Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

had a rabbit problem and it was resolved with herbs and 5 hours of braising on the stovetop.

Sounds great!

We used to have dogs out where I live, but people moved away and currently nobody has a dog in the neighborhood. As a consequence, I can go out in the evening, look around the yard, and count a good half dozen to a whole dozen of rabbits in my yard alone. The chicken wire protective cages on the raised beds are enough to keep them out.

I see you have some chicken wire on panels on top of your raised bed. Is that for use as a trellis? Or, does it enclose everything like my cages? It's hard for my old eyes to see in the pictures how far the chicken wire goes...

 

[Smokerbill]

There's no chicken wire over the top, but I think you're seeing the framework I originally put in place to attach the vertical wood framed chicken wire panels to. I no longer use those panels, but that framework has come in handy for attaching trellises to. Last summer I used it to support some boards across the top, over the peas, to provide them shade during the hot part of the day. Seemed to help extend the pea season.

The chicken wire on the end of the raised bed framework, well, I attached it to the frame with narrow crown staples. Mistake. Too much work to remove it so it remains. Otherwise it would be gone.

My deer fence is an eyesore but it works. The lower part is old fencing I found in the woods and some of the panels that I built to enclose the raised beds. The upper half is just several strands of rope that the deer can see. It works, so that works for me.

 

[gtaus]

The chicken wire on the end of the raised bed framework, well, I attached it to the frame with narrow crown staples. Mistake. Too much work to remove it so it remains. Otherwise it would be gone.

Thanks for the reply. I am currently building another chicken wire protective cage. I was considering using some 1/2-inch narrow crown staples to secure the chicken wire to the wood frame, but decided to stick with my Arrow T-50 stapler - thinking that if I ever have to take that wire off, the narrow crown staples would be a lot of work. Glad to hear I made the right choice. I can use a simple needle nose pliers to fairly easily take out the Arrow T-50 staples. I think it would take a lot of digging to get out the narrow crown staples. So, I'm glad I did not decide to use them.

I bought an almost full box of 5,000 Arrow T-50 staples at our local Thrift Store. Paid next to nothing for the box. However, the box had been exposed to weather and there is some rust on parts of the staple strips. I get lots of misfires with those staples and have to reload them. If I was a contractor, I would not use them because time is money. I don't mind too much having to clear a misfire and start up back again. I'm not being paid on the clock.

My deer fence is an eyesore but it works. The lower part is old fencing I found in the woods and some of the panels that I built to enclose the raised beds. The upper half is just several strands of rope that the deer can see. It works, so that works for me.

No eyesore. What's an eyesore is going out to the garden early one morning and finding out that a herd of deer ate all your tomatoes and peppers the previous night!

I really don't care how my protective cages look on top of my raised garden beds, as long as they protect the plants and I don't get wiped out again this year. Eyesore or not to others, if they work, it's a thing of beauty to me.

 

[gtaus]

Just a quick update on the new 1X2X4 foot chicken wire protective cages I finished building this evening. Here is a picture of them on top of the elevated raised beds I have in the backyard garden space...

The idea was to make the cages tall enough to let the plants get well established before they outgrow the cage. That way, I hope the squirrels will not be able to dig up the grown plants like all the damage they have been doing to my young plants, bulbs, and seeds.

As to the build, I just ripped some 2X4's salvaged from pallet breakdowns, put the frame together using my air stapler with narrow crown staples, and reused some old chicken wire I had sitting outside behind a shed. Basically, a ZERO cost build other than my time and effort.

I don't like having to put a chicken wire cage on every raised bed, but those darn squirrels have been digging up just about everything out in the garden. I need to buy the plants some time to grow without the squirrels digging up the beds.

 

[Smokerbill]

Those cages look great!

 

[gtaus]

Hügelkultur Bed with Pallet Wood Cut Offs

I finished another pallet wood raised bed v2.0 yesterday and got it moved out to the garden. Instead of filling it with the typical logs, I used about six 5-gallon buckets full of pallet wood cut offs, bits and pieces, and some branches that fell on the lawn after our last storm...

I know it's probably too late to plant anything in that bed, but maybe something like radishes? Green onions?

Anyways, I got the hügelkultur wood in the base of the bed. Today, I was planning on adding some organics to fill in the gaps and create a layer of greens before filling it up with compost the final 6-8 inches. That was the plan. However, we are in a heat advisory until 7 pm this evening, so I might not get much done today. It practically took my breath away when I went outside to let the chickens out of the coop and into the run. If I get anything done outside today, it will have to be after supper.

As to using pallet wood cut offs, they should be perfectly safe in a garden bed. I did a quick query to Copilot AI and here is the summary it provided which I think may be useful to others who have buckets of pallet wood (or any other safe lumber) bits and pieces to use for something. IMHO, it's better than burning the wood in a fire pit.

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HT-marked pallet wood is generally safe for garden use, including hügelkultur beds, as long as it's clean and uncontaminated.

Here’s a quick breakdown:
---
### Safe Pallet Wood for Hügelkultur

- **HT (Heat Treated)**:
These pallets are sterilized using high heat (typically 56°C for 30+ minutes), with no chemicals involved.
→ **Safe for garden beds**, especially if you're burying them deep in hügelkultur layers.

- **KD (Kiln Dried)** and **DB (Debarked)**:
Also safe—these are physical treatments, not chemical ones.
---
### Avoid These

- **MB (Methyl Bromide)**:
Chemically fumigated and **not safe** for garden use. Can leach toxins into soil and harm plants or soil microbes.

- **GC / PT (Ground Contact / Pressure Treated)**:
May contain arsenic or other preservatives.
→ **Avoid**, especially in edible gardens.

- **Stained or Unknown Pallets**:
If the wood is visibly stained, oily, or smells odd, skip it. It may have absorbed chemicals during transport.
---
### Hügelkultur Bonus Tip

Since you're layering organic material, **pallet wood cutoffs are perfect** for the lower layers:
- They break down slowly, adding long-term structure and microbial habitat.
- Smaller bits help fill gaps between logs and branches.
- Just make sure they’re not painted or treated.
---
You're turning waste into soil-building gold. This is a great use of your DIY mindset.

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Well, turning all those buckets of pallet wood waste cut offs into something useful in the hügelkultur beds not only is a good use for that by product, but I also got some of the garage cleaned out in the process! That's a win-win in my book.

 

[Smokerbill]

I know it's probably too late to plant anything in that bed, but maybe something like radishes? Green onions?

how about planting some kind of cover crop in the bed and turning it into the soil this fall?

 

[gtaus]

how about planting some kind of cover crop in the bed and turning it into the soil this fall?

Not sure what you mean. I live in northern Minnesota, zone 3B. I have never heard of a cover crop for the summer and growing something in the fall. As far as I know, we only have one growing season here. But I could be wrong because I really don't have much experience gardening.

Unless you mean put in a cover crop for now, let it grow out, then this fall till/cultivate the cover crop into the bed and let it rest for the winter months. I guess that would make some sense to me. What would you suggest for a cover crop? Thanks.

As I mentioned, we are under a heat watch until 7 pm this evening. I just went outside to turn on a sprinkler for the garden - 3:30 pm - and the heat and humidity is punishing. Too hot for this old guy to work outside!

So, I'm back inside checking the computer. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Smokerbill]

Unless you mean put in a cover crop for now, let it grow out, then this fall till/cultivate the cover crop into the bed and let it rest for the winter months. I guess that would make some sense to me. What would you suggest for a cover crop? Thanks.

Yep, I should've been more clear. That's exactly what I meant, planting a cover crop, turning it into the bed this fall and letting it rest over the winter. Clover and vetch would add some nitrogen to the soil. But veggies would be good too. I just didn't know if you were wanting more veggies this year or just wanted to plant something in it.

 

[Doodlemom63]

I am proposing this separate thread dedicated to showing off your DIY Pallet Projects and perhaps a little discussion on the topic of pallet projects. I know there are pics and posts about pallet projects here and there on the BYC forums, but some people suggested I start a dedicated thread to the subject so we can all share our pallet projects and maybe pass along some good idea for others.

I'll start off with a simple pallet project I built for the garden. It's a tool holder for hoes, rakes, shovels, etc.. I made one full length pallet to hold my longest handled tools, but I added another pallet cut down 3/4 size and 1/2 size for my shorter handled tools. I connected the pallets with some 2X4's long enough to fit my 5 gallon buckets between the pallets. What I like about this project is that it was super simple to make for a beginner. Secondly, I now have my tools all stored in one place instead of laying all over the garden. Third, the stand is light enough to move wherever I want, but heavy enough not to blow over in a good wind. Here's the pic...

View attachment 3208481

Here is what it looks like on the backside.

View attachment 3208485

I love it! Definitely adding to my “gonna do” list!