How To Build A Wicking Bed 13pages

The Texas TransFarmer
Builder Series

How to Build a
Wicking Bed
with Optional Worm Motel
A publication of the Texas Aquaponic and TransFarming Center

Copyright 2012 The Texas Aquaponic and TransFarming Center
GrowCleanFood@CleanFoodSolutions.org

How to Build A
Wicking Bed Garden
with Optional Worm Motel

A 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 ft 2 diameter PVC pipe
1 2 elbow to fit pipe
2 - caps to fit ends of pipe (or make)
1 - roll black plastic to cover area
1 8x4 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)


Garden Area Preparation

1. Determine a good location for your wicking
bed 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 the
frame.

The carpet should be top side down. This helps
protect the plastic liner from punctures. Other
suitable material can be used. Remember this
material will not contact the soil.


Preparing the Irrigation Pipe

1. Drill a line of holes in one side of the 2 pipe
approximately every 6 inches (you may also cut slots
instead 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 of
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 work
also.

The irrigation pipe merely delivers the water to the
reservoir. Therefore the end does not need to be water
tight.


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 corner.
Attach 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 build.
Just ensure your wicking bed structure does
not puncture the liner.


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 of
the 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 gravel
should be about 4 to 6 inches deep, almost to the
top of the pipe. In the wicking bed shown, we used
decorative river pebble. Any non-reactive rock will
do. Ensure the rock is not high in calcium as this will
affect your pH.


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 irregular
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 Pipe
NOTE: 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 not
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.


Soil Preparation

1. Ideally, take soil from an existing organic garden.
Remove any rocks and break up any clods. A wire mesh
or 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 the
better 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 cover
the holes in your Worm Motel. This will allow your
worms to come and go as they please. Upon
completion of the garden and testing, place food
scraps and shredded newspaper in the Worm Motel
and dampen everything with water. Do not soak. Cover
with lid and add scraps regularly.


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 will
help keep the weeds down, it also retards direct
sunlight from hitting the soil surface which will pull
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 out
the 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 initial
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.


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-thinking
traditional 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.


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 plant
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!


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.


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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