Tools, Materials and Equipment for Constructing The Grow Box

What will you need to construct your grow box?

Before you start building your grow box, make sure you have all the necessary tools, equipment, and materials. Below are some essential items you'll need.

*Spirit Level        *Hammer       *Square       *Tape measure       * String/twine      *Stakes

 Wooden or metal stakes

                                                            

 

The stakes should be approximately 3 feet long and sturdy enough to not move when the string is tied to them.

 Wheel Barrow

A wheelbarrow will make transporting heavier materials such as concrete blocks easier, especially if the blocks are located far away from where your grow box is being constructed. Additionally, the wheelbarrow will enable you to transport a larger number of blocks in a single trip. Although the blocks can be carried by hand, doing so may take a significant amount of time to complete the task. Please be cautious about back injuries when lifting and transporting heavy objects.

 Concrete Foundation Blocks  
(6 x 8 x 16 inches)  ( 15 x 20 x 40 cm)

Different materials can be used to construct a grow box such as wood, metal, plastic, and clay blocks. However, there are several reasons for choosing concrete blocks, particularly blocks of a certain size:

1. These blocks are sturdy, and there is no need to cement them together as they do not easily fall over or lean.

2. Because the blocks are not cemented, the grow box is not permanent and can easily be removed or moved to another location as desired.

3. The cores (centres) of the blocks are large, and these holes can be filled with growing media to accommodate smaller plants.

Always keep in mind the idea of grow box farming is to be able to grow as many crops as possible in a relatively small area.

 Plastic Sheeting
(can be either construction plastic or landscaping plastic sheeting)

 

Plastic sheeting is ONLY required if your grow box is being constructed on a soil/dirt surface.
The plastic is used as a protective barrier and will prevent weeds from germinating and growing into the grow box. It will also prevent water and nutrients (fertilizers) from being lost to the soil below.

 Sand (sharp sand and plastering sand)

If you are building your grow box on an uneven surface, you will need to use sharp sand. This will serve two purposes: it can be spread over the soil to help level the surface, and it can also be used to assist in levelling concrete blocks if needed.

How much material ( concrete blocks, plastic stakes, etc) you will require will depend on the size of the grow box you intend to construct. Remember your grow box can be any size.

For example, if you are constructing a grow box 5 feet wide by 10 feet long then you can calculate the number of blocks required by using the following method:

For the Width of the grow box (5 feet)
5 feet = 60 inches. Since each block is 16 inches in length, then 60 inches divided by 16 inches  = 3.75 blocks.
You will, therefore, require approximately four concrete blocks for the width of one side of your grow box. Multiply this number of blocks by two to determine how many blocks you will require for both widths of the grow box

For the Length of the grow box (10 feet)
Use the same method to calculate the number of blocks required for each length of your grow box.