DIY | How to build a Wicking Garden Bed for plants and vegetables
Channel: R4RandomStuff
Date: 2020-05-22

Hi, Welcome
In this video we will go through the steps of building a wicking bed.
For those that don't know, a wicking bed is basically a self-watering pot to grow vegetables.
It is great for hot dry summers and for saving water. It is also great for people that forget to water their plants.
Colin Austin, an Australian from Queensland is credited with coming up with the concept of a wicking bed.
Useful links
https://www.greenlifesoil.com.au/sustainable-gardening-tips/wicking-beds
https://www.urbanfarm.org/2017/03/21/colin-austin/
http://www.waterright.com.au/library.htm#wicking%20bed
https://littleveggiepatchco.com.au/blogs/news/building-a-wicking-bed

The wicking bed is made up of a waterproof container or pond liner
An overflow helps to maintain the level of water and prevents the bed from flooding
At the base, you have a reservoir of water and rocks. The recommended height for this is 200mm
On the top, you add a geotextile fabric to prevent soil from mixing with the water and rocks
Soil which is a mix of compost, sand, perlite, manure, and worm castings is added over the geotextile fabric.
the recommended height for this is no more than 300mm. 
Any more than 300mm and the wicking action will not work effectively.
Do not add garden soil as the wicking action will not work, the soil needs to be rich in organic matter.
Mulch can be added to the top of this to prevent the soil from drying out.
for my wicking bed, I am going with heights of 200mm reservoir, 270mm soil, and 30mm mulch
The dimensions of my wicking bed frame are 1530 mm length, 500mm width, and 550mm height
For the frame, I used treated pine decking since that is what I had laying around from previous projects.
I also drilled a hole at the lower side for the overflow.
I then lined up some bricks for the frame to sit on, this way the wooden frame will not be in direct contact with the ground and will remain dry
next I cut some slits on a PVC pipe and covered the end with flywire, this will be our drain pipe.
The pond liner was then laid out and the bulkhead and drain pipe fitted.
For the reservoir chamber, I used volcanic rock also known as Scoria, 
for my setup I used 10 x 20 kg bags. 
People have also used blue metal and sand.
You can add some slotted Ag pipes to store more water, this way you don't have to use a lot of rocks and you store more water.
Next, we add the geotextile fabric, this acts as a barrier between the rocks and the soil, which prevents the drain pipe from clogging
It is now time to add our soil. I have used a mix of organic compost, mushroom compost, perlite, manure, and sand
I have used perlite because it improves aeration and drainage in the soil.
I had a tray of worm castings so I added that as well. The worms will ensure the soil is aerated and will keep the soil alive.
Make sure to mix it all well before your add it or add them in batches and then mix.
Do not add garden soil, the soil needs to be rich in organic matter. 
To complete the project I added a frame and cut the excess liner and now I can plant my veggies.
I also added a 90-degree elbow and PVC pipe to maintain the reservoir height of 200mm.
Any excess water will automatically overflow and I can also drain the reservoir when needed.
I did not fill the reservoir now as the forecasted rains will do that for me.
A bit of timber stain and the frame will look great.

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