A spare pallet sitting behind the shed doesn’t look like much. Give it an afternoon and a few tools, and it becomes a pallet planter box that would cost tens of pounds from a garden centre.
We’ve been clearing gardens and sheds since 2006, so we know a good pallet from a rotten one!
How to choose a safe pallet – By Glasgow’s garden clearance professionals
Not every pallet is safe to use for growing food.
Pallets carry a stamp near the block, usually starting HT or MB, and that stamp tells you how the wood was treated.
HT means heat-treated, which is the one you want.
MB means the wood was fumigated with methyl bromide, a toxic pesticide used to kill pests in shipping timber. It has no place near soil you’re growing vegetables or herbs in. Skip any pallet stamped MB, no exceptions.
Beyond the stamp, look closely at each piece of wood.
Untreated, stained or heavily worn pallets can mean rot underneath, and rot weakens the joints that hold the planter together outdoors.
A pallet with rough edges and splinters just needs a light sand before use.
One that’s soft, crumbling or smells chemical is one to leave behind.
What you need before you start
A pallet planter project doesn’t need much kit.
You’ll need a claw hammer or pry bar, a saw, sandpaper, and a staple gun.
You’ll also want screws or nails, since the ones already in an old pallet are often too rusted or bent to reuse.
Buy a roll of weed-proof landscape fabric for lining, plus enough potting soil and compost to fill whichever sections you plan to plant.
None of this is expensive. A full pallet planter build usually costs less than one ready-made planter box.
Building your DIY pallet planter, step by step
Building a pallet planter is a two-stage tutorial: prep the pallet, then line and fill it.
Prepping the pallet
Start by removing every third slat from one face of the pallet, so plants have room to grow between the gaps.
Sand down any rough edges, then stand the pallet upright or lean it against a wall, depending on which planter box shape you’re going for.
Staple the landscape fabric across the back, base and sides of each remaining gap. Skip this and soil pours straight through the slats the first time you water.
Lining and filling it
Fill each lined section with potting soil, firming it down gently as you go so it doesn’t sink and expose the fabric later.
Leave a slight gap at the top of each pocket for drainage, since waterlogged roots kill plants faster than dry soil ever does.
Lay the pallet flat for a day or two once it’s planted, so roots can establish before gravity starts pulling everything downward.
After that, stand it upright and it’s ready to display.
Pallet planter ideas for every space
A vertical pallet against a fence or wall turns flat ground into a tiered space for herbs, flowers or vegetables, the classic pallet garden look.
Growing vertically like this saves ground space.
A vertical layout works well if your garden or balcony is short on floor space but has a spare wall to use.
Herb and strawberry planters
Herbs make the easiest herb garden to start with, since basil, thyme and mint don’t mind the shallow soil depth a pallet slat gives them.
A strawberry pallet planter works on the same principle.
The fruit hangs clear of the soil and slugs, which cuts down on rot.
Succulents and low-maintenance planting
Succulents suit a pallet laid flat rather than stood up, since their shallow roots don’t need much depth.
They also tolerate the free drainage a pallet gives better than most plants.
That combination makes them the pick for a gardener who wants something low-effort near a sunny patio.
Balcony and patio planters
A cut-down pallet section makes a compact garden planter that fits a balcony rail or narrow patio strip.
Paint it and add a rectangular tray underneath to catch drips. It works just as well in a flat with no garden as it does in a full-sized back green.
Leave it unpainted instead for a rustic look.
Why upcycle a pallet instead of buying a planter
Buying new timber for a garden project usually means a trip to a builder’s merchant, and money spent on wood you could get for free.
A reclaimed pallet skips that step entirely and keeps the whole build low-cost.
You still get a proper space for growing plants, and it’s one of the simplest pallet projects to try first.
Using a pallet this way keeps that wood pallet out of landfill.
We handle garden clearances across Scotland, and pallets, offcuts and old shed timber turn up constantly. A lot of it still has a second life in it, whether that’s a planter, a compost bin or firewood.
If you’d rather skip the DIY altogether and just want the garden cleared, that’s what we’re here for too. No hassle at all!
Our eco-friendly junk removal teams sort everything that comes off a job. We recycle or donate as much of it as possible, rather than sending it straight to landfill.
Pallet planter questions answered
Are pallets safe to use for planters?
Most are, as long as you check the stamp first. Heat-treated pallets (marked HT) are safe. Chemically fumigated ones (marked MB) are not, and shouldn’t go anywhere near soil you’re growing food in.
How long do pallet planters last outdoors?
Untreated pallet wood typically lasts one to three years outside before rot sets in. Staining or sealing it with a non-toxic wood preserver first can extend that. Lining each section properly also slows down the moisture damage that shortens a planter’s life.
What plants grow best in a pallet planter?
Herbs, strawberries and succulents all do well, since none of them need much soil depth. Deep-rooted vegetables like carrots or potatoes generally don’t have enough room to develop properly in a standard pallet slat.
Do I need to line a pallet planter?
Yes. Without a fabric liner, soil and water simply fall straight through the gaps between slats. Landscape fabric holds everything in place while still letting excess water drain away.
Got more garden waste than you can use?
An upcycled pallet planter is a great way to use up one spare pallet.
But a clear-out often turns up a lot more than that: old furniture, broken sheds, green waste, offcuts with nowhere to go.
That’s exactly what our teams clear across Glasgow and Edinburgh every week. We save you from accidentally contaminating recycling bins or skips, with our strong knowledge of waste disposal and hassle-free process.
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote or call us on 0141 433 4330. We’ll clear the rest, sorting out anything else worth saving along the way.
