DIY Cattle Trough Planter

My "backyard" is not really a backyard. Living in the city presents limits to gardeners, especially if there is not any grass or soil on the property. Currently, what passes as my backyard is actually a brick-covered driveway. So, in order for me to create my own garden space, I had to lean into container gardening, which brought me directly to my DIY cattle trough planter project!

If you are looking for an alternative to wooden raised beds and in-ground gardening, creating a container garden with cattle troughs is an excellent, cost-efficient way to get the job done. 

What are cattle troughs?

Also known as stock tanks, troughs are typically used to provide water to livestock. They are made in metal, concrete, fiberglass, or plastic. My focus is on metal troughs. They are sturdy and reliable, not to mention tall enough to avoid some of the back-breaking labor involved with in-ground gardening. 

The Best Places to Find New Cattle Troughs

You can purchase a stock tank of your own at any home improvement or livestock supply store.

Personally, I hit up Tractor Supply Co. They always have them available. At the time of writing this, you can buy a 2 ft x 4 ft x 2 ft steel container for $139.99. They have several different sizes available, so depending on your project size and budget, I am sure there is something to fit the need.

(Pictured above is the CountryLine Stock Tank, available at Tractor Supply Co.)

6 Easy Steps to Create Your Own DIY Cattle Trough Raised Bed

I originally wanted to create a container garden full of root vegetables, which is why I purchased a 4-foot-deep trough. However, I waited too late in the growing season to get myself going on that project. I re-evaluated and chose to create a herb garden with some flowers sprinkled into the layout.

Getting the stock tank prepped for its purpose was pretty easy, but it did take some mental organization. Here is how I created my first herbal DIY cattle trough planter.

Supplies and Materials:

• (1) Galvanized steel cattle trough
• (6) Heavy duty castor wheels*
• (24) long flat screws with washers and nuts*
• A drill with a ¼ to ½ inch cobalt drill bit
• Landscape fabric, approximately 4 ½ inches long x 2 inches wide
• Soil
• Plants 

*Note: Wheels are not required. Remember, my yard surface is made of bricks, so I wanted the option of moving it around. This definitely comes in handy when the seasons change from summer to cooler months and the sun relocates in the sky for winter.

Step 1

Grab a Sharpie and flip over your trough, bottom side up. Place your wheels tentatively on the trough, figuring out where you want them to live. Once you have placement established, get the sharpie and mark little dots where you would like the wheels to go. Each wheel will have 4 holes (for adhering them to the trough), so mark a dot in the center of every hole. Ideally, you want two wheels on the left, two wheels in the center, and two wheels on the right.  

Step 2

Take your drill and drill bit and put several holes in the bottom to ensure drainage. Make sure these holes are made away from the markings for wheel placements. Then, drill a hole at each Sharpie mark you made in step one.  

Step 3

Attach your wheels. There should be 4 flathead screws/washers/nuts per wheel. Flip your planter over when you are finished. 

Step 4

Place a layer of landscape fabric at the bottom of your planter. This prevents the soil from slowly draining out of the planter when you water. 

Step 5

Fill your container with soil. 

Step 6

Plant!

The Benefits of Using Cattle Troughs in Your Garden

Here are just a couple of advantages to using cattle troughs in the garden, in addition to them being an easy and moveable DIY project.

• Making a planter from cattle troughs includes little to no build out, unlike a wooden raised bed or prepping in-ground plots.
• The bottom of the trough keeps wildlife from popping up in your garden from underground (assuming your trough has a bottom).
• Cattle troughs are typically a cheaper alternative to more traditional raised bed materials.
• Durability. Livestock tanks were made to hold a ton of water or feed, so they are made to take a bit of a beating. 
• Raised containers allow for better weed control.

Is it safe to eat food grown in a cattle trough garden bed? 

The burning question many people have is on the topic of safety. Just how safe are cattle troughs to use as container garden beds? Well, pretty darn safe actually.

Metal troughs can be sold as galvanized, meaning they are treated with a zinc coating to prevent the formation of rust. (That is the recommended type of trough: galvanized metal, preferably steel. With proper care, they will last for decades!) There's no need to be terribly concerned about zinc leakage. Granted, there may be a small amount of zinc that makes its way to the soil over time, but it is not enough to cause alarm. In this case, knowing where your herbs and vegetables come from is, in and of itself, a much more important takeaway in having your own container garden. 

Tips to Create Your Own Cattle Trough Raised Bed

Tip #1

Decide what exactly you want to grow. If it is just herbs, flowers, and aerial-producing plants (vegetables and fruit that grow up and above the soil), go with a 12-inch-deep trough. Any root vegetables or similar that need to grow down into the soil, I would recommend something a tad deeper. 

Tip #2

If you are placing a trough planter in your yard and do not need or want wheels, consider putting two or three cedar planks underneath to allow the soil to drain properly. 

Tip #3

Fill the bottom half of your trough planter with objects such as bricks, large rocks, or branches. Cover them with landscape fabric, then fill the remainder of the planter with the soil of your choice. This prevents you from having to purchase soil for an entire trough because you're only filling it halfway with soil. 

Tip #4

Get creative! Leaving a cattle trough its original color is just fine, but what if you want it to match your outdoor aesthetic? Try this metal leaf spray paint from Rustoleum to give your planters that POP! 

What to Plant in a Cattle Trough Planter

You can grow anything you like. Just remember a few design suggestions: 

• Keep the taller plants in the back (if your planter sits against a wall) or in the center.
• Place any trailing plants along the sides of the planter (so they will cascade over the edge and toward the ground).
• Always incorporate flowers into your planter designs, even if they are vegetable or herb containers. This not only adds beautiful color, but encourages pollinators to interact with your garden. 

What else can you do with a cattle trough in your yard or garden? The ideas are limitless, but let's look at two of my favorites.

Garden Pond Made With Cattle Trough

This is one I have not personally tried yet, but I really think it is lovely if done correctly. A perfect way to repurpose an old trough, a water garden can be achieved with just a few adjustments. A garden pond is also a great way to introduce some water-submersive plants and fish into your garden design.

Pam Penick, a garden writer based in Austin, Texas, created a beautiful little pond in her yard back in 2009. You can read about her journey HERE. Below is her pond design. 

Rain Collector Made With Cattle Trough                                                  

I am used to seeing rain barrels in yards, but I do love the idea of using a cattle trough to collect rainwater. This is also a wonderful way to repurpose a cattle trough. There will be a short list of additional supplies to make it function properly. If you have the means to make this a reality, I would highly suggest it. Your plants will thank you!

An important thing to note here, especially if you live in the southern United States, is to be sure you consider the mosquito population and COVER your cattle trough rain barrel with netting or create a lid for the top. Those little buggers love standing water, and you do not want what is intended for your plant babies to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Pictured below is a rain collector cattle trough from Linda Holliday for Mother Earth News (2013).

As you can see, there are a plethora of ways to use a cattle trough. Of course, the best way is a container garden (wink wink), and I hope that you do take the opportunity to create one for yourself. 

(Thank you to Tish for supplying the photos for this article.)

Tish Douzart of Charmed Gardens

Though she plants her fair share of vegetables, garden consultant Tish's speciality is in medicinal and culinary herbs. She believes that plant medicine helps us reconnect with nature and founded Charmed Gardens to spread her knowledge to gardeners in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In addition to herb gardening, she also likes to create meditation gardens and other cozy personal spaces that make the heart and soul flourish.

Follow Charmed Gardens on Facebook and Instagram. If you're local to NOLA and a tea enthusiast, you won't want to miss her tea mediations.