Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[Hedgeland Farms]

Merry Christmas!!!

 

[gtaus]

... such a useful video!!! I appreciate all the tips ... when we build this shed I want it to be the absolute best it can be as far as structurally. I have been learning tons...

Thank you for the positive feedback. I liked the simple demonstration of how to prevent wood splitting out at the ends. You can't get much holding strength on a nail or screw that has split the wood. So, preventing the wood from splitting will result in a much better build. I have predrilled holes to prevent splitting the wood for many years, and it's just second nature to me. Predrilling holes does not take much time or effort, but the benefits will last for years.

And I always appreciate all the posts by others on this thread. Pallet projects is a new adventure for me, and I like leaning new and better ways of using reclaimed materials. Until last summer when I started this thread, I mainly bought new wood for projects. But now I'm all into seeing how much I can build with reclaimed materials and keeping costs to a minimum. Pallet projects have their own challenges, but lots of rewards when you get it right.

 

[NanaK]

Merry Christmas!

 

[gtaus]

 

[gtaus]

Last summer I built a pallet wood potting bench. Here is a picture of the design I used....

I built it later in the summer, after I had already done my planting, so my potting bench was mostly used as an outside workbench for banging out other pallet projects. Worked good for that, too.

Anyway, I have started planning for a new year of gardening and hope to put my potting bench to good use early in the year this time. Came across some YouTube videos of making pallet wood seed trays, which would be much stronger than my Menard's special plastic trays. Here is a picture of what I am looking to build out of some of my scrap pallet wood....

I don't want to link to a 15 minute video on how to make this pallet wood seed starter tray. I think the picture is enough. Pretty much banging some scrap lumber into a shallow box. Pallet wood is all the better if it does not fit tight on the bottom and lets the water drain out.

I think those wood trays would be great for small pots and such. I am looking into building some maybe the size of my plastic trays, just so I have a better way to move them around. The cheap plastic trays I have will crack and break if I try to move them once filled with soil and watered down.

While looking at these videos, I came across a YouTube video on how to make seed starters out of empty toilet paper rolls. Now, years ago, I had come upon this general idea and tried it, but it did not work out very well for me. This new video has an interesting twist, he turns the round toilet paper rolls into square pots and uses a water bath to basically "glue" the paper bottom to hold it together. That might solve both the problems I had before. I could not get the round pots to stay together because the bottom flaps were always coming apart. Also, I like the idea of making these pots square, so you can pack them in a smaller space on the starter tray.

Last summer I purchased one of those soil block makers, thinking that was the best way to go...

Unfortunately, the soil blocker I bought from Amazon did not push out the blocks very well and maybe only 1 out 4 blocks were usable. That was a real disappointment. I complained to the company and they sent me a second soil blocker, stating that the first one was defective, but the replacement had the same flaws. I ended up sending the second soil blocker back. Weeks later, I played around with the first soil blocker I got and was able to modify with additional bolts, screws and washers and got it to work pretty well. But, at that time, planting was over so I never used the soil blocker. Maybe I can use it this year.

I had actually built a PVC soil blocker which worked really well for me, but only one block at a time, and so it took a while to make any number of blocks. Because of the limited success I had with my DIY soil blocker, I wanted to step up with a blocker that could make 4 blocks at a time. Well, that was the idea.

For any gardeners out there, just wondering if making these pallet wood starter trays and filling them with these soil blocks or toilet paper pots makes sense to them? Wondering specifically if the toilet paper pots would cause the roots to spiral around inside the pots which would be not good for transplanting later? As I understand it, the soil blocks are better because the roots will naturally air prune and not spiral around.

When you can't plant and tend to your garden, you end up planning for the next season. So, that is what I have been doing.

I have also been watching YouTube videos on making pallet wood greenhouses. But that will have to be in a different post...

 

[chickengr]

I tried many things and gave them up. I simply fill any container with soil and sow the seeds. I don't need a separate container for 1 or 2 seeds. your pallet tray with a piece of cartoon on bottom looks perfect to me.

 

[gtaus]

I tried many things and gave them up. I simply fill any container with soil and sow the seeds. I don't need a separate container for 1 or 2 seeds. your pallet tray with a piece of cartoon on bottom looks perfect to me.

I am just getting into starting seeds before planting in late May. I hope to try it this year. In theory, it would be nice to have a month or two head start on the season. Appreciate the feedback on trying many things and giving up on them. That's why I'm thinking just make some pallet wood seed trays out of scrap wood and using something like those toilet paper pots instead of buying more plastic trays and containers.

I would like to reduce the number of plants I buy at the nursery to transplant in my garden. I mainly buy pepper plants and tomatoes. I would like to try to start some of them from seed myself and see how it goes this year. But I don't have a greenhouse so that limits my options.

A few years ago, I tried growing some plants inside the house, but the plants got long and leggy and did not survive. I found out that you really need to put those starter plants under lights to start them off right. Live and learn.

Once I get the plants into my raised beds, they usually all do very well. Lots of good chicken run compost in those beds and the plants seem to really like that soil.

 

[chickengr]

toilet paper rolls are short and you need to transplant the seedlings soon. I found it waste of time. on the other hand somewhat deeper trays with grow light might be a good option. tomatoes and peppers like transplanting. it doesn't matter if they are a bit messy at the beginning.

 

[gtaus]

toilet paper rolls are short and you need to transplant the seedlings soon. I found it waste of time.

I wondered about that. Thanks. I suppose it also depends on what you are growing in the starter pots. I imagine some plants could be planted directly into the soil after a few weeks and maybe those plants would be OK for the shorter toilet paper pots. I'm still learning.

on the other hand somewhat deeper trays with grow light might be a good option. tomatoes and peppers like transplanting. it doesn't matter if they are a bit messy at the beginning.

Good to know. I could make some trays about 2 inches deep and some other maybe a full pallet plank width at about 4-1/2 inches. It's only scrap wood anyway.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Last summer I built a pallet wood potting bench. Here is a picture of the design I used....

I built it later in the summer, after I had already done my planting, so my potting bench was mostly used as an outside workbench for banging out other pallet projects. Worked good for that, too.

Anyway, I have started planning for a new year of gardening and hope to put my potting bench to good use early in the year this time. Came across some YouTube videos of making pallet wood seed trays, which would be much stronger than my Menard's special plastic trays. Here is a picture of what I am looking to build out of some of my scrap pallet wood....

I don't want to link to a 15 minute video on how to make this pallet wood seed starter tray. I think the picture is enough. Pretty much banging some scrap lumber into a shallow box. Pallet wood is all the better if it does not fit tight on the bottom and lets the water drain out.

I think those wood trays would be great for small pots and such. I am looking into building some maybe the size of my plastic trays, just so I have a better way to move them around. The cheap plastic trays I have will crack and break if I try to move them once filled with soil and watered down.

While looking at these videos, I came across a YouTube video on how to make seed starters out of empty toilet paper rolls. Now, years ago, I had come upon this general idea and tried it, but it did not work out very well for me. This new video has an interesting twist, he turns the round toilet paper rolls into square pots and uses a water bath to basically "glue" the paper bottom to hold it together. That might solve both the problems I had before. I could not get the round pots to stay together because the bottom flaps were always coming apart. Also, I like the idea of making these pots square, so you can pack them in a smaller space on the starter tray.

Last summer I purchased one of those soil block makers, thinking that was the best way to go...

Unfortunately, the soil blocker I bought from Amazon did not push out the blocks very well and maybe only 1 out 4 blocks were usable. That was a real disappointment. I complained to the company and they sent me a second soil blocker, stating that the first one was defective, but the replacement had the same flaws. I ended up sending the second soil blocker back. Weeks later, I played around with the first soil blocker I got and was able to modify with additional bolts, screws and washers and got it to work pretty well. But, at that time, planting was over so I never used the soil blocker. Maybe I can use it this year.

I had actually built a PVC soil blocker which worked really well for me, but only one block at a time, and so it took a while to make any number of blocks. Because of the limited success I had with my DIY soil blocker, I wanted to step up with a blocker that could make 4 blocks at a time. Well, that was the idea.

For any gardeners out there, just wondering if making these pallet wood starter trays and filling them with these soil blocks or toilet paper pots makes sense to them? Wondering specifically if the toilet paper pots would cause the roots to spiral around inside the pots which would be not good for transplanting later? As I understand it, the soil blocks are better because the roots will naturally air prune and not spiral around.

When you can't plant and tend to your garden, you end up planning for the next season. So, that is what I have been doing.

I have also been watching YouTube videos on making pallet wood greenhouses. But that will have to be in a different post...

I've never seen a soil blocker! Love all the ideas in this post. ❤
I do more cutting starts then seeds.
I tend to transplant before root curl becomes a problem...opens up more space on my starting shelf. I've always liked using paper bathroom cups as seed/cutting starting pots because the pot can be peeled off with minimal root disturbance. I think the toilet paper rolls would work the same but free. I'd like it even better if I could figure out a way to block the bottom without cutting or shortening the tube. Maybe reuse old printer paper to cut a disc to push inside? I'll definitely be playing with them though to see if I can come up with something to save the tube length.

As always...thanks for sharing!