How to Build a Wicking Bed 13pages

7/27/2019 How to Build a Wicking Bed 13pages

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The Texas TransFarmer

Builder Series

How to Build a

Wicking Bed

with Optional Worm Motel

A publication of the Texas Aquaponic and TransFarming Center


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Copyright 2012 The Texas Aquaponic and TransFarming Center

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How to Build A

Wicking Bed Gardenwith Optional Worm MotelA wicking bed is a type of raised bed garden that waters

plants from underneath the roots rather than on top. The

water wicks up from an underground water reservoir

resulting in improved production while minimizing water usage. During a typical Texas

summer, a regular raised bed may need to be watered two or three times a day. With a

wicking bed, watering is generally required only once every two or three weeks!

The following instructions outline how to build a 4 ft. x 8 ft. wicking bed garden. Any size can

be built, just make cuts accordingly.

Materials Tools

3 2x12x8 boards (cut one board in half)

Carpet remnant to cover area (optional)

12 ft2 diameter PVC pipe

12 elbow to fit pipe

2 - caps to fit ends of pipe (or make)

1 - roll black plastic to cover area

18x4 sized weed barrier/shade cloth

8 ft - 1 inch PVC pipe

Wood/decking screws

1- 4x4x4 board (cut into four 12 pieces)

12 bags gravel/river pebbles (or enough for a

layer 4 to 6 inches deep)

3 bags of (compost) (optional)

Mulch (enough for 4 to 6 inches deep)

(optional)

Hay to cover garden bed (optional)

Soil (ideally from your organic garden)

1- 5 gallon bucket with lid for compost/worm

bin (optional)

Saw (to cut wood)

Level

Electric Drill

Drill bits (various sizes)

1 hole saw cutter

Measuring tape

Staple gun

Hammer

Shovel

Wheel barrel

Scissors

Utility knife

Hacksaw (to cut PVC pipe)


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Garden Area Preparation

1. Determine a good location for your wickingbed garden and mark off the area. To ensure a

good supporting base for the raised bed, dig

down about 2 to 4 inches. This provides a good

basin and also helps minimizes the weight of the

gravel pushing on the wood frame.

2. Lay the carpet remnant over the marked off

area, measure, and cut to size. Allow a few

inches on each side so that it will fold inside theframe.

The carpet should be top side down. This help

protect the plastic liner from punctures. Othe

suitable material can be used. Remember this

material will not contact the soil.


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Preparing the Irrigation Pipe

1. Drill a line of holes in one side of the 2 pipeapproximately every 6 inches (you may also cut slotsinstead of holes with a saw if you dont have a drill bit)

Note that any size pipe larger than 2 inches will suffice

Pictured is 3 pipe.

2. Attached the 90 degree elbow to one end of the pipe

Measure and cut the pipe to the approximate length o

the bed. For a more precise measurement, place the

pipe with the elbow attached inside the wood frame

before cutting. (Remember to accommodate an inch or

two for the rug.)

3. If you purchased a cap, cap off the cut end of the

pipe. In this example, we use left over foam insulation

from our raft Aquaponic system. Cut the foam and fit it

into the end of the pipe. Cover with an old t-shirt and

zip tie the shirt over the end. A piece of plastic will workalso.

The irrigation pipe merely delivers the water to the

reservoir. Therefore the end does not need to be wate

tight.


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Wood Garden Frame

1. Cut one 2x12x8 into 2 - 4ft long pieces.

2. Cut the 4x4x4 into 4 - 1ft long pieces.

3. Screw 3 screws vertically toward the

short edge of each 2x12.

4. Lay out the boards such that the two long

boards and two short boards are

perpendicular to each other forming a

rectangle. Place a 4x4 in each inside cornerAttach each 2x12 piece to the 4x4s by

screwing them together.

5. Once the frame is complete, place the

frame over the marked out area. Fold the

carpet upwards so that it is inside the frame

Check to see that the PVC piece has a snug

fit. This will ensure water is distributed the

full length of the bed.

6. Use a level and check to make sure the

frame is sitting fairly level all the way

around.

Note: Any type or style of raised bed frame

can be used. This one is described because

it is easy and relatively inexpensive to buildJust ensure your wicking bed structure does

not puncture the liner.


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Adding the Layers

1. Cut plastic to size. Similar to the carpet, allow for

extra on each side.

2. Lay the plastic over the carpet.

3. Tack the plastic to the frame with a staple gun or

other suitable tack to hold the plastic in place. The

plastic should be a couple of inches from the top ofthe board. It does need to be perfect.

4. Lay the large PVC pipe toward the center of the

framed area. Check to see that it is fairly level or at a minimum leaning towards the capped

end (you want to ensure the water flows the length of the bed). Also make sure the holes are

facing toward the bottom.

5. Start laying down the gravel/rock. The grave

should be about 4 to 6 inches deep, almost to thetop of the pipe. In the wicking bed shown, we used

decorative river pebble. Any non-reactive rock wil

do. Ensure the rock is not high in calcium as this wil

affect your pH.


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Adding the Layers(Continued)

6. NOTE: Mulch is optional. Add a layer of mulch, about 2-3

inches. Ensure the pipe is covered. This will break down over

time and add additional nutrients to the garden. The irregula

pieces will help hold more water.

Observe that the picture shown shows mulch being placed

under the weed barrier. This is alright to do, but it is

recommended that you put it above the weed barrier which

will be described below.

Adding the Drain PipeNOTE: Although you can install two overflow pipes, as long as

long as your bed is relatively level, only one is needed.

1. Drill the 1- inch PVC pipes with holes on one side

equal distant from the pipe ends. The diameter does no

matter. Then, drill a hole (just large enough for the pipes to

slide through) for each pipe in the long side of the frame. You

need only drill on one side of the bed. These pipes are the

overflow which will alert you when the reservoir is full of

water. There is no need to cap these pipes.

2. Slide the pipes through the holes. One end should be flush

with the inside of the frame while the other sticks out a few

inches. Make sure the holes face down.

3. Lay down the weed barrier/shade cloth on top of the drain

pipe, while cutting a space for the fill pipe. DO NOT use

regular plastic as the barrier as water needs to be able to

wick through to the roots of your plants.

Worm Motel: Drill 1 holes around the bottom and

underneath a five gallon bucket. Set the bucket on the

barrier and proceed to Soil Preparation section below


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Soil Preparation

1. Ideally, take soil from an existing organic garden

Remove any rocks and break up any clods. A wire meshor screen works well for this.

2. To amend your soil, lay down a piece of plastic. This

is to help keep your soil free of debris, grass, weed

etc. and provide an easy surface to mix everything

together.

3. Dump a full wheel barrel of soil on the plastic and

add the amendments. This step is optional, but thebetter your soil, the better your outcome.

4. Mix the two a bit at a time for a better, more equal

distribution. Dump the blended soil into the prepped

bed on top of the weed barrier material. Fill to about 1

inch from the top.

Worm Motel Note: The soil should completely cove

the holes in your Worm Motel. This will allow yourworms to come and go as they please. Upon

completion of the garden and testing, place food

scraps and shredded newspaper in the Worm Mote

and dampen everything with water. Do not soak. Cove

with lid and add scraps regularly.


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Adding the Layers(Continued)

7. Take the hay and cover the surface of the bed. If you

dont have hay, you may use mulch or other type

material.

NOTE: Adding hay or mulch is optional. While it wil

help keep the weeds down, it also retards direct

sunlight from hitting the soil surface which will pul

water upward. In conventional gardens, mulch is often

used to retain moisture in the soil. This is not an issue

with a Wicking Bed.

NOW YOUR BED IS COMPLETE AND

READY FOR PLANTING!

TEST YOUR SYSTEM!

Fill the reservoir. Wait until you see water coming outthe pipes on the side. This initial filling will take the

longest. Because the soil is dry, you will need to do a

touch-up fill as the water gets absorbed into the soil

after about ten or fifteen minutes. After the initia

setup, check your system weekly to determine how often to add water. This is done by

topping off the system and seeing long it takes to fill. Also, to protect your plants, you may

want to make a shade structure over the new bed using PVC and shade cloth.


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Builder Series Supplement

Water Conservation with TransFarming and Aquaponics

Here in Texas we face myriad obstacles to growing food in a sustainable fashion. What does

sustainable mean? Well, it has a lot to do with producing food in a manner that is not interrupted by

outside influences. One of the major outside influences here in Texas is the weather long seasons

of heat, extended periods of cold, rapid changes between those two conditions, and no rain in

between.

The entire premise of TransFarming was started on the realization the weather here in Texas can be

brutal and a different approach must be taken to combat the elements in light of our modern

challenges.

At the core of all this is water. Without water, nothing prospers. TransFarming is about re-thinkingtraditional gardening methods to address regional environmental challenges like droughts and water

restrictions, while keeping in mind techniques for prosperous food production . These approaches

involve growing food in ways that conserve water.

Weather wise, not much has changed from the days of our ancestors, but they used vastly different

approaches to dealing with the climate than we do today. Following are a few techniques used to

conserve water on a TransFarm.

Wicking Beds

Wicking beds have proven to be a viable solution to the Texas heat and water conservation. These

simple structures, based on a raised bed garden, incorporate a reservoir underneath the bed to store

water. The garden is watered through an exposed pipe which then wicks water upward through the

soil to the roots where water is needed the most. There is minimal evaporation.


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Traditional Raised Bed Gardens

Traditional raised bed gardening involves selecting the correct structure and materials for a specific

outcome base on environmental factors such as shading, sun path, wind direction and desired crop.

Additionally, soil composition will play a very large part in crop success and water conservation. A

simple small hoop house may be desirable to protect from direct sun and winter cold.

Aquaponics

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soilless plan

production). With Aquaponics, the nutrient-rich water that results from raising fish provides a source

of natural fertilizer for the growing plants. As the plants consume the nutrients, they help to purify the

water in which the fish live. A natural microbial process keeps both the fish and plants healthy, and

helps sustain an environment where all can thrive. Both the plants and fish are harvested.

HugelKulture

A HugelKulture is a type of raised bed garden that allows one to use organic materials that are too big

to go in the compost. Over time, that is 3- 5 years, the materials in the bed decompose, and provide a

slow release of nutrients for garden plants.

Because of its three-dimensionality, a HugelKulture raised bed garden combines the multiple

functions of rainwater harvesting, catchment, and irrigation using no cistern, pumps, or pvc pipes

Done properly, there may be no need to water all summer!


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Keyhole Gardens

A keyhole garden uses the same principle as a HugelKulture in that decomposing matter is used to

absorb and retain water in the soil. Large amounts of rotting wood and kitchen scraps are used in

the soil which is stacked within layers of cardboard and paper. Kitchen scraps are also added to the

bed via a foot-wide tube which nourishes the entire system. A wedge is cut in the circular bed to

access the tube, which makes the garden look like a keyhole when viewed from above.

Hoop House/Monkey Huts

One of the major concerns with growing food (and fish) in the winter is the cold. The wind does not

help much either. Greenhouses are expensive, and any constructed structures tend to be somewhat

permanent.

Enter the simple Monkey Hut. These structures are by their very nature flexible, and designed to

withstand strong wind and rain (dust too). Built correctly, they are easily dis-assembled in the Spring,

or used to support a shade cloth in the Summer.


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Vermiculture and Constructing a Worm Bin

Worm Composting is an excellent way to create organic matter for gardens and Aquaponic systems.

They can be added directly to gardens and Aquaponic media systems, and also used to feed fish and

chickens. Worms are important in the garden because they aerate the soil which helps lock in

moisture. Worm farming includes choosing a worm and bin type, setting up the worm composting

bin, maintaining the system, harvesting compost and worms, making and using worm tea, and such

activities.

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How to Build a Wicking Bed 13pages