How to build a basic planter box?

[Abhijeet_rookie]

Hi experts,

I am planning to make three basic planter boxes. Two of 1.5m x 1.5m and one 3m x 1.5m.

I have never made a planter box before. I am looking at making a simple one and just place it in my backyard. The place I am planning to keep has a layer of porous red stones and my plan is to put it on top of the stones.

Question -

1. What kind of wood board / panels would be best for it ? 

2. What should be the base of the planter box? Should it be a wood base or just a thin cardboard?

3. Should I be just screwing the ends of the panels together? If yes, what screws would be the best?

4. What kind of drill would be best for this ? Impact drill or hammer drill? 

Any help would be appreciated 

[JacobZ]

Hi @Abhijeet_rookie,

Thank you for your questions about building a basic planter box. 

For a planter box, you'll need to use H4 treated timber, with timber sleepers being your best option. I'd suggest using these 200 x 50mm 3.0m Sleeper Treated Pine ACQ as they can be cut in half to form the 1.5m sides and left whole for the 3m sides.

Ideally, the planter box should have no base, as this will allow the best drainage and ability for your plants' roots to grow down into the soil beneath the garden bed. After construction, you can put a layer of cardboard at the base to help prevent weeds, but I wouldn't suggest anything more solid.

Screwing the sleepers together is a satisfactory method as long as you use quality screws and at least 2 per sleeper connection. You can screw the sleepers together using these Buildex® 14G x 100mm Class 4 Bugle Batten Screws.

You're going to want to predrill pilot holes for these screws. For a 14G screw, a 5mm pilot hole is ideal. Due to the length of the screw, you'll need to use a long drill bit like this Sutton Tools 5.0mm Long Series Jobber Drill Bit.

I'd suggest you use a drill driver like this Ryobi 18V ONE+ Drill Driver Starter Kit R18DD22, as you will need a chuck that can take both drill bits and driver bits.  

Check out How To Build A Garden Bed and How To Build a Raised Garden Bed With Sleepers. They use slightly different methods, but the principles are the same, and they can be used as a reference for your own project.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob