The newer pressure-treated boards are much safer now after a change in EU law which still applies after Brexit. For this build I will be using 100% pallet wood and nothing else, well maybe a few screws! There are easier ways to build a raised bed using pallet wood and then spikes for the corner but I will be using nothing but pallet wood to show you how it can be done.

Finish with a thorough watering to settle everything in and prime the seeds to sprout. If the weather is still cool or if you have lots of hungry pigeons around, cover the bed with horticultural fleece until the plants have found their feet and to keep seedlings snug should it turn cold again. Location, Location, Location: Sunlight is a plant’s best friend. Your chosen spot should ideally get 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Clear the area of grass, stones, or any debris to ensure a flat surface. Repurposing and upcycling are usually my first choice for most projects around the yard for multiple reasons. This make-do-with-what-we-have (or can find) approach avoids buying new, which both conserves resources and saves money. I am staking my raised beds into the ground but you don’t need to do this, it just makes it a little more secure. If you want to just leave it resting on the surface then that works too. SF – Sulphuryl Fluoride.This is a fumigation method safer than methyl bromide but should still be avoided for garden projects.

Planting potatoes

You will then need to saw some pallet wood down to the correct size, my wood was already 1 metre long so I didn’t need to. There are so many different ways to contain a no-dig garden. You really don’t need any sort of edging or raised bed at all, but if you want the convenience and functionality of containing your garden, you have many options available. Exactly when to sow or plant really depends on your location, but mid-spring is an excellent time to begin as daytime temperatures start to warm up to coax our seedlings along.

Ideally you should choose your sunniest spot for growing vegetables, but if the only space you have experiences some shade, all is not lost! There are some crops that can tolerate a little shade, at least for part of the day. Our Garden Planner can filter the plant selector to show only plants that are suitable for growing in partial shade to make it easy to choose crops that will thrive.They’re inexpensive for one thing, in comparison to tailor-made wooden planters (although garden centres and homeware stores are cottoning on to this trend now, selling pallet collars at elevated prices and calling them ‘rustic wooden raised beds’ and such). Finally, spinach will grow well in a less-than-sunbaked spot. Sow three or four seeds every 6in (15cm) in both directions. Once they’re up you’ll need to thin the seedlings to leave the strongest at each position. Cheaper alternative compared to building your own garden beds. No need to cut down and nail together timber like you normally would

My only hesitation with using recycled plastic for a raised bed is whether or not the plastics would leach chemicals into the garden soil. This is something to do further research on, but a potential smart solution. Garden Bed Edging Ideas Place one pallet flat on the ground for a low garden bed and fill it with soil or sheet mulch materials. I chitted this potato before planting it. That means that I put the seed potato on top of a layer of soil indoors, where I let it develop roots and leaves. I keep these potatoes inside for around four weeks. This process helps the potatoes grow faster when they actually go into the ground. All of it simply because I gave them a good start in a protected environment. It's really worth it! To contain the soil and keep it from spilling into the pathway without the effort and expense of building raised beds.I hope this post will help you think outside the garden box, and find the right solution for your garden. Decide Between Raised Beds, Edging, and Nothing at All You can deconstruct old pallets for scrap wood to build raised beds with (see Idea 3, above) or use the pallets whole. 5. Horizontal Pallet Raised Bed A raised bed is actually the perfect choice for early potato varieties. You can usually start harvesting them already in early summer, if you plant them in April. That's the time frame we have here in zone 3 at least. Just make sure that the temperature is above freezing, because the potatoes can rot if you plant them in very cold soil. You might also want to join the whole structure together with some screws here. If we don’t do this the sides are not connected to the front, this isn’t a massive problem but I like to join it all together for some extra strength. Screw Into The Side Step 6 – Use The Cut Down Pieces To Join Boards As a garden edge, cor ten offers the same benefits. Several commercial cor ten edging products are available. 19. Corrugated Metal Garden Edging