How to create a wicking bed?

[aslater]

I want to make raised wicking garden beds. How do I convert the Bunnings raised garden beds to be wicking beds please?

[Herrenovacation · Accepted solution]

Hi @aslater 

Welcome to the bunnings workshop community.  

I was looking into this myself and found this shared project very helpful

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/t5/Featured-Projects/Wicking-raised-garden-bed/ta-p/72238

[EricL]

Hello @aslater 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fabulous to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about wicking beds.

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Herrenovacation. That discussion - Wicking raised garden bed by @Maursie that they've pointed to is spot on. You'll see how the pipework was arranged and the gravel put into place. 

Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the garden bed you'll be using? Our members will then be able to assess its size. We can then make recommendations for pipe size.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[aslater]

Hi. Thanks for that. I want to build small wicking beds using the plastic raised garden beds available from Bunnings.

[EricL]

Hello @aslater 

Would it be possible for you to post a picture of your proposed garden bed? This will give our members a better idea of what it looks like. We can then make recommendations on how to proceed.

If you need a hand posting the photo, please let me know.

Eric

[aslater]

[EricL]

Hi @aslater,

Thanks for sharing a photo of the garden bed you'll be using. In this discussion - Wicking raised garden bed by @Maursie you'll see that the PVC pipe was drilled through and placed in the middle of the bed. Because your bed is small, I suggest using 50mm PVC.

I suggest looking at the Tuscan Path 4-6mm 5kg Natural Mixed Decorative Pebbles for you to use in your garden bed. Its size is ideal as smaller pebbles produce better wicking action. 

The general steps will be to measure the space available in your garden bed, cut the PVC down to the available size and drill holes evenly spaced on the surface of the pipe. Place a cap cover on one end and a 90degree bend on the other. Place another piece of pipe to serve as the filler.  

Here is a link to a handy step-by-step guide: Pope Wicking Bed.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[aslater]

Thanks a lot Eric. I will let you know how I go with it.