A Simple Bed Grower

Flood-and-Drain Bed: This grower can be made from wooden pallets that have legs added or built from scratch. It is filled with growing medium. Add nutrient every day.

Floating Bed: This grower is filled with nutrient. A Styrofoam board floats in the grower. Holes to support growing plants are cut or burned into the board. The nutrient must be stirred twice a day. Remember to regularly monitor the pH.

Bed growers are made out of wood and then lined with plastic. They are usually used outside. If you are using a wooden pallet, all you need to do is attach legs to the corners and line it with plastic. Then, if this is going to be a flood-and-drain bed, you will drill a 2/3-inch hole for the drainage hose, fit the hose into the hole, and shrink the plastic to fit around the hose. Shrinking the plastic around the hose makes sure that nutrient is not wasted by dripping out of the hole. Use a bucket to catch the drained nutrient. Make sure you are familiar with safe nutrient disposal practices.

To build the grower from scratch, start by creating the frame for the bed by nailing the end and side boards together. Then nail the bottom slats onto the rectangular frame. Then nail the legs to each corner and line the bed with black plastic. For the floating bed, cut some holes into a sheet of Styrofoam for the plants to grow through.