DIY Recycled Planter Box 2: Part 2

Hooray! Over the weekend, I was finally able to finish the 2nd planter box that I have been working on. Last time we left off, I had assembled the 2 boxes (deep garden bed and the shallow bed) as well as drilled the holes for the seedling tubes that will go up on top. Things are starting to fall into place, but we can still do better...

After having installed the brackets to hold the seedling tubes into place, I slid them in to ensure that they are level and will securely stay in place. After this, it’s time to cut the opening into the tops to make these seedling tubes functional.

As you can see from the picture below, I have drilled and then proceeded to saw out sections from the tubing to allow for 2 types of seedling trays. The tubes on the outside are for a standard seedling tray, whereas the middle tube will function as a shallow housing for seeds. I wanted to experiment with this and see if the shallower tube would work better for smaller plants such as chamomile.

If it doesn’t end up working, I have a spare section of tubing that I can simply cut out and replace the middle one with. Overall, I think that this project is shaping up to be a nice little addition to my urban garden plot.

Now, as some of you may know, I ended up getting the wrong paint for my project at first. This pushed back my completion time for a few days until I could get the proper one. Now that I’ve got a decent paint/primer outdoor gray color, I can start putting the final touches on the planter.

After two coats of paint and 24 hours of drying time, I must say that I’m pretty satisfied with the results. This bluish-grey tint will keep the box cool enough during the really hot California days, as well as seal the wood from any unexpected showers during the spring.

Also, the PVC (plastic) that I chose for the caps and the tubes should stand up well to the UV exposure as well as any moisture present.

As seen below, I am starting to fill up the outside seedling trays with potting soil and a few bits of gravel at the bottom. I check to make sure that the trays are secure and allow for enough sunlight as well as moisture retention.

You’ll notice from this photo, that I had holes drilled into the the bottom of each tray. This will regulate the amount of water that is held in place…and has the extra added bonus of emptying into the shallow plant-bed below. Its nice to know that waste is being kept to a minimum even when it comes to the water.

Sadly, I still need to purchase some more soil before I can fill up the larger beds, or even the shallow seedling tray; However, I thought that I could start planting the side-tubes. As you can see from below, I have planted several seeds of Cilantro in to one of the tubes.

Furthermore, I planted some French Marigolds into the opposite tube until I head down to the local garden shop and purchase some different seeds. I mentioned in the first section of this project that I would like to plant lettuce, tea, and perhaps some other herbs into this planter. As soon as I can manage, I’ll update the site with any progress that I make.

As I have finished the construction of my second DIY recycled planter, I went ahead and placed it next to the first one. The lemongrass that I had placed into it is now about 5 feet tall and just loving the 90+ degree weather. I’m sure that a good pruning is in order, but should do fine for now.

As you can see, there are a few more things left with the planter (i.e. put some actual dirt and plants into it…) but I figured that I would include that in an update, rather than hold off on publishing this post. I think that it should do a great job for hosting a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs..

I hope that you have enjoyed this planter as much as I have creating and designing it. If you have any questions about this post (such as how to build a planter like this) or others, feel free to shoot me a comment in the section below.

ALSO, donations are greatly appreciated, as they allow me to continue turning these designs into realities. Donations can be made by clicking the yellow button on the right-hand side of the page under the ‘categories’ section. Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing you here again at upon further inspection.