Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[Molpet]

Good points. Once the plants grow out, there might be less room between the beds. Also, I might not always be the only one working the garden beds.

Is there any "minimum" working distance between garden beds that is recommended?

One other option that I have considered is just butting the half-sized bed up alongside and touching the full-sized bed. That would still leave 3+ feet between the garden beds plus it would still increase the garden beds in the same space. Some beds would now just be 4X6 feet if I moved the half-sized beds right alongside the existing beds.

Seems like most are 3-4 ft apart.

Could make a keyhole by turning it 90 degrees.

 

[gtaus]

Could make a keyhole by turning it 90 degrees.

That's a good idea. I'll give that a look tomorrow.

For now, here is a picture of the half-sized bed snugged up alongside the full-sized bed...

It does not look like much now, but those raised beds always look so much better with plants growing in them. Having said that, I already like the idea of making it a keyhole by turning the bed 90 degrees. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[gtaus]

Gardener Scott demonstrated how to tie a string around the base of the plant, tie the other end to the top of the trellis, leaving some slack. As the tomato plant grows you wrap the main stem around the string, helping it climb. However, once my plants started filling out they didn't seem to need any tying.

Getting back to that idea, I was looking through my stack of reclaimed wood and found some 8-foot long 2X4's that I think would be great to make another trellis like this one...

I made that trellis for Dear Wife's bitter mellons last year. It is six feet high, which was about the tallest she wanted it so she could reach in and pick the bitter melons on top.

But for the cherry tomatoes, I think an 8 foot high trellis would be better. I know my tomatoes got over 6 feet tall last year and they flopped over because the 2-1/2-feet tall wire tomato cages I used were not high enough. I don't know if my tomatoes will grow 8 feet tall, but at least they would have that much headroom up a string to climb.

I also have another section of 2X4 wire fencing that would cover both sides of the trellis if I wanted to plant a climbing vine plant in there some day.

I have not forgotten the cattle panel as a trellis suggestion, either, but I think I just want to use what salvaged lumber and leftover wire fencing I have on hand first before I purchase any new materials.

The price of those cattle panels continues to go up. Here is our current price where I live...

If the salvaged wood trellis does not work out this year for the tomatoes, next year I'll just invest in some of those cattle panels. I know a number of people really like them, they last forever, and take almost no time to put up.

They sure look nice in this Google picture...

 

[chickengr]

I don't grow vertical anymore. the only way veggies can survive the heat here is if they are close to the ground.

 

[gtaus]

I don't grow vertical anymore. the only way veggies can survive the heat here is if they are close to the ground.

Climate is always a major factor. I live in northern Minnesota. That's a whole lot cooler than Greece.

 

[Molpet]

That's a good idea. I'll give that a look tomorrow.

For now, here is a picture of the half-sized bed snugged up alongside the full-sized bed...

View attachment 3778407

It does not look like much now, but those raised beds always look so much better with plants growing in them. Having said that, I already like the idea of making it a keyhole by turning the bed 90 degrees. Thanks for the suggestion.

I was thinking about the key hole. Instead of the box, 2 panels going between and attached to existing boxes. Would take less wood because no ends and could be removed easily by unscrewing.

 

[gtaus]

I was thinking about the key hole. Instead of the box, 2 panels going between and attached to existing boxes. Would take less wood because no ends and could be removed easily by unscrewing.

Thanks. That's a good suggestion. Not only would it take less wood, it would be easier to build. Having said that, if you look at the pictures of my raised beds in the backyard, you will see that although the individual bed is level, the land is not level so one bed is not level with another.

Here are a couple quick pics I took this morning when I rotated the half-sized bed to consider using it to make a keyhole setup...

The gap there is about 16 inches. Big enough to walk between without a problem.

The gap in that picture is about 8 inches on both sides. I think it looks better, but you really can't walk through that setup. So, it would probably make more sense to make some panels the full width, like you suggested, and just use this half-sized bed somewhere else.

As you can tell, I am really flexible on this setup. Probably will talk to Dear Wife and see if she has any preferences. She started taking some interest in the food gardens last year when she got some bitter melons and upo plants which I planted in the raised garden beds. She might want me to try to grow some more of her native food this year because last year's bitter melons and upo were a big success for us. I know she would like me to try to grow some of those foot-long Asian beans.

 

[avjudge]

View attachment 3778635

The gap in that picture is about 8 inches on both sides. I think it looks better, but you really can't walk through that setup. So, it would probably make more sense to make some panels the full width, like you suggested, and just use this half-sized bed somewhere else..

If I set it up with the 8” gaps on each side I would just consider that space for whatever is in the beds to spread a little, as it inevitably will. But if you have use for the 2 x 4 bed elsewhere, I’m sure you could fudge the panels so that the (slightly) uneven ground is accounted for.

I would not put the 2 x 4 bed flat against a 4 x 4 bed (effectively making a 4 x 6 bed) because when I have used 4 ft.² beds I find I want to be able to lean in from everywhere. You would think getting in from two sides would be fine, but at some point something will always be awkward to reach that way.

 

[Sally PB]

I find I want to be able to lean in from everywhere. You would think getting in from two sides would be fine, but at some point something will always be awkward to reach that way.

So true!!

 

[gtaus]

I would not put the 2 x 4 bed flat against a 4 x 4 bed (effectively making a 4 x 6 bed) because when I have used 4 ft.² beds I find I want to be able to lean in from everywhere. You would think getting in from two sides would be fine, but at some point something will always be awkward to reach that way.

So true!!

Exactly. That is why I really like my 4X4 foot pallet wood raised bed v2.0 design. I can indeed reach in from any side without much problem. At least when the plants are small. Later in the summer, when the plants are tall and broad, I'm walking around the raised bed harvesting food.

Some of the first raised beds I built years ago - not pallet wood raised beds - were 4X8 feet. That size was OK, but I found myself having to move all around the bed to maintain it. The 4X4 foot pallet wood beds is just a better size for me.