Author Topic: Looking for narrow rectangle raised planters  (Read 3651 times)

CommonCents

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Looking for narrow rectangle raised planters
« on: September 15, 2014, 09:57:48 AM »
We're looking ahead to next year's garden.  Due to tons of wildlife (including a groundhog) because we live on a pond, and a lack of sufficient sunlight in the yard throughout the day (trees overshading it), it seems our porch is best for our garden.  To avoid the porch being entire plants, with no space for our table, I am looking for a rectangle planter about 1 foot wide.  DH wants a raised planter.  Any suggestions?  We have no tools for building our own so we're looking to buy one.  Wood would be lovely.  I saw one yesterday that would work at the garden center - but I'm not willing to pay $230.

Also would welcome suggestions for lightweight boxes we could hang from the porch itself for plants or herbs.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2014, 09:59:48 AM by CommonCents »

4alpacas

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Re: Looking for narrow rectangle raised planters
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2014, 10:07:44 AM »
I have nothing helpful to add.  I'm commenting because I too would like to have some sort of container gardening set-up on my front porch.  I hoping to grow herbs or something similarly useful. 


lakemom

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Re: Looking for narrow rectangle raised planters
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2014, 11:15:45 AM »
They make a rectangular deck railing planter box.  A friend of mine has them and grows herbs in them.  They are built to fit either a 2X4 railing or a 2X6 railing.  I know they are made of plastic and I think she got hers from the folks who put her deck in, but if you google it a bit I'd bet you could find something suitable. 

Catbert

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Re: Looking for narrow rectangle raised planters
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2014, 11:24:24 AM »
Look for something like this where you buy the corners and then just use boards to create your planter:

http://www.gardeners.com/buy/raised-bed-corners/36-643VS.html?start=2&q=raised%20bed%20corners

Look to Freecycle or friends for free boards.


 

horsepoor

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Re: Looking for narrow rectangle raised planters
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2014, 11:37:00 AM »
I'm having a little trouble envisioning exactly what you need, but an oblong galvanized water trough might work.  There are shallower ones for sheep about 1' deep, and deeper ones almost 2' deep for larger livestock.  I have the shallower one and it's about 4' long and maybe 20" wide, and is great for growing herbs and lettuces.  The deeper one would grow pretty much anything.  You might be able to pick one up on Craigslist inexpensively, especially since a leaky one is just fine for your application.  New they are a little over $100, with the bigger ones being more expensive.

CommonCents

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Re: Looking for narrow rectangle raised planters
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2014, 12:04:00 PM »
Oh nifty on the corners.  We could easily put that together.

Lakemom, who is the "they" you mention?

Horsepoor, we were basically thinking a deeper one (likely wooden) on the porch for veggies like tomatoes that need deeper root space, and shallower, lighter ones (likely plastic) hanging off the porch railings a la window boxes style for herbs (and maybe a few flowers)

By raised...well, I'm not sure why but DH said he didn't want it sitting directly on the porch.  I'm not sure why, because he's also talked about just doing a bunch of giant pots instead, which would sit on the porch.

highcountry

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Re: Looking for narrow rectangle raised planters
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2014, 12:13:31 PM »
In order to build rectangular planters you need two tools, and they are both tools you should have around the house anyways on your mustachian adventures:  a saw of some sort (hand saw, skilsaw, chop saw, you could probably even do it with a large hack saw if you were stubborn enough and dont have a strong case of wrong tool for the jobitis.  I would use a chop saw or ryoba saw (Japanese handsaw.)), and a cordless or electric screwdriver or impact driver.  Go to the lumber yard and get 2x10 or 2x12 garden grade cedar or redwood.  If you can't find these, douglas fir will work.   You might even be able to get them to cut it to length for you.  Ask to dig through their scrap bin and get 4 ~9 1/4 or 11 1/4 or anywhere around a foot long scraps of 2x2 or 2x4 for each bed you are building, and get some 3" deck screws. 

The only tricky thing about simple raised beds is that screws don't hold well in end grain (the ends of the boards).  That is what the little pieces are for.  This tutorial will show you how. The only things I disagree with are that I  have never used the 2x4 across the bottom that they suggest, and you should be able to get scraps for free for the corner bracing. http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-to-build-a-raised-bed

One last note:  if you decide to use pressure treated lumber (I don't recommend it), wash your hands after you handle it, and you probably will want to have the 2x4 brace.  that stuff warps like crazy.

edited:  the same method would work for on a porch if you bought an extra 2x12 for the bottom, and screwed it between the two longer sides so that it is fully hidden when you look at it from outside the box, and so that it set the width of the box.  For feet, you would cut up some small scraps and screw them to the bottom of the contraption every couple of feet.  You would then drill holes through that bottom board for drainage (adding a 1/2" drill bit to the list of needed tools).

If one board width is not deep enough, use two, and just double the length of the corner blocks.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2014, 12:21:01 PM by learning »