Wicking Beds

BnBob

Zman wrote:

Hey Bob, how did the wicking bed vs the global buckets go? Would love an update :d

Here you go...

Won't be planting a monster tomato in one next time :think:

Maybe some herbs or leafy greens...
HTH

mantis

So whats the difference between the global and wicking buckets Bob. Havent heard of global buckets before, so I is all ears, or in this case eyes :mrgreen:

Edit: Just watched a youtube on how to make one and they are exactly the same as my selfwatering tubs that I grow my tomatoes in. And they work really well and grow two tomato plants each and to full size and massive yeilds. I think pics of them are on page three of this thead
This is the youtube I watched and if you do the same with tubs like I do you wont be dissapointed

Zman

manis you mind creating a vid of your tubs?

mantis

Zman, look at the vid above, look at my tubs, and they are done exactly the same, with the only difference I use a 6 inch black plastic pot for the wicking chamber instead of a cup, and if the tubs are not a tight fit leaving a resevoir at the bottom then a couple of 90mm pvc pipe offcuts to hold up the top tub.

BnBob

mantis wrote:

they are exactly the same as my selfwatering tubs that I grow my tomatoes in. And they work really well and grow two tomato plants each and to full size and massive yeilds.

I must of done something wrong then :lol:

I couldn't keep the water up to them & they were wilting nearly all winter... Also had a smaller reservoir I think.. I did contemplate making a giant one out of a blue barrel but never got there...
**wanders off to check out the above clip & page 3**

mantis

My tubs have a reservoir of about 30L and two mature plants will suck that dry in two days in summer. So you have to keep the water up to them.
Also the tubs in the pics on page 3 are in my greenhouse and are not suitable for outside use as the sun will make them brittle in one year

BnBob

Thanks for that Mantis...

My buckets were just to small for what was planted in them I think as well as my lazy watering routine... That's why I like the wicking beds so much...

Zman

Would having a tight fitting top bucket save more water? As the water is evaporated through the gap in your crates?

CorporalChaos

BnBob wrote:

Thanks for that Mantis...

My buckets were just to small for what was planted in them I think as well as my lazy watering routine... That's why I like the wicking beds so much...

Why would the global buckets require more frequent watering than the wicking beds? Shouldn't they use less water by having a larger reservoir and less soil in contact with the water?

BnBob

CorporalChaos wrote:

Why would the global buckets require more frequent watering than the wicking beds? Shouldn't they use less water by having a larger reservoir and less soil in contact with the water?

My smallest Wicking beds are about 900 x 2400mm or 35.5 x 94.5inches with the shallowest reservoir being about 120mm or 5inches deep.. There is a minimum of 350mm/13.7inches of soil mix on top of the beds which I think adds to the water volume held in the beds... These beds in full production are only filled every 5-6 days in the peek of summer & every week & a half to 2 weeks in during peek winter production...

I had an Amish paste Tomato in global & Wicking buckets with both easily being 6-8 foot tall (if unwound from the trellis).. The Reservoir area hold 2.1L/.5gallons (I just went & checked) & was being drained by the plants in about 2 days in winter...
If mine were the same size as Mantis "global tubs" on page 3 of this thread I don't think it would of been as bad...
HTH

CorporalChaos

BnBob wrote:

CorporalChaos wrote:

Why would the global buckets require more frequent watering than the wicking beds? Shouldn't they use less water by having a larger reservoir and less soil in contact with the water?

My smallest Wicking beds are about 900 x 2400mm or 35.5 x 94.5inches with the shallowest reservoir being about 120mm or 5inches deep.. There is a minimum of 350mm/13.7inches of soil mix on top of the beds which I think adds to the water volume held in the beds... These beds in full production are only filled every 5-6 days in the peek of summer & every week & a half to 2 weeks in during peek winter production...

I had an Amish paste Tomato in global & Wicking buckets with both easily being 6-8 foot tall (if unwound from the trellis).. The Reservoir area hold 2.1L/.5gallons (I just went & checked) & was being drained by the plants in about 2 days in winter...
If mine were the same size as Mantis "global tubs" on page 3 of this thread I don't think it would of been as bad...
HTH

I said "wicking beds," but I meant "wicking buckets." From what you just said, it sounds like in terms of equal container capacity, global buckets aren't any less water efficient than wicking buckets. Is that correct? Which is pretty much what I would expect, since by my reckoning they are the same thing by a different name, as different people construct their version of wicking beds and buckets different ways (for example, I noticed you like to use sand in the bottom of yours, where as I don't).

BnBob

CorporalChaos wrote:

I said "wicking beds," but I meant "wicking buckets." From what you just said, it sounds like in terms of equal container capacity, global buckets aren't any less water efficient than wicking buckets. Is that correct? Which is pretty much what I would expect, since by my reckoning they are the same thing by a different name, as different people construct their version of wicking beds and buckets different ways (for example, I noticed you like to use sand in the bottom of yours, where as I don't).

Cool.. Understood now

I made a Global Bucket as well as a Wicking Bucket just to compare... I think the Global did better than the Wicking... The soil looked healthier & had more moisture in it than the Wicking (that had the sand in the reservoir)... As for fruit harvested, I think they did fairly much the same for the short amount of time they were in the buckets... I do think the Global would of out preformed the Wicking one in the end If I had let the trial run longer... The results are in the clip I posted on the last page...
HTH

earthbound

I made a wicking bed/pot the other day.

Very simple, just half a barrel with one of our worm tubes down the side and a fitting through the barrel holding the worm tube in place.

I probably shouldn't tell you what media I used in the bottom of the barrel.... Yes alright, I used expanded clay.. We had some split bags that had been sitting around for a while.

Planted a pomegranate tree for the long term, and a tomato for the short term

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