Plantabox Frequently Asked Questions

How should I prepare an empty box for planting?

When we plant up our boxes, we use a bespoke horticultural liner but a heavy duty bin liner would suffice. A bespoke fitting liner is available to buy for just 50p. Make sure you perforate the liner intermittently to allow for drainage. You could also add a layer of stones, bark or other material that would help aid drainage before filling with compost. Check what sort of soil your chosen plants prefer but loam based compost is preferable to a peat based one. You could also finish your planted crate with a layer of bark chippings to prevent the soil drying out too fast, especially in the summer months.

How long will it be before it is delivered?

After you have placed your order, we aim to make and dispatch each empty crate within 2 working days with next day courier service, so each crate should take between 2 and 3 days to arrive with you. If you require the item to be sent for a particular day, we will always try to accommodate this, if you need a crate delivered quicker you can use our Fastrack service, see below for more information. Please note that we do not deliver on a Saturday.

How should I care for my Plantabox once it's planted?

Your Plantabox is best positioned outside in a sheltered but sunny position. We do not recommend too much water as it makes the plants lazy, however they do need a drop to survive, especially in warmer months. Small Plantaboxes are designed for indoor use but can be kept outdoors during the warmer months. Your crate should be stored so that it is raised off the ground to enable air flow, you can purchase wheels or a crate stand to do this, it will make them easier to move around once they are fully loaded too. As with any planter it will need some tlc during winter months.

How does the Fastrack next day delivery service work?

Provided we receive your order before 2.00pm on any business day we'll complete your order and dispatch it the same day for next working day courier delivery which is tracked, this is for mainland UK only and costs £9.95 (dependent on weight). If you select the fastrack option we'll acknowledge your order straight away and start processing it straight away. In the unlikely event that we accept an order that we cannot deliver within this guideline, we'll let you know and arrange an immediate refund if required.

Tell us more about the colours?

We have eight standard finishes which are all based on a protective wood stain with pigments to provide the unique colours:

Antique Oak – gives the classic aged and antique appearance of old oak

Rustic Pine – an outdoor rustic wooden shade, a solid and even colour

Shabby Green – a lovely vintage muted green, a classic and popular colour

Shabby Blue – chic in a duck egg blue kind of way, great indoors or out

Shabby Pink – A rich definitive pink, ideal for kids and making a statement

Forest Green – A subtle yet classic blend, gives the feel of the foliage of a forest

Country Cream – a rich and delicate cream which allows the grain to show through whilst protecting the wood

Antique Silver – a real old-fashioned deco silver, ideal for that special anniversary

Our colour swatch is included on all our product pages, click here to see it.

What about caring for the crate itself?

Your crate is manufactured from Forest Stewardship Certificated pine but will rot and warp if left in damp and poorly ventilated conditions. The key to preventing rot is to control the wood’s exposure to moisture, most wood decay fungi grow on wood with a high moisture content usually 20 percent or above, your crate has been treated with high quality fence paint to help inhibit water ingress. Your crate should be stored so that it is raised off the ground, particularly when planted. If stored in a damp and airless environment it will degenerate very rapidly. Try to take special care when watering your crate so that you do not soak the wood and increase the likelihood of fungi growth, at all times pay particular attention to adequate drainage and ventilation. It is advisable to make drain holes in the liner.

What sizes are the boxes?

The sizes of the boxes are listed on the main site, however they are as follows:

Large Plantabox Crate: 53cm (L) x 36cm (W) x 27cm (H)

Square Plantabox Crate: 36cm (L) x 36cm (W) x 27cm (H)

Medium Plantabox Crate: 40cm (L) x 31cm (W) x 14cm (H)

Small Plantabox Crate: 31cm (L) x 20cm (W) x 15cm (H)

Half Crate: 49cm (L) x 31cm (W) x 13cm (H)

Mini Crate: 29cm (L) x 11cm (W) x 7cm (H)

Windowsill Plantabox Crate: 50cm (L) x 20cm (W) x 14cm (H)

How best shall I display my box?

It’s a good idea to situate the box raised slightly from the ground using bricks or wood. This reduces the contact to the surface of the ground in the wet seasons and allows the wood and the crate's contents to breath.

How can I move my Plantabox around, once planted?

The large and square Plantaboxes can be ordered with castor wheels or a crate stand. This will ease manoeuvrability once planted up. Please order the wheels on the product page and they will be fixed to your Plantabox.

What is FSC?

The Forest Stewardship Council’s “tick tree” logo is used on product labels to indicate whether products are certified under the FSC system. When you see the FSC logo on a label you can buy timber and other wood products, such as paper, with the confidence that you are not contributing to the destruction of the world’s forests. FSC is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. It was founded in 1993 in response to public concern about deforestation and demand for a trustworthy wood-labelling scheme.