms of location and substrate. Mediterranean herbs such as oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme need a dry, lean substrate and a sunny spot - so they should be planted in potting soil or soil mixed with sand. Herbal soil in the upper boxes. Nutrient-rich soil, on the other hand, requires many kitchen classics such as parsley, chives or lovage. Furthermore, the planters are ideal for storing exotic plants such as coriander and Thai basil or herbs such as Nasturtiums, Watercress, sorrel, Wild rocket / rocket etc. to grow.

So plant The pallet raised bed

As in every raised bed, there are high-consuming plants in the pallet raised bed in the first year, then medium-consuming plants in the second year and finally low-consuming plants in the third year. This sequence has to do with the fact that the nutrient content of the inner layers decreases from year to year - and usually after three to four years anyway needs to be replaced. So that you can also use the space in the raised bed effectively, you should always plants combine with different growth forms. In addition to the rather broad lettuce, there is a row of kohlrabi reaching up into the air, next to one or two rows of carrots there is a row with one or two zucchini or pumpkin and French beans. It is best to place climbing plants directly at the edge, then they can climb down the side walls - but of course they should not hinder any side planting.