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If you’re reading this post, chances are you’ve got an old pallet that isn’t being used at all. I had one too, and I knew there was SOMETHING I could do with it…but what?
With a little creative thinking (and Googling), I came up with a cool idea for a vertical pallet garden that cost me under $30 to build!
It should grow about 12 heads of lettuce and 12 bunches of spinach, which helps me hit my goal to grow 80% of the the greens I eat. With food quality being such a major concern right now, why not grow your own and become more self sustainable?
Let’s get started!
The Materials
- An old pallet
- Roll of burlap sheeting
- Staples
- Potting soil
- A couple cans of spraypaint (optional)
- Seedlings (optional, you can start from seed)
- Hammer
- Scissors
Total Cost: I went with spraypaint and seedlings, and the total cost was $35. Pretty cheap for a TON of growing space!
Paint the Pallet
If you want to add some style to your pallet planter, pick up a couple cans of spray paint and lay your pallet down on the burlap sheeting that you purchased. Brush it off with a wire brush or your hand just so you have a nice clean surface to work from.
Give the pallet a few good coats and let it sit for an hour or two to dry out. Feel free to get a little crazy with it! I went with the xPonics yellow and green, or as close as I could get to them :)
Laying out the pallet on the burlap. Make sure you do this unless you want to have a very unique look to your grass ;)
First coat complete!
After letting it dry for a bit, add another coat of paint and let it dry for about an hour or so.
Staple the Burlap Sheeting
It’s important to get this part right. The burlap is what will hold your soil in the pallet and give you plants roots room to grow and thrive. If you don’t staple it down well enough, you might get some leakage or a flat out rip that will ruin your garden. Go with a 4-5 inch spacing between the staples and make sure to completely enclose the pallet.
Leave one side of the pallet open so you can pour soil and water in.
Stapling down the first half of the burlap sheeting
Example of how to space your staples so the burlap won’t break!
Fully stapled burlap sheeting, completely enclosing the inside of the pallet. The top is open so I can water my plants or add extra soil.
Add the Soil and Seedlings
Almost done! Add your potting soil into the slats and make sure that you fill it completely. Leave the pallet horizontal while you pour in the soil, because right now there is nothing to hold that soil into the pallet. After you plant, the roots will take hold, spread out, and create solidity in the soil that will keep it from falling out of your pallet.
Pallet full of potting soil!
Planting spinach, arugula, and red leaf lettuce. Making sure that spacing is correct, and that they’re well seated in the soil.
And there it is! A cheap, DIY pallet garden that can produce a ton of greens for you and your family!
Taking Care of Your Garden
Be sure to leave your pallet garden horizontal for two weeks or so to let the plants take root. If you decide to hang your garden vertically, use concrete screws or something strong enough to hold the garden…it’s heavy!
And there you have it…a DIY pallet garden that costs about $30 bucks, looks awesome, and grows a ton of greens without taking up a lot of space. Let me know what you think in the comments…and if you really enjoyed this article I would love you if you shared this with friends and family!
