Planter Box ideas and questions

[bgifford]

Hey everyone!

I am already beginning to go into my Winter madness (and it's not even officially Winter yet), trying to find stuff to do and such to make it until I can bring my Plants back outside.

I have some Palms that have a very big root ball and it seems like the Planters at the store are either not deep enough or way too expensive.

So I was thinking about building a few wooden planters. Once they are built, would you line them with some kind of landscape fabric or plastic (with holes for drainage) on the inside or put the Dirt directly in there? 

I was also wondering if some of you already did that and if so, would you mind sharing with me/us what idea you came up with.

Thanks everyone!

 

Brian

[Merlyn]

If the holes are too big, you could put something like window screen over holes.  If it's just wooden planks then the size of any gaps is just determined by your carpentry skills...and how tight you fit them together.  In theory you could build them with intentional gaps (like air-pots) and cover the gaps with window fiberglass mesh.  That would keep the soil in but allow for aeration.  Maybe.    I haven't tried it, but it seems like it could work!

[BeyondTheGarden]

What kind of palm and where will it be stored/is runoff a problem? 

[bgifford]

Its for a Foxtail Palm which is on my Concrete Patio usually in the Summer and goes into the heated garage in the winter with supplemental lighting. 
The other would be for a White Bird of Paradise thats grown massive. Same deal. 
I usually put a Planter Saucer or small kiddie pool under it in the garage to collect any excess water. 

[BeyondTheGarden]

I only have a few small Wodyetias so I can't speak from experience, but what I read online says that they prefer well-drained soil.  I probably wouldn't put an Archontophoneix in a wooden crate, but if it likes dry feet, that may be fine.  Maybe someone who has experience with this species can chime in.  

For my indoor potted palms that need dry feet, I normally put down a bed of gravel to keep them off the bottom of the rubbermaid container that catches runoff.  This has proven to be pretty effective, whereas my swamp-loving palms sit right on the bottom and seem to enjoy soaking up the stagnant water. 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Jesse PNW