Came back to say I followed your instructions and I have had 3 healthy raised beds in Texas for over a year now. They've been through drought and freeze. Thank you Tammy!

This is the same concept of a wicking bucket and I’m happy to see you did it with a garden bed as the concept is the same and works beautifully if done correctly. Two hints for success - create furrows in the stone under the landscape fabric to allow soils to settle into the water a bit which increases wicking action of the soil as some of it is settling into water. Also if you want to save money instead of stone use rows of tile pipe (this is slotted plastic septic field pipe) cut to length and ends covered with landscape fabric. It’s lighter and easy to use and MUCH lighter to work with. See Gardening with Leon channel for an intro to this. Glad you created this video.

@thebeginnersgarden

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tips! I'll keep that in mind when I do this in my own garden next year!

@deplemon010

2 жыл бұрын

I was just about to suggest the same channel... one problem I'm seeing with the rock method is there is no air gap for the roots to self-prune, so the chance of rot increases with larger root systems/perennials.

@johnlee7085

Жыл бұрын

Great review Chris.

@titanart6225

Жыл бұрын

Rows of tile pipe? Can you provide link to that system / setup for a raised bed? Sounds great

@titanart6225

Жыл бұрын

I found this from a different channel kzread.info/dash/bejne/fqRtrMayntKfmKw.html on Leon’s channel I see self wicking tubs, not raised beds, I’m guessing the concept is the same?

She runs a nursery like a teacher. That is awesome.

@venderstrat

Жыл бұрын

I know, right?

@alenatemple6524

2 ай бұрын

I thought the very same thing, so cool!

A simple visual method for knowing the water level in the reservoir is to have a 1" pvc pipe set up vertically that reaches near the bottom and use a cork (or multiple corks) on a lightweight stick. Cut the stick so only 1" sticks out when it's dry and mark it with a bright color. As the water level rises or falls, you'll see how much of the stick is exposed.

@micheletanis9973

10 ай бұрын

I didn’t understand, donovanleeds, and this seems like a great idea. Please explain your idea better to me if possible

@micheletanis9973

10 ай бұрын

I got it. But use the 4” septic pipe.

@donovanleeds4012

10 ай бұрын

@@micheletanis9973 The vertical piece of PVC pipe would ideally be in a corner to maintain the vertical position with the bottom opening resting just above the plastic lining (an elbow or T-fitting can help ensure you don't risk breaking the plastic liner). The water in this pipe will maintain the same height as the water in the rest of the bed. A cork with a long straw or bamboo skewer attached will act as a buoy and float freely inside this vertical pipe. The length of the straw/skewer that is visible sticking out of the pipe will tell you the current water level at a glance

@synergy2222

2 ай бұрын

Glue a little material cut in shape of a long triangle as a flag on the top of the stick. 😅

Learn from our mistakes! After seeing the video we converted all our beds. After we were done and patting ourselves on the back for all our hard work, we filled them with water and many of them leaked!!!! I looked online and people recommend checking for leaks prior to covering covering with dirt. We didn't think of that! I think I may have gotten carried away with my staple gun. I recommend checking for leaks before covering with ground cloth and adding dirt. We are going to see how they work this year and if we need to, we will redo them next year. For now the worse we have are beds with great drainage lol.

@fernandomazoco410

9 ай бұрын

Yeah I suspect mine is leaking too 😅

@FatLittleOldLady

4 ай бұрын

Live and learn. At least you were kind enough to share.

A couple of pointers. Add the overflow pipe right at the level of the rock or maybe a half an inch under it. If it flora above the rock, there is a good chance the pipe will get filled with dirt and get clogged. Drill small holes all around the pipe. And wrap the pipe with weed stop or some other cloth that will stop the holes from clogging up. To stop the water from leaking past where the pipe comes in, cut the hole bigger and use fittings with a flange on both sides. This will seal the area around where you punch the hole, and stop the water from getting between the plastic and wood. Even with pressure treated lumber, having soaking wet areas over long periods of time, will cause rot and mold issues.

I have built several of these sub-irrigation planters. I added an additional 4in pipe with a cap and holes drilled in the pipes under the soil level and put food scrapes in the pipe. I added red wiggler worms 🪱 to the beds and that pipe was how I fed them. Doing this allowed the worms to add castings to my soil inside the beds.

@grahamwilliamc

Жыл бұрын

Dale, The build was exactly the same as this version except on the opposite side of the bed I put another 4" pipe with half inch holes drilled around the bottom but would be under the soil. Then I placed a cover over the top of the 4in pipe. It could be a pipe cap or coffee can. I just intended to slow the flies from getting to the food in the pipe. I put food waste into the 4in pipe and cover it again. That fed the worms. The worms crawled the entire space in the bed, had water from the SIP reservoir and the bed served to be my worm farm all at the same time. I used red wigglers. I didn't feed every day because there was a good amount of organic matter in my soil. The video I saw doing a similar system the guy blended the food waste then poured the soupy mess into the four in pipe. It was just an all-in-one system but needs to be a good size for the worms. I used a deep mulch method to cover the soil. Everything else was the same. Since I had a four inch pipe I did lose a little bit of growing space but not too much. Hope that helps. William

@scottmercier352

Жыл бұрын

Now that is a good idea. Thanks

@grahamwilliamc

Жыл бұрын

@@scottmercier352 I looked at several different SIP like this and others but decided to try and combine elements of several different ones I liked into one system. It was a great system. I wasn't able to see longer term as I has them for a couple years before selling my house and moving.

@tressastanton1300

Жыл бұрын

How far down into the soil did you place the 4” feeding pipe? All the way to the gravel?

@grahamwilliamc

Жыл бұрын

@@tressastanton1300 Yes, all the way to the gravel, but I didn't cut any holes so the pipe was not through the weed cloth into the rock.

Teacher here- WISH I could retire TODAY and open my own garden center! You give me hope;)

@shawnalanmerriman

Ай бұрын

Retirement from employment is a number. Figure your number, open your garden center, and "retire".

3 minutes in and this is one of the most valuable tips I've heard. That plastic liner means I don't have to take out a fourth mortgage to build with cedar! Never even occurred to me. Beyond that, this idea is genius. I'm just lazy enough that I would even automate filling the reservoirs using moisture sensors or a float valve, with an interconnected PVC delivery system.

@Rick-the-Swift

Жыл бұрын

You know what they say, "Laziness is the mother of invention", or something like that 😋 I was thinking a long the exact same lines. Always automate if it's an option, and it certainly is here. Did yours ever turn out, just curious?

@lurklingX

Жыл бұрын

weather will still weather it, but i think the breakdown will be slower. also, if you char the surface wood first, often people use a garden torch, it creates a nice barrier to water. there's a 'japanese method' that is borrowed for this. also, after brushing the wood, creates a nice look that is almost like a rich stain. very nice. i think it holds up better than cedar also.

@martizavala6713

7 ай бұрын

@@lurklingX Yakisugi or shou sugi ban is an ancient Japanese technique consists of charring cedar boards. Great thought!

@WrightWayDave

3 ай бұрын

I thought of using one of those universal toilet floats and a 2"pvc to the level needed... hook that to rainwater collection and good to go..

@hsfundamentals

Ай бұрын

To add to your idea, overflow pipe connects to water reservoir (like rain water catcher) outside raised bed. Add a solar pump to reservoir and pump water into the bed.

As a machine operator in a previous life, I have to say good Bobcat skills. Kudos.

Huge video for a guy just starting out. Youll hear old timers tell you "Never put plastic in your raised beds" "Never add stone" but i dont think they look at it as intricately as yall have. Great idea using the sewer pipe as a way to water the deep roots if your system runs dry. A common complaint from them old timers is "Wheres the water going to go if you put all that rock in there to take up space" But they never thought to add a simple overflow pipe. Wow. I really love your set up and im going to try it for my outdoor bed im building this year for tomatoes and peppers!

@zaneaggie

Ай бұрын

Oh please. Those dumbass old timers.

One small hole on the bottom of that plastic and you've got to move a ton of rock and soil to fix it. I'd rather use pond liner. Much more durable.

The physical properties of the bed's design make it a solar-box that aids the "wicking effect" Because water is comprised of 2 gasses, the natural "leaching" into the upper layer is helped by the fabric "re-netting" the water molecules together, while still allowing the oxidation of minerals and continued composting action... A wonderful experiment is to measure how many gallons it takes to fill the reservoir, that way you can calculate for rain-catch containers for home & shed gutters

Thanks Jill that's a Super idea for watering

I couldn't be happier that I saw this video. I have been wanting to built a planter box in my yard so I can grow foods and this was an eye opener on the right way to do it. It's more involved from the start, but it really seems like the only way you should be doing it! Thank you so much. I subscribed and saved your video!

Thank you, Ladies. I miss Arkansas. Used to love bargains galore on 64 starting there in Russelville.

@UncouthJosef

3 ай бұрын

I love your name!

Great idea, just as an added thought you could attach flexible hosing to connect all of the beds together as one unit. Place the garden hose into the first bed and the water will flow from one bed to the next filling all of the beds in one hit. This would work even if your garden were not level as the water will flow downhill naturally. You could even set up a moisture control unit to activate the water tap automatically.

@OhanaRainbow

Жыл бұрын

00o

@gattamom

Ай бұрын

I.’m thinking to connect the (intercinnected) beds to my rainwater collection system so the reservroirs get refilled every time it rains.

One of the best ideas I have seen in a long time! Thanks for sharing 👍

Thanks for raised bed garden ideas which I plan to do next year. Also, your in Russellville which is just a bit down the Hwy 64 to Ozark where my dad was raised and we frequently visited many years ago, and I still have a few cousins living there and other towns like Mulberry being a great small town where my aunt lived, and other family in Alma. Thanks again, and keep the informative videos coming!

This is hands down the best thing I have seen for raised beds. Thank you so much!!!!!

What wonderful ideas which will help many to grow food! Thanks, Jill!

This is absolutely brilliant-thank you!

Love this idea. I am just getting started with raised bed gardening.

This year I made many 'wicking tubs' using 15 gal planters and large storage bins but I used the 4" drain pipe in the bottom ( and even used 2 ltr soda bottles with holes drilled in them then covered with weed frabric and soil. Much less expensive and work than putting in stone! SO far working great! Tomatoes, peppers, squash other plants in them are doing great! I am in central Tx and we are having an excessive heat wave so I am so glad I did it this year! I do have drip also and ran a drip tube down into the watering pipe but my garden is doing so much better this year than it did last year when it was not as hot and I don't have to run the irrigation as often so I can conserve water.

@Maracz47

Жыл бұрын

Would love to see your self watering pots I’m in central Texas and my plants are having a hard time keeping healthy with this heat.

@preparingforzion

Жыл бұрын

@@Maracz47 Here is the channel I learned how to make them. They used PVC pipe but I used 2 ltr pop bottles in the bottom. The things I planted did do better this year than last but still struggled in the excessive heat we had this year. I even ran a drip line in the top and down the tube so I never had to fill it with a hose. Like she said in the 2nd video it depends on where your tubs are- mine are in total sun. I think next year I am going to move them to less sunny area. kzread.info/dron/MAh7eJhRcIAyxm1wyw43Tw.htmlsearch?query=wicking%20tubs

@drsick747

Жыл бұрын

@@Maracz47 Check out "Gardening with Leon"

@janet-Spirit_of_the_Living_God

Жыл бұрын

Would also like more details of how you did that since I just moved to southern Utah and am struggling to get gardening successfully again.

@drsick747

Жыл бұрын

@@janet-Spirit_of_the_Living_God Check out "Gardening with Leon" he has several videos on wicking containers

Thank you from a 80yr old senior with a patio garden in B.C., Canada. 🤗🥰

I really love these raise beds

This is brilliant thank you for all the details. That’s how a video should be.

Absolutely brilliant, I can just imagine how good tomatoes would grow in this system. Definitely going to make one!!!! Thankyou so much for sharing!!!

Well I think you could use a loop system of a fish pool back garden wherein the feed each other and the water 💧 self cleans and a great environment and amazing natural food God gave us for our bodies.

I love this idea and explanation. Thank you for this video being so clear and concise.

I'm going to put some in this winter to save water! Thanks for the idea

We have a cousin that does this her garden is awesome. I was so impressed when she showed me her results.

I wish I could have seen this video before I build my raised bed... Awesome invention! 🙏🏻 Many thanks Jill and Tammy

@johnlee7085

Жыл бұрын

You can retrofit in the future using plastic pipes, bottles, etc. See the other references to wicking beds and Leon’s videos.

Well that’s innovative! Awesome build!

Glad to see fellow Arkansans ingenuity! Awesome stuff y’all.

This was so perfectly and clearly explained. It was terrific thank you ladies. Im a 62 year old woman with her first ever garden. And I want to do this-like so many injured people, I CANNOT be bending my knees down to garden. Not an option. This is the best are one I’ve seen. I will build only one bed and then if it rakes well i can make more. Thanks very much

What a beautiful garden! I think this is a fab idea! Worst bit about gardening in raised beds is that it drys out so this is perfect!

This is genius, I'm disappointed I've already got a different system in place with my current garden beds, but I'm definitely saving this video for when I move and have to build more garden beds!

Thank you sooooo much Tammy. Fantastic presentation. I will try.

Absolutely fantastic video wonderful ideas!

Excellent video! This is amazing! I’ll try this in the spring. It would be great to see how the beds are built from the beginning too and the types of wood. Thank you!

Thank you so very much for explaining everything so thoroughly, I have watched other videos and they must think that everyone just knows how, what when and why this works. I am just starting out and am trying to LEARN how to do things and you both have broke things down wonderfully for me!! I am going to subscribe just for the fact that you both are great teachers. This is my first video so I am praying the others are just as well informative. God bless you for wanting to help and teach us and THANK YOU again!!😊

Thank you! I’m planning more raised beds next year! Will totally do this! Also will switch out some of my smaller ones to the method!

I love the way she explains this!

Hey there! Glad I found you guys! This is basically what I have done without the pipe and plastic. I put lava rock for drainage in lots of beds and it sure does take this river valley heat with less work! Imagine my surprise when I heard you guys are in Russellville! I'll have to come see you all the next time I head up to Cental for more bees!

Awesome video, I will have to visit that nursery.

CooL show and tell Jill! Thanks for showing the process of these beds 🌻

Saw this just in time for next year’s garden; thanks!!

We will definitely do this for our next raised bed this fall!!!! Thank you for sharing this awesome idea!

This is fantastic!!! Thank you for sharing it with us!

I use to live in Russellville, Ark. I loved it there. Thanks for the self watering tips

Thank you for this video just in time getting supplies to build a race bed can’t thank you enough

That looks like a bog filter for fish ponds except it is limited to a low water level. Gives me a great idea! Thanks!

The downside of using the rock for the reservoir layer is the video space in the rock will be about 25%. (Besides the weight of moving all that rock.) That means you can achieve the same reservoir capacity with a single layer of 3-4” pipe, or you could stack 2 layers and double the storage capacity in half the space. There are also a million alternatives to buying pipe. Any bottle (milk carton, soda bottle, upside down can) that you can poke a hole near the bottom and the top can provide a storage reservoir. Also, you don’t have to guess at the amount of water in the reservoir. A stick in the fill pipe can work just like the oil dipstick on a car engine. Just don’t leave it in the water or the stick will wick the water and give a false reading. An alternative that would allow you to leave the stick in the reservoir and give a continuous reading would be to add a cork or styrofoam or something else that floats. If you insert it first when it’s dry, mark the stick at the top of the fill tube, and then mark the stick again when the reservoir is full , you’ll always be able to see at a glance how much water is available to the plants.

@johnlee7085

Жыл бұрын

Void space not video space. Darn autocorrect.

@rockymountainkitchen7834

Жыл бұрын

@@johnlee7085 You can edit your first post instead of a 2nd post for corrections...just FYI. :)

@c.m.303

Жыл бұрын

@@rockymountainkitchen7834 First of all, is it worth it to nitpick? Secondly, I personally have seen people make negative comments about editing implying they changed the message. Third, who cares, you can understand the intent, right?

@rockymountainkitchen7834

Жыл бұрын

@@c.m.303 I wasn't trying to nitpick, I was just letting OP know something that he might not have known. I personally don't care whether someone edits or just posts a 2nd post to correct, just trying to be helpful.

@senatorjosephmccarthy2720

Жыл бұрын

You're a detail-aware individual. Thanks.

Love this idea!!!!! Thanks for sharing this.

She's still teaching. Love it 😊😊😊

I use this concept in all of my humidity loving reptile enclosures, but we use leca in the bottom rather than river stone :) Awesome to show it on a very large scale

Neat. There can also be done on a small scale with 5 gallon buckets and other plastic totes. They're sometimes called "earth boxes" too. thanks for the vids. cheers.

This is a great idea. Excellent skills. I'm greatly appreciate this information.

So excited to try this in our drought-ridden area of TX!

Just what I've been looking for. I was searching for a watering system so I don't have to spend so much time watering. So time consuming. I'm about to build a couple of new raised beds so this will be ideal. Great job will be doing this. Instead of river rock I will use sand. I watched another video that compared sand and gravel. Sand evaporated faster in this mini trial. Great job ladies enjoyed your presentation. Very nicely explained and easy to follow. Enjoyed how each step was included. From here over the pond in Essex England

Jill, that was excellent! Excellent subject matter, excellent interviewing skills! You're such a natural! I greatly appreciate this information. I just gotta put this type bed to use! Genius! Thank you Jill and also thank you Green Thumb Nursery in Arkansas!

@thebeginnersgarden

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Donna! I appreciate your kind words.

Thanks Tammy; you rock. Going to do here inAZ. Appreciate you.

What an excellent idea and video. Thank you!

i've done this using cut branches, instead of river rock. And only 8"s of wood. I didn't use a barrier and I constantly pumped a little water from a small pond. The water returning from the wicking bed was crystal clean. The veg grew fantastic!

@nuclearchick27

Жыл бұрын

It seems a little expensive with all that rock, I have a lot of access to dried wood.

@scottieholland6486

Жыл бұрын

​@@nuclearchick27 only if you buy by the bag but mulch places are cheaper you just pay a delivery fee or use a truck or trailer and pick it up by the ton

@sweetsrt

Жыл бұрын

Buy rock doesn't deteriorate or breakdown like wood does so you're missing the point of using rock

@rjaquaponics9266

Жыл бұрын

@@sweetsrt rock doesn't absorb water or other nutients, wood is natural. I don't see what point I have missed. I have grown in rock with aquaponics which worked well. There is a place and time for everything.

@sweetsrt

Жыл бұрын

@rjaquaponics9266 what you missed was the rock is being used to hold the water and keep space for a long period of time. You use wood in place of rock the wood would deteriorate. That Is the Point You Missed.

Corrugated drain tile. Thanks for the ideas ladies I have a winter project now. If I decide to build this one thing different I would do is offset the overflow drain on the Southside of the bed so I do not have water runoff directly on the lumber creating a stain.

Thank you for your wisdom!

Very cool idea 💡 thanks for sharing this.

Thankyou so much, as I'm disabled and have issues bending this is a brilliant idea and you ladies kindly showed it in simple easy to do terms, you are both great xo

This was great! Living in the desert, there is always concern about the water evaporation when trying to grow my own food…

i wish I would have known this 6 months ago, just simple and wonderful

That's awesome. I have raised beds. Now I have to dig them up 😬. But the end results will be awesome! Thank you so much!

This is brilliant! Thank you so much. It's exactly what I have been looking for at exactly the right time. I am in the process right now of making raised beds and have been racking my brains trying to work out a watering system as I have no access to water in the garden. So I have the eternal problem of having to use a watering can, not nearly enough. So everything suffers. I consistently underwater, then drown everything by overwatering. It's very frustrating. I am so glad you have all taken the time to share this. Mx

@veneceweeks3730

11 ай бұрын

Same 😊

An idea I thought of; connect the pipes together to allow for all beds to be at an equal level. This also means you only need one sewer pipe and one drain. It may cause a possible trip hazard which can be solved by running the pipe down, underground and then back up.

Thank You, here in Nevada, this will help my raised beds.

THANKS FOR SHARING. TAMMY YOU ARE A MARVEL!

This is spectacular. I live in Southern Nevada (very arid desert). Anytime I've grown food olin pots I ONLY do it in self watering pots.....only way your plans will survive out here. Actually need to fill the reservoir 2x in the summer, sometimes 3x depending on the plant. I've always wanted to translate my self watering pot to a raised garden bed. This is a super helpful way to do it, although I would tweak this to have more water....like space out the rocks with bottom capped upright tubes with wicking rope dipped into them. We simply would need more standing water out here.

@tealkerberus748

4 ай бұрын

I'd suggest finding a way to work a float valve into the system, in that climate. We use them to keep cattle water troughs full, but I'm sure you could use one to keep the water up to your garden too.

I've seen people use the corrugated pipe as filler instead of rock. Put a coil in the bottom with the filler pipe up the side and still cover with landscape cloth, then cover with sand to above the level of the overflow. You might need to put a little gravel around the overflow pipe to keep the sand from leaking out, but that seems to be all the gravel that would be needed. The sand will act as a wick and probably does a better job than gravel. I couldn't recall if they used another layer of landscape cloth between the sand and the soil, but it seems like a good idea. I just went a found a video where instead of landscape cloth on top of the sand, they used a mulch. Either would probably work fine.

@acrom17

Жыл бұрын

The rock is actually better than sand or pipe. It is robust and stands up to the weight of the garden without collapsing over time like many types of pipe do. Sand holds more water, but the rock does a better job of wicking the water up due to surface tension, adhesive and cohesive properties of water. I’ve tried many different fills for the reservoir and we now use a fine layer of sand in the bottom to protect the liner and then 20mm drainage gravel as the main fill, cover with shade cloth or other landscape fabric of your choosing and then growing medium to suit your needs. A thick layer of mulch on top will ensure that the water doesn’t evaporate from the top of the bed keeping the soil at optimum levels of moisture.

@jeff130

Жыл бұрын

@@acrom17 Thanks for that information. I haven't set up any wicking beds myself, but plan to in the near future and this will be very useful knowledge indeed. Out of curiosity, how deep do you go with the gravel?

@c.m.303

Жыл бұрын

According to the Back to Eden Gardening videos mulch getting into the growing medium will draw out the nitrogen to break down the mulch. Best to use mulch on top though, it slows evaporation and protects the soil from extreme temps. And if you can use mulch fresh from a tree trimmer, (or something that still has leaves, etc.), he said it is even better.

@elo5808

Жыл бұрын

Abs pipe won't collapse!

@davesparwasser2521

Жыл бұрын

I agree with you, with using 4” corrugated pipe and then I would fill in around the pipe and bury it with about 2 inches of rock to bring the reservoir depth to about 6”, I think there would be more water this way than with 12” of rock, because that rock is going to displace a lot of water

What a great informative video. Thank you.

Such clear instructions.

These raised beds are really slick! Conceptually this is a scaled up version of commercial "Grow Boxes" which I have used and with excellent results. The reservoir watering system has addressed the biggest issue I had with the Grow Boxes which was keeping up with the watering during hot weather which required watering once / day. My only thought for improvement with the system is if using multiple units is to tie the drainpipes together so filling one on the end of have the water cascade to the next one automatically which would also allow incorporating an automatic water system economically,

Says use river rock because it is smooth… Tractor proceeds to dump a whole bucket of jagged rock in.😂😂😂

@Jefferey04

Ай бұрын

Tell me you dont know how to garden without telling me you dont know how to garden

@ronallens6204

Ай бұрын

I cannot tell if its jagged or not. From what i can tell its river rock as gravel is harder to move and lays flatter

@milas2000

9 күн бұрын

It was not jagged rock. It is like pea gravel which is rounded. Maybe you need glasses??

Grrrreat presentation I downloaded to try here in NE Louisiana. You answered all my questions and this she gardener can handle alone. Thank you❗️

really outside the box thinking, you see the same principle in smaller flower containers. really cool, thanks for sharing. i will watch this again and again until I get it done in my garden area, pretty cool

I'd considered this when I made my raised beds. It just seems more cost effective to put in drip irrigation on a timer. I might still try this in a smaller bed.

@beebob1279

Жыл бұрын

I see your point. I'm thinking deep rooted plants such as tomatoes. maybe sweet potatoes or potatoes? Carrots?

@erin.murphy

Жыл бұрын

These wicking beds are common amongst home gardeners in Australia with raised beds. Our summers (especially in the southern mainland states) are long and hot. 40°C/104°F are common at the hottest part of summer. Evaporation is a problem, even with mulch, so wicking beds such as these are a good solution as it minimises evaporation and rot from irrigation.

@janet-Spirit_of_the_Living_God

Жыл бұрын

@@erin.murphy That answers my question about using these here in Southern Utah where we have 110 degrees in the summer. I was concerned about the water getting too hot in the reservoir, but it sounds like it works well for you down under, and the water doesn't wick up the soil so far as to evaporate off the top?

@johnlee7085

Жыл бұрын

JSclar - It is amazing the difference just between solar exposure and shade. 30 degrees for the air. You could also dig out the soil a bit before placing the liner and use the benefits of geothermal moderation. You just need the overflow pipe to be above grade.

@Kyle_Hubbard

Жыл бұрын

@@erin.murphy The whole purpose of drip irrigation is you give the plant the water it requires and not much more. The plant should be taking up that water before it even evaporates. If the climate is hot to the point that evaporation is quick then you simply bury a drip hose a few inches into the soil. Being honest with you, if your water is evaporating so quickly that mulch and buried drip line isn't supplying your plants with adequate water I'd probably be more worried about my physical being and my possessions than I would be my plants. Even at 40c evaporation isn't that drastic, even more so if the humidity is high. Which I've been lead to believe that Australian summers are hot and humid.

Wicking beds were invented by Colin Austin in Australia. It’s worth checking out all the different ways you can set them up. There’s a solution for everyone.. I’ve been using them for over a decade. All the hard work is in the setting up - there’s basically nothing else to do but plant and harvest at your leisure. They are highly productive and the return on investment begins almost immediately.

@pamt8430

Жыл бұрын

what is your experience with the plastic liner breaking down and replacing it? and what about earthworms, would i need to add them?

@skylanh4319

Жыл бұрын

This concept has been around for thousands of years. Hawaiians filled the bottom of their garden beds with coconut half’s for example.

@lauram.511

Жыл бұрын

@@pamt8430 I was wondering about that too. Did you get an answer to your question?

@veneceweeks3730

11 ай бұрын

Hi. Aussie Aussie Aussie oy oy oy 😂 I live in Townsville North Queensland Australia. Which way do you use the wicking beds please 😊

You have taken gardening to another level Thank you for your tutorial Bless you

Thank you! This is a fantastic method that we need to try.

This is called a Sub-Irrigation Planter, or SIP. I have three of them in my garden. I use the perforated drainage pipe with a sock over it to keep it from getting clogged along with lava rock to make my reservoir. I also make sure that some of the irrigation tubing is higher than my drain tunes. This ensures that an air pocket always remains in the system, which also prevents root rot.

@matthewhuszarik4173

Жыл бұрын

We have several poly cattle watering troughs. They have a drain hole that makes a great water depth limiter. I install a ring of 8” perforated PVC pipe coved with synthetic cloth against the outer wall and then I put a ring of 4” PVC perforated pipe inside it also covered with cloth. I have a direct fill line connected to the 8” pipe and drip irrigation on the surface. I adjust the sprinkler to over flow just a tiny bit. Don’t have to water at all, because here in California we get no rain from May through September.

@skdickson

Жыл бұрын

Do you use a layer of weed fabric between the rock/pipes and the dirt?

Another way is to run a *Larry Halls Gutter Garden* down the entire middle of a raised garden. You then drill holes at 1 ft increments on each side of the gutter and glue in sections of hollow braided cotton rope to go crosswise or really anywhere as that is the wicking medium which is buried in the garden. Larry Halls garden system keeps the gutter full of water at all times using a float valve supplied by either a rain barrel or pressurized water. What's really neat is you can place containers of soil with a net pot in the bottom into the gutter which is buried level to the ground there by irrigating both the containers and the entire garden through wicking action.

This is an excellent video/interview. I learned so much. Keep up the good work.

Tammy is the BEST!! Love my bed that they built for me!

You can also fill the void with layers of perforated drainage pipe, and you will use less rock.

Lining a garden...with plastic....😂😂. Ok. Enough said here. Moving on..

@Christian-cw9mp

Ай бұрын

Keep moving democrat

Great to hear you our weather in UK not stable enough but to see your crops envy them but will keep trying😊

I love this idea.

Water does not wick up rocks, and if the water is below and not touching the soil, it will not wick up. So you need something like a thick cotton rope to go from the bottom of the rocks up through the landscape fabric into the soil.

@Rogooster

Жыл бұрын

I have been searching for an answer on how its going to wick once the water level drops an inch or two. Still looking for a solution.

@tressastanton1300

Жыл бұрын

Awesome idea! I’m in the process of doing my whole garden this way and I will had some soft rope up through the cloth in several places!!! Glad I read your comment first. Thanks😅

@gurubhaikhalsa9337

5 ай бұрын

​@Rogooster yeah it needs a little "well" where the landscape cloth lets the dirt contact the water.

@MaestroXXV

4 ай бұрын

This is my first thought and however i think this through i do not understand the physics behind it. If for example the water level in the bed is only 5 inch high... how does it go up without touching the soil. Can someone explain pls. @@Rogooster

@seazestyt

3 ай бұрын

During hot days some of the water will tend to evaporate through the rocks up to the soil. Sand would be better than rocks since the smaller the space between the material the better the capillarity action . I would still use a few old trousers as a wick connecting the water on the bottom up to the bottom of the soil.

This was awesome! Thank you both for the education. I live in the area and have never been to this nursery. I will definitely be checking it out and would love to do some classes if offered!

@thebeginnersgarden

Жыл бұрын

They are doing gardening classes this year!

Thank you I plan on doing that this spring

Be safe love lovely garden