In this video, I show you how to make a self-watering planter wicking raised garden bed. These types of self-watering beds help to save on water and give your plants more consistent access to water so they thrive.
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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane – the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let’s get into it! Cheers, Mark 🙂
Thanks for your support guys! Shop on Amazon for self-watering planters: https://bit.ly/2INKAyq
Self-watering bed as shown in the video: https://birdiesgardenproducts.com.au/…
My Blog: http://www.selfsufficientme.com/ (use the search bar on my website to find info on certain subjects or gardening ideas)
I have been looking at makeing a wicking bed for a while, and this has given me some good ideas on how to make my own with some tin roofing I have lying around, it gets pretty hot and dry in our little corner of France and anything the reduces watering time is always good. Thanks for the great contene you are putting out, keep up the good work 🙂
No thanks!
its easier AND cheaper just to grab a bin , stick drain slotted pipe (one that comes with sock) in the bottom and bend piece of it upward so it acts as filling pipe, then make few outflow holes at the just above pipe level for drainage and you are done.
yes but this thing is $200 how do u make ur own cheaper?
Hi Mark, I have a heap of galvanised garden beds that are 810 high and I’m hoping there’s a way to make them as good as or close to being as good as a wicking bed, any suggestions would be much appreciated please ? I did read somewhere that mushroom compost helps a lot but really hoping that it is possible! I have started to fill them 3/4 with branches leaves etc, watering is a real pain over Summer. I know Melbourne isn’t the hottest state but it can be relentless at times,sometimes having to water more than once daily.
What about root rot? I ask because I just planted 24 containers drilled holes on the side versus underneath. Oh but I get it raised bed the plant is up top not at the bottom. Does anyone agree with my thought process? New to vegetable gardening
I do a wicking bed a little differently. I like to use the steel water troughs for animals. 1 foot (30 cm) deep x 2 foot (60 cm) wide and 4 to 8 feet long. I put 4-6 inches ( 10-15 cm) of well rotting wood in the bottom (think hugelkultur) then I drill one drain hole about 4 inches up from the bottom. Then I fill it with garden soil.
The bottom of the trough fills with water up to the drain hole. The wood soaks it up until it is saturated. The soil wicks it all up. Right now it is 100 degrees (38 celsius) and the top of the soil is moist. The roots also grow down to that water and the water soaked wood. I only have to water once a week or less when the weather is cooler.
Appreciate your videos.
Hi Mark, just wondering, is there a concern that mosquito larvae can hatch or be propagated through the down pipe or drain hole?
Hello,
What do you do when the nutrients in the wicking culture bed are consumed ??? Does the soil change with a new one or is compost or biomass always added ??? How do you ensure plant nutrients for several consecutive growing seasons ??? Do we use organic fertilizers? At how many crop cycles does the soil change from a wicking crop bed ??? Everyone shows how to start a wicking culture bed … Nobody says how to maintain it and how much it can be used until exhaustion and then changed … Please, can you answer these questions ???
I did it myself with the woodprix plans. I think this is the best way to find out how to build it.
what plant is that at 0:09?
I bought Woodglut once and now I have lifetime access to thousands of woodworking projects.
Mark, I'm starting from nothing on new property there'sonly grass now. We're moving in Dec and I want raised bed & 3 chicken. Where can I go to find help with the lay out of beds on 1 acre & coop/run i.e. I need a plan to get started. Thx for your videos, fabulous!
Thank you for the wonderful vedio so can I get technical support from you
I wonder if this would make a good low-hassle tomato bed. If you give it enough trellis, maybe you could make an indeterminate grow huge from from there, what with even watering being such a big deal for them.
Reasonably priced for a prefabricated system too! Hey thanks for reviewing the product. Im researching this method currently.
I love getting all these ideas on YouTube I hope you don’t mind me sharing this but I thought you might like this idea that I just saw. I keep thinking I know what I’m gonna do and then I keep getting better ideas
https://youtu.be/-NzsGpGiKPY
Combined Gardner brains power LOL
Can we get an update on how this is performing compared to a normal one Mark?
<<–From a AGRA-FARMER GIRL,,
Male Gardeners are always confusing what "WICKING" actually is. A "WICK" is a cord that transfers liquid. Like a candle wick or a clothsline wick. Wicking is the act of taking the water from a base and lead it up into the dirt in a container. The proper and oldest way of doing this is to put holes on the bottom side of any container…feed cotton clothesline in 1 hole, with slack to go up into the dirt, and back out another hole, The larger the container the more wicking holes you will need. BUT there has to be slack so the cord goes a bit up into the dirt.
Self watering containers do not work all that well, because they don't have the actual "WICK" going up into the dirt to transfer the water. The reservoir, is a great idea but it needs the "WICK" to work the intended method that was created in the 1800's.
Watering any vegetable on the leaf foliage is wrong. All veg watering should be done at the base of the plants. Watering foliage will burn it out and often cause disease. Same for liquid fertilizers.
All these male gardeners seem to conjure up with all these irrigation methods which are them confusing hydroponics with wicking. They are simply combining hydroponics with dirt. Mixing their formats. But it's fun watching them try. Love watching Maaaaakkk!!!
I love self wicking planters, otherwise they dry out so fast.
I love your voice mate❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hello Mark. Could you one day do a follow up on this bed. Has it lived up to your expectations? As always thumbs up.
I've got a whole bunch of 50 litre home made ones using heavy duty storage containers. Basil just loves it. Parsley grows mad too and strawberries do well.
Where do you purchase the wicking pots?
These aren't available on the Birdies website now.
You looked like Fred Flintstone while carrying around that frame 😉
what would you recommend to make this raised bed mobile/on-wheels? what type of bottom? what type of wheels? what type of pull/push system? my goal is to be able to move this unit daily from a garage/shelter out to the grass yard then back into the garage/shelter.
Hella complicated