Wicking beds are an excellent way of conserving water, not only that as a result of needing less water you will not have to work as hard to maintain your garden, some people called it the perfect garden bed for lazy gardener, some garden beds can go for weeks without being water through summer, it just depends on their water reservoir size.
So what exactly is a Wicking bed and how are wicking beds used?
a wicking bed system is a raised garden bed with a water reserve at the bottom filled with sand, on which organic soil sits on top and wicks (draws up) the water from the reserve. Thus, the roots will target the water reserve at the bottom, and there will be substantially less water evaporation off the topsoil. These systems only need to be watered once a week.
Here are some pictures of wicking beds we have made.
Steps involved in making these wicking beds:
First step involves laying the trough with builders plastic. We secured it on the top level with staples
Second step, preparing a drainage / overflow hole. This was drilled into the Red gum with a 25mm spade bit. A drainage hose was then inserted.
the next step was to secure the poly drainage pipe in a u formation going from the left side of the garden bed to the base and back up to the right hand side.
We then filled them up to 20mm from the bottom with a well washed high drainage sand as shown in the picture below.
After finally topping them with topsoil and pea straw. you can see the overflow hose sticking out from each wicking bed. and that’s how our wicking beds are made.
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By using raised garden beds you are already a water saver. Vegetables are an essential part of life, however conventional farming practices are very water inefficient and they consume far more water per vegetable than a well mulched raised garden bed.
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Topic
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Wicking beds
We now stock wicking bed boxes, these are a great alternative to high drainage sand. Garden beds require less fill and can hold more water, lasting longer between the hot weeks in the peak of summer.
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