# Need some help understanding how to measure. Plant Trough.



## Screamo (24 Apr 2018)

I'll keep it short for yours and my sake. I plan on building a 10' planting trough. The issue I'm having is knowing the measurements I need. I already know I want it to be 10' in length, 2' in width and 2' in height. The issue I have is working out the thickness and height of the plank that I want. Because it's a custom build I can't compare it with something else. I have a visual image of what I want, I just don't know how to go about knowing the measurements of the wood that I've just mentioned. How do people work out what measurements of the wood they need if they are building something from visualisation? I'm not sure if what I have written makes sense, it makes sense in my head though I don't know if it will to you. I would really like some lessons from you guys and get an understanding and I do truly appreciate it, I posted a topic months ago and I still remember plenty that I was taught back then. It really does help. Thank you.


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## LancsRick (24 Apr 2018)

Sketch up. Or if you are not technologically inclined, sketch it by hand to scale.


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## Screamo (24 Apr 2018)

LancsRick":nnx8tl7c said:


> Sketch up. Or if you are not technologically inclined, sketch it by hand to scale.


Sketch up for my use or for your use?


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## MikeG. (24 Apr 2018)

Screamo":127380vu said:


> I'll keep it short for yours and my sake. I plan on building a 10' planting trough. The issue I'm having is knowing the measurements I need. I already know I want it to be 10' in length, 2' in width and 2' in height. The issue I have is working out the thickness and height of the plank that I want. Because it's a custom build I can't compare it with something else. I have a visual image of what I want, I just don't know how to go about knowing the measurements of the wood that I've just mentioned. How do people work out what measurements of the wood they need if they are building something from visualisation? I'm not sure if what I have written makes sense, it makes sense in my head though I don't know if it will to you. I would really like some lessons from you guys and get an understanding and I do truly appreciate it, I posted a topic months ago and I still remember plenty that I was taught back then. It really does help. Thank you.



This is actually fairly easy. Timber is only supplied in a very few thicknesses, and you have to pick the nearest one. For a clue, a scaffold board is about 38mm (1-1/2") thick. Picture it mentally made of scaffold boards, and ask yourself if you saw it thicker or thinner than that, or is that about right. My experience is that this is a massive planter, and that you'll never shift it, so you'll have to build it in situ. (Why so deep, BTW? Most plants don't need anything like that depth of soil). If you were to make it out of 25mm timber (lots of people use decking, for instance) you would need intermediate cross members to prevent the weight of the soil (and water) bowing the sides out. However, when you design this, remember that most fixings are going to fail in the end, so a cross member screwed into end grain decking is going to be failing in a very short period.

The other approach to something like this is to build a strong frame, and then use less chunky timber to infill between the frame members. Given how imposing a 10' x 2' flat planter wall might look, this would be something worth considering.

There's a thread here somewhere of some planters I made 8 or 10 years ago of scaffold boards. I can't find it now, but if anyone can, these are probably only about 6 feet long (it's raining.......I'm not going out to measure them!). Imagine something nearly twice as long and 50% deeper and wider.


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## Screamo (24 Apr 2018)

MikeG.":in7vmt9s said:


> Screamo":in7vmt9s said:
> 
> 
> > I'll keep it short for yours and my sake. I plan on building a 10' planting trough. The issue I'm having is knowing the measurements I need. I already know I want it to be 10' in length, 2' in width and 2' in height. The issue I have is working out the thickness and height of the plank that I want. Because it's a custom build I can't compare it with something else. I have a visual image of what I want, I just don't know how to go about knowing the measurements of the wood that I've just mentioned. How do people work out what measurements of the wood they need if they are building something from visualisation? I'm not sure if what I have written makes sense, it makes sense in my head though I don't know if it will to you. I would really like some lessons from you guys and get an understanding and I do truly appreciate it, I posted a topic months ago and I still remember plenty that I was taught back then. It really does help. Thank you.
> ...



I want them deep so I have room to grow different plants. For now I'm going to dig up already existing strawberries and see if they take. I may grow root vegetables and that room may sound excessive however I'm quite successful at growing larger vegetables than most, the extra height is a safety bar if that makes sense and I also plan to use some of that space up making adequate drainage. Just trust me on this. The length isn't an issue to me. I have the space, plus it will be growing with other things anyway. If I don't make it 10' and be making two 5' ones anyway. OK, I've taken it in, I'm looking at 2" thickness. I wasn't going to use decking, I was looking at softwood that's been pressure treated.


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## marcros (24 Apr 2018)

2"? wow.


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## Harbo (25 Apr 2018)

3 off 10’ x 24” x 24” of 2” thick
2 off 24” x 24” 2” thick for ends 
4off 20” x 20” 2” thick for intermediate supports.

If you can source them??

What you need is a drawing of your intentions - it’s not difficult to produce.

Rod


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## MikeG. (25 Apr 2018)

Screamo":zlqjluqt said:


> ........ The length isn't an issue to me. I have the space, plus it will be growing with other things anyway. If I don't make it 10' and be making two 5' ones anyway. OK, I've taken it in, I'm looking at 2" thickness. I wasn't going to use decking, I was looking at softwood that's been pressure treated.



Hang on a sec. 1-1/2" is enough for 10'. 2" is going to look very hefty. But if I'm reading you right you are now proposing 2" thick timber for planters only 5' long. That's way over the top.

(Oh, and decking *is* pressure treated softwood.......but I know what you mean)


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## lee celtic (28 Apr 2018)

I did something similar to house a few climbing plants in the back garden when I wanted the plants to grow up the end of our home.. They had to be deep due to not having a garden only a flat roof and I wanted them to grow for years.. 

The thing about filling timber troughs with dirt is they will stay wet and rot from the inside very quickly..

My solution was to make a trough with timber for decorative use then fill them with plastic header tanks, they are cheap and even though 12 years on the wood is gone the tanks are still sat where I put them and I plan to re do the wood later this year.. 

Pop down to your local builders yard and buy enough tanks the size you want to fill the space you have then measure the timber you will need to cover them. You don't even need to put a bottom on the trough just place the tanks on bricks to keep them off the floor so they drain well.. Drill a few holes in the bottom and add a few stones (I used slate) to aid drainage. It also stops bigger plants stealing the food off plants in the next tank.. 







https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/4-ga...MIuIiNj9nc2gIVS7XtCh3nWwLiEAQYASABEgKOoPD_BwE


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