Specialty Gardening: Building large containers help/resources?, 1 by DaleTheGardener

DaleTheGardener wrote:
I have built wood containers upon a couple of occasions. You need to consider a material other than wood to get something 3 feet tall. The pressure of that much soil and water will make the box bow out, no matter how much you reinforce it.

There are drain pipes made of reinforced concrete, the kind they use under the street. They will not break under pressure of the freeze/thaw cycle of Chicagoland winters. These can be painted, set on end, filled and planted. Think about drainage. If they are set on pavement they need to be raised (1/2 to 1") and first filled in with drain rock (3-6") and then a layer of weed block or similar porous material to stop the soil from blocking drainage.

Another ready made container is chimney flue sections. These can be cut with a wet saw, stood on end and put together with landcape block adhesive. All the different height patterns can add some interest. They would probably break in the winter in a climate as cold as yours.

If you have to use wood then make it pressure treated, paint it 2-3 times inside and out, and line the inside with 6mil plastic. Build with screws and lots of metal brackets. You can cover the top edge with trim so the plastic doesn't show. Make a step pyramid with 2x8 wood (max) with cross bracing every 18" for best results.

I am adding a box I built for a food service business set on pavement, but, it really doesn't show the construction.