I’ve seen plenty of vertical pallet gardens in coffee shops, and I’ve always wanted to make my own. Pallets are usually readily available and are either free or cheap to buy. I picked mine up from a local agro/garden shop. They were free as they were a little broken. I have enjoyed transforming pallets into space-saving, high-productive vertical pallet gardens.

Beginnings of a pallet garden

Choosing the right pallet

Choosing the right pallet is essential. You have to select pallets made from untreated wood and keep an eye out for pallets marketed with HT, which stands for heat treated. Also, be careful of stray nails and splintered wood.

When choosing plants for a pallet garden, consider the root depth that the plants require. Plants usually successful in pallets include strawberries, salad greens, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, parsley, coriander, tarragon, nasturtium, marigolds and succulents.

It’s important to brace your pallet garden. I decided to create extended legs on each side for my pallet garden, which I then buried into the ground. It’s sturdy and toddler-proof 😉

Permie Hint

Place your pallet in a location that gets at least 6 hours of sun and water daily. Fill will well-aerated soil and fertilise when needed. learn how to make compost for your garden here.

Some people choose to use the pallets; however, I wanted to create containers within the pallets for root space and aesthetics. So I pulled part of the pallet apart and then rearranged the wood. I used thin slats of spare wood that I had lying around to fill in the gaps. I didn’t want to use plastic in my garden as I am undecided on the pros and cons of using plastic for edible gardens.

Upcycle pallet garden

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Author: Laila Helena