How to Build a Planter Box From a Wine Crate

Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the crate, spaced 2 to 4 inches apart in all directions. This insures good drainage vital to the health of your plants, and prevents the bottom of the crate from rotting due to soggy soil.

Mix equal parts moist peat moss, all-purpose potting soil or garden loam, and perlite to create a lightweight potting mixture for your container. Straight garden loam or potting soil compacts easily when watered is are not recommended for container gardens. Adding peat moss and perlite lightens the soil and promotes both drainage and aeration.

Fill the wine crate 3/4 full with the potting mixture. Position the seedlings into the soil and fill in around the roots with fresh soil, so that the seedlings rest at their original planting depth. Soil should be 1 to 2 inches below the rim of the wine crate, to allow room for watering.

Firm the soil down around the seedlings with your hands to secure the plants and to remove any air pockets around the roots. Water thoroughly until water runs freely through the bottom of the crate. This provides the moisture seedlings need to begin establishing their root system in their new planter.

Place the crate in an area that receives full sun for six to eight hours a day, unless you have chosen to grow flowers that prefer shade or partial shade. Match the lighting to the needs of the specific plants being grown.

Apply water-soluble fertilizer designed for either vegetables or flowering plants every seven to 14 days. Plants grown in containers require more frequent fertilizing than those grown in the ground, as nutrients often leach through the bottom of the container during watering.

Water when the soil feels dry to the touch. Container plants may require daily watering, particularly during hot dry periods. Watering needs depends on the type and size of the plants, growth rate and weather conditions.