Self Watering Wicking Garden Bed

Wicking worm beds are similar to raised vegetable garden beds.

Self watering wicking garden bed. The basic idea is that the bottom of the bed contains a reservoir where water is held until needed by the plants. The basic design is for a 50 cm high garden. I ve grown tired of incomplete or even faulty tutorials. Watering from the bottom up prevents evaporation of surface water which occurs when you water beds from the top.

They were developed by colin austin a retired engineer living in queensland australia. In self watering garden planters the perforated drain pipes are very easy to use and are quite adaptable to a variety of sizes. A wicking bed is a self watering raised garden bed and even though the design is a relatively new innovation that is catching the attention of many produce gardeners worldwide it is essentially nothing more than a large scale version of a self watering pot. Its easy its cheap and works.

We look at a simple design that shows how to build a diy wicking garden bed using second hand galvanised iron tanks. Water is drawn up into the soil via capillary action from a reservoir in the bottom of the wicking bed. There are commercial raised wicking beds self watering containers and container gardens on the market which are convenient for those who want instant gratification but for those of us on a. I typically allow 1 2 inch to 1 inch max space between each pipe.

Crates tanks baths troughs and drums can all be used to create a wicking bed. Wicking worm beds have built in water tanks located below the soil and built in worm farms where the worms have access to the whole of the growing area as well as the worm farm itself. Wicking garden beds are the ultimate self watering garden they water the plants from below and you can easily build one yourself. A full wicking bed should irrigate itself for.

Building sip raised beds. I can t keep silent any longer. Our raised cypress garden beds or instant veggie crates are also the ideal container for wicking projects. The results of the diy self watering system were amazing.

Self watering wicking bed design principles. Simply line the bottom of your container or bed with the pipes allowing a little space for wicking medium potting soil to be squeezed in. The self watering planter boxes themselves were gorgeous they kept rabbits and other critters from munching on the greens and we went for weeks on end without having to water. Make a wicking barrel self watering garden bed a wicking barrel or wicking bed is a great way to garden in both a water and nutrient efficient and responsible way.

After years of testing i m ready to share the most important elements that every self watering wicking bed needs to have in it. Think of them as a giant self watering plant pot.