Planters and Planter Boxes

Built in planters or movable planter boxes are both constructed in similar ways. 2x3 framing material inside the planter box is commonly pressure treated. It is recommended to fasten outside planter boards on from inside the planter box when possible to hide any face fasteners.

Planters can be made out of cedar or maintenance free decking material and can be either free standing, or built into the deck. Almost all planter boxes have a false bottom. It's usually not necessary to have a planter box full depth so false bottoms are put in using ¾" or 1½" material. Set the height of the false bottom in relation to the depth of the planter. A 16" deep planter has a false bottom placed 8" to 10" deep. If lighting is being installed in the planter, be sure to pre-run the low voltage wire up through the false bottom during the framing stage.

It is recommended that you put your plants in pots inside the planter and cover the base in mulch. This makes yearly planting and fall clean up simple. Avoid, when possible, putting planting soil directly into the planter as the soil will seep out between the board spacing and the boards will rot prematurely due to being damp and in contact with the dirt year round.