DIY Gardener’s Harvest Basket

One of my favourite tools in the garden is my harvest basket. When I was looking for ideas to make my own basket I saw that they were called trugs or hods but I’m not sure it matters, you can call them Susan if you want. My original basket was a cane basket which looks nice but it’s not something you can leave outside to get wet and all the crevices would fill up with dirt which reduced its life even further. 

What you need in a harvest basket

Durability is really important, it needs to withstand having a good hosing when washing your vegetables. Although I prefer to keep my basket inside, it should be able to withstand some time out in the weather. I used a clear varnish on the wood to add some longevity. A stain would have been fine also but I wasn’t sure it would last as long.

Drainage is important, so the design I chose had a space between the wooden base and the wire mesh to let water drain freely. Lastly, your basket needs to be able to fit your produce in it, so the handle shouldn’t prevent you from placing larger items like broccoli or cauliflower heads into the basket.

I’ve made two different baskets, the second was for my Wife’s birthday, she loves her flower garden and making flower arrangements. Her basket was made from recycled rimu and had a tool holder added onto one end.

Plans

Feel free to download the plans below to make your own harvest basket.

Materials

• Timber for sides at least 370 x 240 mm, 18mm thickness is what I’ve used in the design.
• Dowel 25mm diameter x 500mm
• Side braces x 2 30mm x 9mm, 500mm
• Wire mesh 13mm squares
• 12mm panel pins or staples

Tools

• Router with straight cut guide
• Saw
• 25mm spade or forstner bit
• 3mm straight cut router bit
• Hammer or stapler
• Metal snips
• Sandpaper
• Tape measure
• Straight edge for bending wire mesh
• Varnish or wood stain
• Paint brush