4x3x3 Pine Box

15 years ago

Today I came in possession of a 4x3x3 sturdy pine box at work. It was used to ship some equipment for our hospital, and it was going to be thrown out. I'm new to gardening, but instantly saw the value of such a box to my backyard garden. Although I'm not entirely sure of what to do with it.

I have three ideas for it, and would like some thoughts from more experienced gardeners:

First, I think it would make a great compost bin. However, the lumbar is not treated (it's just plain pine). If I were to use it for this, would it be OK to treat the both the inside and outside with a sealant? My concern is using the sealant on the inside. I don't want to risk any chemicals transferring to my plants through the sealant used. So does anyone know what a safe sealant would be for this purpose?

Secondly, it would make a great planter box. It has three 2x4s along the bottom (left, center and right), so all I'd have to do is add some drainage holes and I'd get great drainage from this box. It would work great for tomatoes, as I would get good drainage, plus when filled with soil would be heavy enough to support a lattice of concrete wire that I have on hand. All I'd have to do is figure out a way to secure the lattice to the box. the first thing I thought to use it for was potatoes, but I think it might be a little late in my zone to plant taters.

Thirdly, This thing would make a killer hot box... but a hot box won't help me immediately, i.e, I wouldn't get much use out of it this year. And besides, there's a good possibility that I can acquire several of these kinds of boxes over the next year.

So I'm looking for some advice on this. I guess my main question, which pertains to my first and second thoughts for this, is what would be safe to coat the inside with to slow the pine wood from rotting down? Is there a sealant that I can use that would be safe for either compost or planting? Thanks in advance for any advice,

Tom From KS.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

forpityssake
15 years ago
Congrat's on the freebie find. :)

Personally, I'd paint it with exterior house paint & line it with a sheet of plastic. Then, poke holes in the plastic for drainage.

To be even MORE thrifty...I'd cut it in 1/2 and have TWO boxes. I wouldn't want a 3' deep box to fill with dirt. I'd put weed block under the top 1/2, too.

LOTSA stuff can be done with that big ol' box. Have fun.
TomFromKS
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the response.

The cut it in half idea isn't too bad, but not a worth while effort for me. I don't own a circular saw, so it'd take extra time and effort to cut it down. Also, 3' height was an estimation. Looking at it now, it's maybe 2 1/2 foot... but that includes the 4" taken by the 2x4s on the bottom, plus the bottom is two 3/4" boards. The container itself is maybe just over 2' deep. If nothing else I can get gravel for free... so I could potentially use that for filler on the bottom if necessary.

As it is, I'm kind of leaning towards making it a compost bin anyways. I could make some improvements to it by buying a few hinges for the lid, remove the 2x4s, make a few 3" holes on the bottom, then paint the whole thing black. Homemade bin for around $10.

I do like your idea of lining the inside with plastic though. I know I can get a roll of thick plastic for around $8 at WalMart. I might even have some in the garage left over from a project a few years ago. For whichever purpose I use it for (compost or planting), that will likely be what I do for the inside.

Thanks again for the thought. My wife is going to think I'm crazy when I get home with a pine box, lol...
Related Professionals
Elizabeth City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Hartford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · San Luis Obispo Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Birmingham Landscape Contractors · Crestview Landscape Contractors · Topeka Landscape Contractors · Beckley Landscape Contractors · Bloomington Landscape Contractors · Syracuse Landscape Contractors · Scranton Landscape Contractors · Santa Rosa Landscape Contractors · Charlottesville Accessory Dwelling Units · Coldwater Accessory Dwelling Units · Canton Accessory Dwelling Units · Montréal Accessory Dwelling Units
hamiltongardener
15 years ago
Well, just don't joke about the pine box being for her.

It's not the death implication that will offend her, it's the dimensions of the box...
feijoas
15 years ago
Can you get more and stash them?
I ask because I wouldn't bother trying to preserve the wood, just replace when I poke the fork through the old one too many times...
If it's not treated with really toxic stuff, it'll rot.
I've found wood lined with plastic actually rots even faster than unlined!
I've made my peace with rot, and I can even look at a bit of my collapsing garden edge and not think evil thoughts. Mostly.
I'd also cut the bottom out, if possible. Give the compost worms and microbes a way in. The bottom will also be the first thing to rot, and it would be the first thing I put the fork through!
ljpother
15 years ago
Mine is cheaper construction, 1/4" plywood. It is going into it's third year. I used styrofoam packing material for bulk in the bottom. I won't do it again. On top of that I built a lasagna bed and topped it with a thin layer of compost/soil mix for planting. If I was doing it again, I would use the whole thing for a lasagna bed. I dig out the partially composted material each year and move it to a finishing bed.

I'll miss it when it's gone. However, I have the material to build a replacement.
ania_ca
15 years ago
I'd make it a planter box but pine will only last you 2 seasons tops. I have planter boxes with the same dimensions made out of redwood and they are going on their second year and look good so far but redwood last longer outside.

Ania