Homemade Recycled Raised Beds

After pricing raised beds, I started looking at my old pallets I had used last year to plant in. I didn’t like the results from the pallets, so I was going to take the old dirt out and throw away the pallets. Aha – my brain started thinking about taking the pallets apart and making them into my own raised beds. I was forewarned that it might be hard to take the pallets apart since they are machine manufactured. I thought it would save me money if I could make it work. 

 

Emptying organic dirt out of old pallet

Starting to take apart old pallet

 So yesterday armed with a crowbar, a hammer and my old tennis shoes, 

I set forth to take a pallet apart.

As you can see from the pictures, some of the wood was worn where it had been out the weather and this part was much easier to take apart. When I was hammering away – another thought came to me – if I took all the slats off the whole thing would fall apart and this is not what I wanted. So I took some of the slats and nailed them to the ends of the pallet to keep the dirt on and to keep the box together. I even used the same nails – pray that it stays together. Some of the slats were hard to take apart, so I just left them – thinking of support. 

As I was laying down the final raised bed, I noticed all the morning glory roots that needed to be ripped up. This took a little time. 

 Doesn't look like a lot - but trust me it was covered.

Then I smooshed the organic dirt from the old pallet around the new raised bed to help it stay flat. Later this week I will buy more dirt and fill the rest of the raised bed. I am thinking of putting swiss chard, celery (which is growing in my window box, as we speak) and onions.

Now I have another pallet to reform into a raised bed - this will have to be for another day

Currently, I just started some seeds (romaine, kale, carrots and beets) in my grow light. Once they get healthy and strong – they will need to be split apart and then I will move them outside to be replanted. 

 Before I put them in plastic bags to promote growth and place them under the grow light.

Once this is done, I will begin more seedlings under the grow light (tomatillos’, onions (red and yellow), beets, sugar pumpkin, peppers and tomatoes.  I also want to start potatoes in a black plastic bag (my assistant has potatoes going like gang busters in a plastic bag), thought I would try it – can’t hurt – I am going to try Yukon Gold, Sweet Potatoes, Baking Potatoes and maybe baby reds.  What are you growing this year?