We have gradually been converting our old vegetable gardens to wicking beds. After competing for years with invading gum tree roots and watering issues, we decided to replace all the ground based soils with wicking beds for vegetable growing. We have so far used 4 different wicking bed methods so are starting to develop a feel for what works best.
Over the next few months of relative isolation, our challenge is to speed up the conversion process and have fully functioning vege growing all year round in wicking beds.
Gary has been building wicking beds using half cut Bulk Food Containers using a method adapted from Sophie Thomson. This photo shows work in progress of the first 3. These are now up and running. One to go.
Another example of a purchased wicking bed is a
Food Cube from Adelaide Hills Vege Gardens made of recycled plastic. Very successful over the last summer.
Wicking bed challenge update Construction completed and now filling up the inside. Gary did a great job with many technical additions for optimal performance and added features to protect the plastic from deteriorating.
The jungle filled bed to the right of the newest challenge is still producing from summer crops 😊.
First layer of scoria laid in with upside down pots used as water cells. The right way up pots will be filled with coir to help the wicking action into the soil above.
Very impressive. You'll have a business opportunity in spring, advising all the rest of us what to buy how to build a wicking bed. The tree roots in my veggie garden are making growing very difficult things well.
Maggie and Gary which are the easiest to install. Ie require the least amount of skill and is it possible to install a frame for summer shade winter cover on them?
The Foodcube (recycled formed plastic) is by far the easiest to install and use
Next steps in putting together the IBC wicking beds (continued from post above):
Outside of IBC is clad with fibro-cement sheets on all 4 sides to protect plastic
Place circle of geofabric into bottom of old garden pot (to prevent roots growing into scoria)
Fill scoria to the level of the top of the pots- the scoria level becomes the water well underneath the soil
Place a sheet of geofabric on top of the scoria - lapping up the sides to help prevent roots growing into scoria
Mark where the pots are underneath
Cut a cross slit as marked
Push a second pot into the one below (shown on the left)
Fill pot with wetted coir and pack down (this will help the wicking process)
Place a layer of coir over entire geofabric
Continue filling now with mix of soil, coir and compost up to top of bed
outlet pipe placed just above scoria level
plant up bed with seasonal veges and only need to keep
moist until seedlings established - wicking does the rest.
fill water well as required through filling pipe
A pot with holes drilled through the sides and a lid (use an upturned pot saucer) becomes a small worm farm on the edge of the vege bed