Build your own planter

• 15 wooden strips for the bottom, front and back, 50 cm x 46 mm x 10 mm
• 10 wooden strips for the two side panels, 27 cm x 46 mm x 10 mm
• 2 square-edged timbers horizontally on the inside of the floor, 27 cm x 23 mm x 23 mm
• 4 square-edged timbers vertically for the 4 corners, 27 cm x 40 mm x 23 mm
• 4 square-edged timbers vertically at the 4 corners (standing on the horizontal square-edged timbers on the floor --> 2 timbers per corner are used for stabilisation), 25 cm x 40 mm x 23 mm
• 10 wood screws/Spax for the square-edged timbers on the inside side of the floor, 4 x 30 mm
• 4 wood screws / Spax for fixing the two vertical square-edged timbers together at the top, 4 x 50 mm
• 50 wood screws/Spax for the wooden strips at the front, rear and both sides, 4 x 30 mm
• Wood protection oil
• 1 pond liner 0.5 mm thick or other waterproof sheet, approx. 1 x 1 m
• Staples, 6 mm
• Potting soil, approx. 20 l
   

Just for variant A) Planter with cord suspension

• 4 screw hooks, 4 x 50 mm
   

Just for variant B) Planter with castors

• 2 square-edged timbers at the bottom of the floor on both sides, 27 cm x 40 mm x 23 mm
• 4 castors (furniture swivel castors), with top 40 x 40 mm, swivelling to all sides (with ball bearings)
• 4 wood screws/Spax for fixing the two square-edged timbers to the floor, 4 x 30 mm
• 16 wood screws/Spax for fastening the castors, 3.5 x 20 mm
   

Just for variant C) Planter with railing suspension

• 4 metal/chair brackets, 14 x 14 cm x 25 mm, 3 mm thick, white or metallic depending on preference
• 4 wood screws/Spax for fastening the two brackets to the box, 4 x 30 mm
• 4 hex bolts for fastening the brackets to each other, M5 x 50 mm
• 4 washers, M5 x 12 mm
• 4 wing nuts, M5
   

Just for variant D) Planter with side handles

• 2 furniture handles, size e.g. 94 x 20 x 24 mm with matching fixing screws

• STIHL GTA 26 cordless garden pruner
• Workbench
• Trestle
• Tape measure
• Set square / carpenter’s square
• Pencil
• Multi-grinder with 150-gauge sandpaper
• Battery-powered screwdriver with bits
• Cordless drill with 4 and 6 wood drill bits
• Stapler
• Scissors
• Hook screwdriver as bit insert
• Ring or flat spanner, size 8
• Hand shovel for planting
• Paint brush
• Fixed cord (if cord suspension), length approx. four times the suspension height

Working with high-performance power tools is fun and allows you to broaden your skills, which is great if you can rely on effective and safe protective clothing.

Always wear your personal protective equipment when working with STIHL power tools. Find out more in the instruction manual for your product. Before using your power tool for the first time, fully familiarise yourself with it and ensure that it is in flawless condition before each use.

On request, your STIHL dealer will be happy to prepare your power tool for its first job, and will also advise you on models and sizes of protective clothing that you can try on at your leisure. Please remember that personal protective equipment is no substitute for safe working.

First saw all the strips and square-edged timbers to size for building your planter. Then sand the ends of all wooden parts with the multi-grinder and treat the woods thoroughly with wood preservative oil. Allow the oil to absorb according to the product instructions.

For the base of the planter box, evenly align five of the 50-centimetre wooden strips with spacers, i.e. the remnants of the wooden strips with a thickness of 10 millimetres. Screw the two 23 x 23 mm square-edged timbers together at both ends so that there is room for exactly one slat (= 10 mm) on the outside.

Screw the first two 50-centimetre slats of the long side to the square timbers of the floor. Use a strip as a 10-millimetre spacer from the ground.

Then screw one of the longer – 27 centimetre long – 40 x 23 millimetre square-edged timbers vertically at each corner to the first two strips on the long side.

Then place the shorter – 25 centimetre long – 40 x 23 millimetre square-edged timbers on the floor square-edged timbers in both corners and screw them to the first strip on the long side. Now repeat this on the other short side to build your own planter.

Now there are two square-edged timbers standing vertically in each corner. Screw the two vertical square-edged timbers together at the top as well.

Next, screw the remaining four 50-centimetre strips on each long side and the four 27-centimetre strips on each short side to the vertical square-edged timbers layer by layer. The 10-millimetre remnants of the strips can be used as spacers to ensure even alignment.

Now it’s time to attach the hanging options for your DIY planter. You can choose between four variants:
 

Variant A) Planter with cord suspension

For a hanging planter, for example, you can choose screw hooks and attach them to the upper ends of the four square-edged timbers of your planter. Then tie sturdy cord, such as hemp or jute, to the hooks to hang your homemade planter.
 

Variant B) Planter with castors

If you would prefer a mobile, ground-level planter, screw two square-edged timbers to both sides of the underside instead and attach two furniture castors to each of them.
 

Variant C) Planter with railing suspension

For a planter you can suspend from a railing, screw two brackets to one of the side walls at the level of the square-edged timbers. This has the advantage of enabling you to attach the planter to a balcony railing, for example.
 

Variant D) Planter with side handles

As an alternative, instead of castors, hooks or brackets, you could screw two handles to the middle of the second strip down on both side walls. 

Now cover the inside of the DIY planter with waterproof sheet. Staple the sheet to the top edges of the planter and cut off any protrusion with scissors.

Now you can fill your DIY planter with soil and plant it as you like.

Woods such as larch and Douglas fir are great for building your own planter. With their relatively high resin content, they are well suited for outdoor use.

In heavy rain or even storms, it is advisable to place planters in a sheltered spot. If this is not possible, you can also buy a plant cover that protects the balcony flowers from wind, rain and slight frost.

If necessary, re-oil the wooden strips if your planter is exposed to severe weather conditions.

Winter-hardy, robust plants such as akelei, golden segge and ivy are good for planting a planter.

Wait until the risk of frost is over (11 to 15 May) to plant your planter. This prevents your plants from being exposed to late-night frosts.

A 80-centimetre-long planter holds around 4 to 5 plants, a 60-centimetre-long planter holds around 4 plants and a 50-centimetre-long planter holds around 3 to 4 plants.

Well-ventilated, loose soil that can store water well is ideal for planters.

There is no standardised legal regulation on where planters may hang on balconies. In principle, it is permitted to install planters on the outside of a balcony as long as they are adequately secured against falling and/or there are no restrictions to this effect in the tenancy agreement.