Built a simple planter box from old fence wood last weekend

I had a bunch of leftover cedar pickets from replacing the fence in my backyard. I cut them down and slapped together a 4-foot long box, but after filling it with soil, the sides are bowing out a bit. Should I add some metal corner brackets or just run a band of wire around the middle to pull it tight?

3 comments

3 Comments

markm272mo ago

That brace board idea is good, but I'd just use a heavy duty strap.

ellis.victor2mo ago

Cedar pickets are pretty thin for holding wet soil. Those metal brackets will help at the corners, but the real problem is the long sides flexing. A wire band might work, but it'll just dig into the wood over time. Better to screw in a horizontal brace board across the middle of each long side. Use some scrap two-by-four on the inside. It won't look as clean, but it'll stop the bowing for good.

emery96520d ago

Did the same thing with a raised bed last year and the brace board saved it. Picked up a couple of cheap two by fours from the hardware store, cut them to fit the inside length, and screwed them in about halfway up. No flexing at all even after a heavy rain. The metal brackets at the corners help too but the sides will still push out without that middle support. Used some exterior grade screws so they wouldn't rust out on me. Looks a bit rough but the plants cover it up after a few weeks anyway.