Decide what plants to grow
At this stage, it’s important to consider what kind of plants you want in your planter. Most vegetables and fruits won’t grow well together, so we recommend choosing a single type of plant like strawberries, tomatoes or even herbs. You can also choose several types of plants such as basil and mint. Try to select plants that grow well together. Just make sure the plants you’re growing are suitable for the climate you live in!
Making the planter hull and lid
To start making your planter box, use a jigsaw to make all of the hull pieces. Make sure that you have a piece for both sides, a bottom and top piece as well as 4 short pieces for the lid. Use clamps and a square to keep everything lined up when cutting out your pieces.
Once you’ve made all of your pieces, use a circular saw to bevel all of the edges at 20 degrees. The bevel will help each additional layer fit perfectly so that there are no gaps between each layer of wood when you put it together.
Use a drill to pre-drill holes into all of the top ends and then screw them in with deck screws which come in 2″ and 3″ lengths. Be sure to alternate which way the screws go so that they don’t hit each other and really secure everything into place.
Once you attach all but one side, flip it upside down and glue on any remaining boards followed by securely getting them in place with some finishing nails once they dry in order to complete the hull! This is also where you can add water drainage so that extra water doesn’t end up pooling at the bottom of your planter box if it rains or something like that!
Next up we’ll use these same steps except this time we’re making our lid!
DIY-ing your own potting soil
To DIY your own potting soil, you’ll need a few ingredients. Vermiculite and peat moss are mostly used to help with drainage and aeration, while composted organic matter (your “browns”) adds nutrients to the mix. And of course there’s also perlite, which can be great for pest control if you’re going the non-chemical route.
With this in mind, here is the best way to turn these ingredients into soil:
- Place vermiculite and peat moss in a large container (a 5 gallon bucket will do) at a 2:1 ratio—in other words, two parts vermiculite for every one part peat moss.
- Add an equal amount of perlite. You can also skip this step if you don’t have any on hand or would prefer another option.
- Add composted organic matter at a rate of 10 gallons for every 1 cubic foot of soil mixture. The exact amount may vary depending on how much moisture content there is in your greens/browns; it should be roughly level with but not overfilling your bucket once everything else is added together.
Mix thoroughly until all dry materials are fully incorporated into the wet ones before storing your newly-made soil in an airtight container—a garbage bag will work well here too! If stored properly so that no moisture comes into contact with its contents while they’re being kept away from direct sunlight (i.e., somewhere dark like under your bed or inside another room), this homemade blend will last indefinitely!
Building the walls of your box garden
Using a rubber mallet, drive two wood screws into each end of the wood. Give yourself plenty of space between the screws so you don’t split the wood by drilling too closely together.
Then, rotate the pieces of wood to create a rectangular frame. Once again, drive screws into each piece so that it holds fast to its neighbors.
Making the bottom of your box
You’ll need to drill 1/2 inch holes in the bottom of your planter box, which is best done with a drill press but can be done with a hand-held drill if you don’t have access to one. If you’re using plastic, this step is even easier. Simply place a piece of plastic in the bottom of your box for water-proofing purposes.
Installing the “dripline” system and watering regulator
A “dripline” system is the next step in watering your plants, and it really does make things easier. Drip irrigation is more efficient than sprinklers because it puts water directly where your plants need it, as opposed to spraying all over the place. A watering regulator is also necessary to keep your plants healthy, and you can easily make one yourself with a timer from any hardware store. It’s important to regulate how much water you’re giving your plants because too much can cause mold to grow on the leaves of some varieties, which will reduce the quality of them. Overwatering can also diminish vitality and taste in some fruits and vegetables. Using a watering regulator will help avoid these problems, not to mention saving you money by only using what water your plants need!
Now that you’ve done all this hard work, you can finally enjoy your box garden and watch it grow!
Now you can enjoy your garden and make some money!
- Taking care of plants is really rewarding. If you create a space for yourself where you can relax and enjoy your garden, it makes tending to your plants that much more enjoyable.
- You can sell your plants for money!
- You can use the money you make from selling plants to buy more planter boxes so that you have even more space for growing your business! Growing is fun (no pun intended) but also very rewarding. And if people like your plants, eventually they may compliment them in person or on social media, which will give you an extra boost of confidence and positivity. This could potentially lead to word-of-mouth advertising among friends who also want their own box gardens; they could become loyal customers of yours before long! This would be great because then not only will they get something beautiful out of buying one from us each time, but we’ll also see increased revenue due to repeat purchases over time!