!"#$%&'() +,%-. /0)(-%1,.2 3455 6667-2&81--2-.2-9&'.

7:"; <,'- 5
!"#$"%& ()*+ ,%* -./0"#1201/,2 #.%0/.3)/+")+4

!"#$ &' # (&)*&+, -./0

A !"#$"%& ()* ls a self-waLerlng garden bed - llke a glanL self-waLerlng poL.

+"#$"%& refers Lo Lhe ldea LhaL waLer applled Lo Lhe base of Lhe garden bed (Lhrough an lnleL plpe) ls able Lo be drawn
up, or wlck lLs way up Lhrough Lhe soll Lo waLer planLs from Lhelr rooLs. 8ooLs grow Lowards waLer, so wlcklng beds
encourage deeper rooL growLh Lhan dally surface waLerlng.

WaLerlng from Lhe base of Lhe garden means LhaL all waLer applled ls absorbed by Lhe soll and ls avallable for planL
growLh. LvaporaLlon Lhrough Lhe soll can be Lhen slowed by mulchlng. 1he maln waLer losses Lhen are by LransplraLlon
Lhrough planL leaves.
WaLerlng above ground wlll always resulL ln more waLer loss Lhrough evaporaLlon.
(noLe: drlp lrrlgaLlon has fewer losses by evaporaLlon Lhan hand-waLerlng or spray lrrlgaLlon).

So wlcklng beds enable us Lo use waLer as efflclenLly as posslble, and allow evenly and well-saLuraLed soll, so are very
useful for growlng vegeLables wlLh Lhelr needs for conslsLenL waLer.

noLe: l flrsL saw wlcklng beds some years ago ln an old edlLlon of 'LarLh Carden' magazlne, wrlLLen by a resldenL based ln
remoLe Cueensland, wlLh hlgh LemperaLures and llmlLed waLer supplles. Wlcklng beds are perfecL ln Lhls slLuaLlon, buL
are noL really as useful ln condlLlons such as Melbourne wlnLer 2010!

!"1 2'. (&)*&+, -./'0

1he lasL 3 years Lhere has been enormous growLh ln lnLeresL ln home produce growlng, ln AusLralla as well as uSA and
uk.

An lncreased awareness of envlronmenLal lssues coupled wlLh a long and severe droughL ln AusLralla has focused our
lnLeresL on growlng food wlLh less waLer.

lor Lhe flrsL Llme ln hlsLory we have passed Lhe polnL of 30 of Lhe world's clLlzens llvlng ln clLles. We need novel ways
Lo grow food ln urban slLuaLlons, and many of us are Lrylng Lo become more self-sufflclenL.

Wlcklng beds allow Lhe growlng of food ln ralsed beds LhaL are easy Lo access for people of all ablllLles, and Lhey allow
Lhe mosL efflclenL use of Lhe waLer avallable.

ln Llmes of waLer resLrlcLlons, wlcklng beds allow vegeLables Lo sLlll be grown, as waLerlng every 3 days or so ls usually
sufflclenL Lo keep Lhe soll molsL. 1he soll ls also evenly weLLed, allowlng rooLs Lo grow evenly LhroughouL Lhe soll.

Leavlng your veggle paLch for Lhe weekend ls also less of a problem wlLh a wlcklng bed!



!"#$%&'() +,%-. /0)(-%1,.2 3455 6667-2&81--2-.2-9&'.7:"; <,'- 3

3+,4./&.+$' 564 # '2)).''527 (&)*&+, -./



, -."/)* ()*
a ralsed bed ls easler Lo ensure adequaLe dralnage Lhan an ln ground bed
100-130mm deep waLer reservolr aL Lhe base
30-430mm soll depLh above Lhls
ensure Lhe base ls level, Lo ensure even spreadlng of waLer ln Lhe reservolr



, 0-12)#2"3) 4.5)- "%/"*) 26) -."/)* ()*
old carpeL or some geoLexLlle fabrlc wlll proLecL Lhe waLerprooflng layer from sharp sLones eLc










, !.2)-0-117"%& 4.5)- Lo hold Lhe waLer reservolr
usually a double layer of black bullder's plasLlc
pond llner ls also sulLable buL more expenslve (vC llner ls noL recommended)
a double layer ls lnsurance agalnsL holes ln your reservolr
flx (eg sLaple) Lhe Lop of Lhe llner Lo lnslde of bed Lo prevenL snalls hldlng here!



!"#$%&'() +,%-. /0)(-%1,.2 3455 6667-2&81--2-.2-9&'.7:"; <,'- =
+.2)- -)/)-31"- 4.5)- .%* "%4)2 0"0)/
sloLLed aggle plpe - 90mm rlgld plpe wlLh elbows Lo connecL Lo lnleL plpes
flexlble aggle plpe also sulLable - 40-30mm dlameLer - bend up Lo creaLe lnleL plpes
Lop off lnleL plpes wlLh caps Lo prevenL mosqulLoes breedlng
use one plpe Lhrough cenLre of bed for a narrow bed, or 2 plpes evenly spaced for a wlder bed
clean screenlngs or gravel slL around and above Lhe aggle plpe




8-."%.&) 0"0)
slLs dlrecLly above waLer reservolr layer
23-32mm vC plpe Ck
solld vC plpe
dralnage plpe needs Lo be able Lo exlL bed and ls preferably above surroundlng soll level


!"#$%&'() +,%-. /0)(-%1,.2 3455 6667-2&81--2-.2-9&'.7:"; <,'- >




9)12):2"4) 7.(-"# 4.5)-
separaLes soll from waLer reservolr - prevenLs lL blocklng up wlLh soll
can be replaced wlLh shade-cloLh, buL noL as effecLlve aL keeplng soll separaLe
flx Lo lnslde of bed Lo prevenL pesLs such as snalls or earwlgs hldlng behlnd lL















;1"4 4.5)-
use good quallLy soll wlLh loLs of organlc maLLer - necessary for good waLer-holdlng
slevlng Lhe soll as lL ls added can be useful lf you have lumpy soll as lL's noL (as) easy Lo dlg over Lhe bed
afLerwards
mlnlmum soll depLh ls 300mm for rooL developmenL
wlcklng ablllLy varles wlLh dlfferenL solls, buL up Lo 430mm deep should sLlll allow sufflclenL wlcklng acLlon - Loo
deep and Lhe rooLs wlll have Lrouble accesslng Lhe waLer reservolr
avold uslng soll wlLh a hlgh clay conLenL, lL Lends Lo become Loo waLerlogged








!"#$%&'() +,%-. /0)(-%1,.2 3455 6667-2&81--2-.2-9&'.7:"; <,'- ?


<=4#6
a llghL mulch such as sLraw ls recommended, approx 23-30mm deep
mulch ls noL necessary ln wlnLer or ln Llmes of conslsLenL heavy raln
mulch ls essenLlal ln hoL dry condlLlons Lo help molsLure reLenLlon






+1->/
noL all wlcklng beds lncorporaLe a worm farm, buL lf one ls noL used some addlLlonal composL wlll need Lo be
added each Llme a new vegeLable crop ls planLed
a worm farm wlll conLlnually enrlch Lhe soll wlLh less efforL!
flnely chopped klLchen wasLe ls added Lo Lhe worm farm - here a plasLlc poL wlLh holes drllled ln lL
Lo prevenL flles breedlng, seL Lhe worm farm lnLo Lhe soll
Lo prevenL vermln harvesLlng Lhe composL use a LlghLly flLLlng cover





!"#$%&'() +,%-. /0)(-%1,.2 3455 6667-2&81--2-.2-9&'.7:"; <,'- @
869. 6:$&6+' #+/ /&')2''&6+';

Wlcklng beds bullL below ground may be dlfflculL Lo lnsLall an effecLlve overflow plpe ln. lf you wanL or need Lo
do Lhls, ralse Lhe soll above exlsLlng ground level as much as posslble so LhaL Lhe planL rooLs have somewhere
well-dralned Lo grow.

Wlcklng beds bullL below ground can be uLlllzed Lo provlde speclallzed condlLlons for planLs LhaL prefer weL
condlLlons. lor example, Chllean Cuava (MyrLus ugnl), 1aro, Celery, Leeks and WaLercress all en[oy damp soll.

Some gardeners have bullL wlcklng beds on a sllghL slope, so LhaL Lhe waLer wlll move from one end Lo Lhe
oLher. 1hls may lead Lo one end becomlng dry and Lhe oLher Loo weL. Also, bear ln mlnd LhaL waLer moves
Lhrough soll ln a very dlfferenL way Lhan lL does when on an open surface.

Some gardeners are suggesLlng uslng organlc maLLer such as sLraw as a waLer reservolr. 1here are Lwo lssues
wlLh Lhls - one ls LhaL burled organlc maLLer wlll decompose ln an anaeroblc way, noL deslrable for healLhy soll
mlcro-organlsms. 8ooLs would be burnL by Lhe decomposlng maLLer lf Lhey were Lo conLacL lL before lL roLLed
down. Also, Lhe roLLlng down Lhen means LhaL Lhe waLer reservolr space wlll be losL, so Lhe bed wlll no longer be
funcLlonlng as a Lrue wlcklng bed. lL wlll be a bed wlLh loLs of roLLed organlc maLLer, buL wlll noL have an
effecLlve and permanenL waLer reservolr.

A solld bed such as a large plasLlc Lank can be Lransformed lnLo a wlcklng bed.

Mlnl wlcklng beds can be made from foam frulL boxes. use boxes wlLhouL holes, or oLherwlse llne Lhe boxes wlLh
black plasLlc. use flexl aggle plpe as lL has a smaller dlameLer, Lhen a layer of flne screenlngs or even coarse sand
around Lhe plpe. 1hen add Lhe geoLexLlle fabrlc and soll.

< (64/ 65 )#2$&6+;

1he lnLerneL has allowed for Lhe rapld spread of new ldeas and lnformaLlon, however bear ln mlnd LhaL one does noL
need Lralnlng or quallflcaLlons Lo wrlLe a blog or add Lo web dlscusslons, so Lhe quallLy of lnformaLlon ouL Lhere may be
quesLlonable.

ln parLlcular, many enLhuslasLlc home food producers conLrlbuLlng Lo Lhe web are noL Lralned ln horLlculLure, and so
Lhelr oplnlons may be [usL LhaL.



(hoLographs courLesy of Llnda arlane)