I visited a friend and admired her crafts of pallet vegetable gardens she had made right in her own tiny backyard. She had planted salad leaves, parsley, basil, chilies, onions, garlic, ginger and the list goes on. When I asked her where she got the pallets, she told me you can get them outside at any warehouse or supermarket. She did advise me to stay away from the factories and warehouses which may contain chemicals and other dangerous items. The best are the ones which are not chemically treated and can be found outside garden nurseries.
I remembered I had a nursery near my house and so, on my day off from work I sauntered over to the nursery and asked around. My efforts bore fruit and I came home happily carrying two pallets. Next I decided I wanted to try lettuce, garlic and ginger. I also went for spring onions.
Duration: a day off from work
Things I used:
- Good quality pallets
- Potting soil
- Landscape fabric or thick burlap
- Hammer
- Nails
- Net
- Plants (I used lettuce, ginger, garlic, chilies, and spring onions)
- Some gardening love
My efforts:
First, I cleaned my pallet and measured out the landscape fabric I would need. After that I cut it out and using hammers and nails secured the back of the pallet. I also added a net to stop the fabric being pushed out by the weight of the soil and having all the soil sink to the bottom.
Starting from the bottom I planted the spring onions first but I made sure that the buds were well spaced out as these roots needs space to grow.
Working up I added lettuce in the second shelf, garlic and ginger and red chili in the top two.
I propped it up against the wall of the house that gives out to the yard on the side of the house. This was because the plants needed some sun and fresh air also.
Tips:
- Make sure whatever plants you are choosing are not ones that need to grow upright. Your pallet is standing vertically. If you have the space you may lay it down and then plant whatever you fancy.
- Research whatever plants you choose, and place them accordingly to the sun requirement they have.
- Make sure you water them regularly and keep an eye on them.