Hi fellow gardeners I wanted to share my experience with wicking beds after creating my first one earlier this year (pic attached)
As someone who struggled with Sydney’s weather I love them they make the most annoying parts of gardening a breeze:
- Water Savings – Only refill the reservoir every 10-14 days (vs. daily watering before).
- Healthier Plants – No more wilted greens during heatwaves – the self-watering really works!
- Fewer Weeds – The mulch layer + less surface moisture keeps them at bay.
I used untreated cypress pine for mine (no chemicals near veggies), but I’m curious – has anyone else tried wicking beds? What worked or didn’t work for you?
P.S. For anyone considering them, the only ‘con’ I found was in weather we've been having with so much rain I used a small outlet pipe that could get clogged sometimes. I have now used a wider pipe and lowered it into the reservoir a bit to stop debris getting into the pipe.
Steps
Step 1
Cut the timber to size you would like the bed. I use 3 150mm pieces high for a 450mm height of the bed which is ideal for even wicking.
Step 2
Use the L brackets and bolts to create your garden bed. Drill a hole in the side of the bed 200mm from the bottom. insert outlet pipe.
Step 3
Use food-grade liner to line the bed and create the water reservoir. Insert the Ag-pipe in to the bottom of the garden bed after cutting lots of holes for water so get out. Leave one end of the ag-pipe over the top of the bed. Load in scoria rock 200mm high in the bottom of the liner on top of the ag-pipe. Cover the rock and ag pipe in the geo textile (ensuring that one of the ag pipe is still out the top of the bed).
Step 4
Fill in with soil on top of the geo textile to the top of the bed still leaving the ag pipe poking out the top. This will become where you put in the water.
Step 5
Plant all the fruit and veg you want and ensure you keep filling the reservoir with water every couple of weeks.
