It does not rot
HDPE and galvanised steel in soil contact for fifteen years and counting. Cedar gives you five if you are lucky.
Second life 03
The Raised Planter
Cut a tote at 18 inches, keep the cage as the frame, drill the drainage, and you have a raised bed that will outlive three wooden ones.
- Sheet
- 70
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
18 inBed depth
11 cu ftSoil volume
2 daysBuild time
15 yr+Expected life
A cut tote is a better planter than lumber
It moves
Forklift pockets stay in the cage. Rearranging a garden becomes a ten-minute job.
It drains properly
Drilled sump drainage plus a gravel layer, not a guess about where the water goes.
It is already made
No new material, no new emissions, and one fewer container in the grinder.
What ships
- Base container
- Grade C used 275 gal, rinsed, non-hazardous history
- Cut height
- 18 in standard, 12 or 24 in on request
- Drainage
- Nine 3/4 in drilled ports plus gravel sill
- Liner
- Optional landscape fabric liner
- Footprint
- 48 x 40 in, 4-way forklift entry retained
- Finish
- Raw, painted, or cedar-faced cage option
Filling it properly
| Layer | Depth | Material | Volume needed | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drainage sill | 2 in | Washed gravel or expanded clay | ≈ 1.5 cu ft | Keeps roots out of standing water |
| Separator | — | Landscape fabric | 1 sheet | Stops soil migrating into the gravel |
| Growing medium | 14 in | Topsoil and compost, 60/40 | ≈ 9 cu ft | The working layer |
| Mulch | 2 in | Straw, bark or leaf | ≈ 1.5 cu ft | Water retention |
- Drainage ports
- Nine 3/4 in holes drilled through the sump area
- Cut heights available
- 12, 18 (standard) or 24 in
- Filled weight
- ≈ 1,400 lb with moist soil
- Forklift entry
- 4-way retained — the bed stays movable
- Expected life
- 15 years plus; HDPE and galvanised steel in soil contact
- Finish options
- Raw, painted or cedar-faced cage
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep is the Raised Planter and how much soil does it hold?
The standard cut is 18 inches deep, holding about 11 cubic feet of fill. That is roughly fourteen 40 lb bags of soil plus a bag of gravel. Cut heights of 12 or 24 inches are available on request.
Can I move it once it is filled?
Yes, within limits. The 4-way forklift entry is kept, so the bed stays movable, but filled with moist soil it weighs about 1,400 lb. You need a forklift or pallet jack to move it.
How does drainage work?
Nine 3/4 inch holes are drilled through the sump area, and the page recommends a 2 inch washed gravel or expanded clay layer topped with landscape fabric before the soil goes in.
How long will it last compared with a wooden bed?
The page expects 15 years or more, since HDPE and galvanised steel hold up in soil contact. It compares that with about five years for cedar, if you are lucky.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
The listed build time is 2 days and the price starts from $140. Finish options are raw, painted or a cedar-faced cage, which may affect the final price. Ask through the contact form.
Next in the loop
Base container: Grade C 275 gal. Typical build time: 2 days. From $140. Every build starts from a container somebody else was finished with.