Wicking Garden Bed Design Pt1 - Sand Or Rocks in the Reservoir?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ม.ค. 2020
- G'Day Folks. This clip was originally uploaded by our good mate Chris when he was looking at setting up his own wicking garden bed. Chris does a small trial between sand & rock to see which would be the best medium to use in the reservoir. He also runs through an explanation of the wicking bed as he learned it from Colin Austin's site (the wicking bed originator).
PLEASE NOTE, Colin Austin pre-approved Chris's clips before they were posted. 👍
Chris has given me permission to upload this clip as he has removed his TH-cam channel.
Hope you enjoy this wicking bed clip & your gardens are booming.
Cheers all. 🐟 🌱🍅
Rob
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Thanks Rob and Chris, this vid was very informative. Can’t wait for the next one
Should have it ready to go this coming Sunday HP630.
Have a top one. 👍👍
Volcanic cinder, common in many areas, is extremely porous, and is the best I have ever used. The spaces in the stones saturate, and wick perfectly. Larger screened stones also allow a good water reservior between stones.
They are very common and available here.
larger stones don't work as they don't wick.
After watching a guy redo a French drain in the ground that had been filled with pea gravel, I won't use that. All the gravel stuck together like concrete over time. I like the idea of the red lava rock and may try one bed with sand and one with lava rock. Thanks!
Excellent empirical approach. Thanks Chris!
He did a great job. 👍👍
Cheers Tom.
This is why i really like your design with the gravel and sand sump in the bottom, best of both worlds
They have worked very well for us. Will be just using soils in some of the new beds though & will be posting clips when they're made.
Cheers Thomas.
Awesome video, it has a lot of work behind indeed, much apreciate guys.
Our pleasure Antonio. 👍
Cheers & happy growing.
I really miss Chris’s videos. I was sad when I realised he’d taken down his channel. Good to see one of them again!
He will be back next week with Pt 2. 😉
It was a sad day when he told us it was happening but totally understand his reasons.
Cheers & have a great one.
Thanks for the proof of concepts and work to all. I like to use a super cheap low watt fishtank air pump to keep the still water from going stagnant. Even a small solar panel and battery can keep it going forever and i run some 247.. hydrofarm
You'll find that the plants will take it up very quickly so won't have time to go stagnate.
Cheers & happy growing.
PLEASE NOTE, Colin Austin pre-approved Chris's clips before they were posted. 👍
Don't forget to click the subscribe button if you want to check out part 2.
Share the clip around with family & friends if you think they'll enjoy it too. 🐟 🌱🍅
Cheers all & have a top one. 😊
Rob
Rob Bob's Aquaponics & Backyard Farm
Maaaaaaaate just came across your channel in the last week within this week for the first time I've started to understand just because your videos make easy to understand great work keep it up
You should be a horticulturist teacher!
I've attempted unsuccessfully to try wicking and aquaponics and by winter I will have my first wicking set up going as I am more than confident than ever after watching your channel (drainage has always my issue)
I'am just wondering if ya mates had soaked the geo textile before he started his fish tank experiment this would of changed the outcome? Does it have any moisture retention?
I remember way back when we did a soil infiltration test the soil always had to saturated before you began the infiltration part
The fabric does soak up some but not the amount Chris noted. It certainly does help in wicking the water up to the soil as Hamish suggested to Chris. 👍
Hope the builds go smoothly mate.
Cheers.
great level of information thank you, really helpful... shame that the original videos were taken down
Thank you Chris very much for sharing this topic and your research. And thanks Rob for putting it out there.
Hope it helped some Leona.
Thanks so much for your helpful vids! Just discovered you here in Waco, TX USA and planning to implement some of your tips very soon!
That's great to hear.
I hope the builds go smoothly for you.
I have done pure organics/no gravel and it is very successful in hot Texas weather. Also cedar tree roots are excluded from the raised beds. I made a few videos on the results and construction (use cardboard in some areas.)
Nice one mate. 👍 All our in ground tin beds had root intrusion so I took them down.
Hope you're grow well for you.
Cheers.
I think I'm finally gonna try setting something up this spring. I got a 125 gallon pond and a 75 gallon aquarium in the backyard. And I can get free 5 gallon buckets from work. I think I'm gonna try to chain a bunch of buckets together somehow.
I have a clip showing how I set up a similar system if it helps at all.
th-cam.com/video/Spt0hFVLeKk/w-d-xo.html
Will be revisiting the concept as soon as we start to add new beds to the backyard.
Cheers & happy growing.
Hi Rob, finally I have confirmation that I am not a dork who can’t find Chris’ videos anymore. He’s one of my first Permaculture diy building heroes and I can’t believe that he has taken his videos down. I don’t know what happened and he may have a reason for it. Though I do wish that he would just give permission for you to upload all of his videos so they can be preserved to inspire others. Good on you for asking for this - please ask for all the others, too. His videos are really some of the best out there.
I hope Chris and his family are well and thanks for being in touch with him.
Cheers, Ellen, NZ
Hi Ellen. It is a shame but I understand his reason.
Last I spoke to them they were all doing fine & he's still working away at improving the property. 😁
Cheers,
Rob.
Thank you Rob and Chris. Really excellent demonstration, documentation of wicking. I am looking forward to part 2. The shorter beard, really suits you Rob.
Hope to have the clip up this coming weekend Sez. 👍
Not sure I like the trimmed look. 😕😉
Cheers & have a great one.
I'm using wicking tubs for second year. 55 gallon plastic barrels cut in half, 6 inch corrugated drain pipe. No sand or gravel, straight potting mix. I haven't experienced any anaerobic, maybe not yet.
They're working quite well. Your video is great, I've been thinking of doing a comparison between the three different medias.
I learned about the wicking containers from Gardening with Leon "TH-cam".
Still like watching your videos, looking for ideas. Not even close to taking on aquaponics.
Have a good day from Texas.
Nice one Sidney. Potting mix works just fine if the reservoir is allowed to dry out. 👍
Some times out wet season keeps the beds very moist which is where we've run into issues.
Cheers & happy growing.
LOL! I remember this Rob bob :D Way back in the way back when!
🤣 It gave Kira a bit of a shock 🤣
Cheers Abdul.
Hi Rob,
Great video bud.
Would like to see video #2.
Best regards,
Jarrod
Will be sorting that out this week Jarrod. Cheers mate.
Awesome video - Thank you!
Glad you liked it Ayda.
Cheers 👍👍
Thanks for sharing! I do have a series of wicking beds in my future. Hopefully not to far away.
I honestly have built a few before though. I never use neither sand or gravel for the reservoir. I use 4 inch French Drainpipe that comes in 25 foot sections and is pre-wrapped in a sock made of landscaping material. I just loop it back and forth through the base of the bed and then up to the top. Installing a drain that is accessible through the massive fill port. I then fold the sock to keep the mosquitoes away and set a stone on top to keep the sun from degrading the exposed sock. The reservoir holds a substantial amount of water. The sock does wicking as well... as does the soil that gets packed in-between the rows of pipe.
Next time I want to set up piping direct from the rain barrel with a high flow rate. That way I just have to turn the ball valve when I want to top her off.
You guys weren't kidding when you said these things get HEAVY. My next one will be on some industrial wheels so I can wheel it around and even bring it with me when I move.
MySuburbanHomestead You pour soil straight over the socked pipe? How deep is the soil layer and have you found that it wicks all the way to the top?
Cherry Tree Permaculture
It was about 12” above the pipe. At first no it did not wick all the way. Added mulch, worms, worm food, and time and it did.
I get about 45 inches of rain in my area though so it did not really matter that much. Just had to help new plants at first when the bed was new. It is sitting at the in-laws house now with a grape vine and other small perennials in the understory. Completely neglected and thriving.
Nice one MSH. 👍
My next builds will have mainly socked pipe like the SIP beds I've seen clips of here on YT. Won't be using sand either.
Cheers & happy growing.
Thanks and I look forward to it!
Re remembered last night that I did use some peat moss in the old bed. Packed it between the pipe rows... and up to a bit above them.
Hey look a younger Rob!
😂 It gave me a fright when I saw him!! 😉
A comparison between these sand based wicking beds and ones that use rope/cotton material/micro fibre cloth as the wick would be great !! I’ve got some large pots that I use microfibre as the wick and am wondering if it will wick up enough for tomato’s
I haven't tried a material one yet but might do a trial down the line.
Hello there. I really enjoy your videos. They have been very helpful and I am making my first IBC tote wicking garden this year. I would LOVE it if you would address a secondary topic. How to amend your soil for next year. I am a total novice and will need that advice. Thank you sooo much!
Hope the beds growing well Steve. I have covered how I amended the soil in vlog style garden videos a while back but not really in a stand alone video. I generally top dress with some well aged horse/cow manure &/or compost then cover with a layer of mulch. I will also use slow release chicken based pellets if I'm planting a hey feeding crop like cabbages & broccoli.
I'll look at making one the next lot of wicking beds we set up.
Rob, great video and many have stated Perlite and Vermiculite are great for wicking, any experience with any of those mediums mate
For sake of experiment and an element of laziness and use of materials at hand, I have a half-IBC, a basic bottom reservoir of about 100mm depth with a filler tube attached to a ring of perforated tube. The space is filled with stones, rubble, raked up bluemetal and gravel supporting a piece of plastic trellis mesh which provides some mechanical support for a geotextile layer on top in the hope of it not pressing tight over something rough and tearing. Above that is a layer of brickie's sand of about 100mm depth. Another ring of perforated tube rests in the upper half of the sand layer. This feeds a drain outlet. On top of the sand layer is another piece of geotextile cloth. On top of that to the upper edge of the IBC tub is topsoil harvested from various old decomposed leaf heaps, burn heaps, loose stone rakings. Weeds were doing very well in it. I was a bit skeptical when wicking tubs were first suggested to me. My conditioning was that things grow best in the good earth. A farmer near Beverley W.A., was using a small yard full of IBCs because the soil there is Bassendean sand deficient in about everything and water goes straight down through it. With the only sunny patch on the block here being nearly all rock, I though I would give one a try. So far so good. There are half-grown beans, tomatoes with pumpkins in the corners which will spill out onto the ground, hopefully not as a superhighway for the gnawing insects and slugs/snails. After filling the water storage to eventual overflow and initial damping from above, the topsoil layer remains moist and not soggy. Presently the halfgrown plants and surface evaporation requires about three litres top up after two or three warm days. I think occasional leaching by handwatering from above may be required as a hedge against mineral and salt build up from our scheme water.
Made my first wicking pot last year and love having more information about them.
That's great to hear Mio. 👍
Have a top one.
Rob Bob's Aquaponics & Backyard Farm
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This is awesome and I can't like this vid enough!!! Looking forward to the next installment as well. As for the geo-textile, where would we get hold of that? I've asked at bunnings and they just give me a dumb look.
Hi Nick, I went there and bought this: Grunt Landscape Fabric, long lasting Geotextile 1 m x 10 , it is in stock where I live (Balgowlah) it cost me $36. Hope this helps, here is more from Bunnings site GRUNT Non-Woven Geotextile Membrane is a white, synthetic layer that is ideal for use in drainage, filtration, separation, reinforcement and more. Primarily used by landscapers, plumbers and civil contractors, it is a hard wearing and cheap, effective solution for the management and prevention of soil erosion and moisture loss. | Grunt 1 x 10m Non-Woven Geotextile Membrane
Landscape fabric & weed mat are other name for it Nick. 👍
Here's one I found on their site but they probably have others.
www.bunnings.com.au/pillar-products-1-8-x-25m-80gsm-brown-eco-weed-mat_p0011999
I saw some geotextile next to the builders plastic in bunnings today. It was near plastering things.
One wicking bed I saw had 4" corrugated perfed pipe as a first layer, with a soil separator, then the grow medium on top. Might be interesting for comparison.
I'll be building ours "SIP" (sub irrigated planters) style after seeing AlboPepper's clip.
th-cam.com/video/Lp9Jdyno9h/w-d-xo.html
Looks to be the best way there is to get a load of water into the reservoir at little expense.
Cheers Brad & happy growing.
@@RobsAquaponics Bang on. Look forward to your new aquaponics build, picked up 4 330 gallon/1250 liter IBC totes.
@@bradmaas6875 Cheers Brad. 👍
Awesome
Thanks.
Yeah, the sand has greater capillary ability than the gravel. The small throat size between sand grains helps
👍👍
Cheers Joe.
Hi Rob - thanks for the video. I just bought a bunch of grow bags and now I have a lot to think about how to proceed. One thing I'm wondering about is how far water will go if the bag is sitting in a couple of inches of water and sand. I think Chris said not to use over 12 inches of container mix but is that deep enough for all plants like tomatoes or even a fruit tree?
Hey Steven I have the 10-12" pouches sitting in about 1" of water with soil in the base & find they wick really well just using standard potting mix. 👍 The roots are sitting at about the 4-6" mark so the water doesn't need to travel very high.
Hope that helps some.
I’m wondering if you could foresee any problem using old bathtubs for wicking beds. I have two on the go, enamel on metal. I wanted to avoid plastic so haven’t lined the bathtub. The drain pipe I have a U bend up to gravel level. I may try another two with sand. Any thoughts on this? I have fish in a bathtub for a few years and going well.
My question is would humus make a good wicking material since its broken down organic matter ive noticed my in ground garden i dropped leaves topsoil humus and composted manure and its thriving better with each rain while everyone else is flooding
It may work fine as long as it doesn't go anaerobic & is free enough draining to stop the beds from flooding during heavy rain events. 👍
Cheers & have a top one.
I watched Albo Peppers SIP would you recommend the sand or a good potting mixture for the first 4 inches for the wicking bed layer?
Albo swears by his method & has great success with it.👍 I prefer the sand as it reduces any risk of the base going anaerobic in climates like ours. We can get a lot of rain through out "wet season" & the reservoir don't get a chance to dry out. Has happened to us & had neighbours mention that they could smell the beds it happened in.
Not a definitive answer but hope it helped a little. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you as well.
Hey! Awesome video. Will the sand clog my perforated pool pipe that i lay down in yhe resovior?
I cover the pipe with a weed cloth but others say they haven't had any issues from what they've told me.
Thanks for the video Rob! It seems from reading Colin Austin's site that he intended that the wicking beds be made with organic material all the way down (he recommends weeds or straw at the bottom I believe) He sort of rails against the idea of using gravel or sand and geotextile fabric. Do you know of anyone else who has tried the organic sponge idea? Maybe inoculating the anaerobic layer with some EM would keep things healthy.
Yes I do no gravel and it is very successful in Texas, near Austin where it is very hot. I made a few videos on my technique.
A lot of folks will use wood chip as well. 👍
I used the sand originally as I was concerned with our wet seasons keeping the reservoir filled for extended periods of time. I had some barrels down the back with soil in the base go anaerobic & could smell them in the house when I first started playing around with wicking gardens.
If I knew about EM at the time I probably would have added some. I have since spoken to a chap (Brett Pritchard) up north that uses EM in his builds & swears by it for this very purpose along with the other benefits they bring.
Hope that helps some Cherry Tree Permaculture.
What is EM?
@@jeffesta5815 Effective Microorganisms. A symbiotic mixture of soil biota.
Would coconut coir as used in hydroponics be a good sustitute medium. I use coir in my hydroponics so would like to use it
I have seen folks use it in small pot style wicking arrangements as it takes a while to break down. Not too sure how well it would go in a larger bed with a lot more weight on it.
I used a 55 gallon barrel cut in half, made a drain hole at 5 inch on the side, used a 6 inch corrugated pipe, wrapped it with the sock (The only thing different from Leon's video), then used a commercial grade landscaping ground cover, filled with potting soil, inserted a pipe in between the fabric and the barrel. My plants are doing fine, but one time,I was digging out some potatoes, I did smell anaerobic soil activity.
What can I do to combat that?
1. Is it due to the fact that I used both ground cover material and socked pipe? I don't think it is that...?
2. I do my best to let it dry out before rewatering. Sometimes, in hot months (AZ) I tend to topwater and I guess that fills the reservoir.
3. The drain hole in the side is at 5 inches, maybe I can bring it lower to create some more aeration ? Not sure if that would work, but just a thought.
Am I over thinking this? I have got great success with many plants like basil, amaranth, cilantro, mint, spinach, etc in these pots. But I have had good number of failures mainly due to the summer AZ heat and lack of a good microclimate in my backyard (which I am working on). I still want to make sure that this anaerobic activity isn't playing a role in my plant's health.
Hi SS. I would say that the base just isn't drying out enough to get good air flow down there.
That's one of the reasons I like to use a coarse sand to wick the water up to the soil layer.
Sorry it took a while to get back to you.
How’s does a flood and drain with clay pebbles compare to one of your wicking beds?
Soil growing will always be king in my book Clive. Would like to combine the 2 once we sort out the backyard patch a bit.
Cheers mate.
Question for you: I’ve made my wicking bed using your tips as well as some tips from other vids and am stuck on one thing. Can I use standard weed barrier fabric as the layer below my growing medium? Or will the water permeate back down through it too much and negate the wicking functions altogether? (I’m having trouble finding a good barrier between the water chamber and the growing medium)
Hi there. Do you mean between the sand & the soil or between the sand & the reservoir set up?
I use sugarcane mulch or straw between the soil & sand in my builds & only use the cloth to stop the sand I'm using to with the water out of the reservoir zone.
Hope that helps some & sorry for taking a while to get back to you.
@@RobsAquaponics Thanks for that info! Sorry for the poor description. I was talking about the layer between the water reservoir and the sand. But what you said was helpful. I appreciate the response!
I have 100 foot long 3h×3w beds Table water about 3 feet down fron the ground. If i drive hollow cement or concrete tubes down to the table water will it with the water the three feet up to the top of the beds?
I'm not too sure sorry Sam. Would like to know how you get on if you give it a crack.
Obviously a water reservoir in combination with wicking pots filled with sand is a better solution, still this is interesting. For both case it is relevant to know what the height of the (sand filled or water containing) reservoir can be in order for it to still work. In this demo we have 10 cm (?) worth a of wet sand and gravel, but would that work with 20 cm or even 30 cm as well? From what height does sand (and/or a nylon cord) stop wicking?
I have the same question.
Hi friend, space between Sand and soil, do we use textile or not? Thanks
I use a mulch between the sand & soil layers in my builds. Once the soil settles it won't enter into the base through the mulch I've found. Is also perfectly fine to use a weed cloth or geo textile too. Go with whatever works best for you. 👍
Your beard was so short lol. I miss my beard, had to take it off for work. I have learned a lot from your videos lol. Thanks for the best info on aquaponics. I was wondering if you do a cold water type of fish would you need a tank cooler and heater tank so the plants could have a warmer temp. to help them grow. I was thinking of the possibles for other kinds of fish that are more cold water types. I was worried about the cold water killing my plants. Not sure how to set it up and what plants are good for water temp. and is there is way to use salt water for aquaponis that would give more ideas. There are more things in the sea that would be good for farm raising and preservation. Its just a thought not sure is anyone has tried it yet?
Most terrestrial plants aren't going to like salt water but you might be able to grow edible seaweed in a saltwater aquaponic style setup.
Many folks in cool areas will grow trout & find the plants will do just fine. You just need to select cold hardy varieties. 👍
I know that they farm seaweed & kelp so it probably won't be long before someone marries the two methods I think.
Cheers mate.
Yeah thanks for the advice lol have to dig a bit deeper into the stuff I can use lol
I'd love to see the same test with corse bio char.
My concerns with biochar is that it may compress with the weight.
A friend just pointed out to me the issue of using the right types of plastics in the garden. I’ve just ordered a pond liner online, and sadly it turns out it’s made from PVC/HDPE plastic. From what I can tell, you should keep away from PVC. Any thoughts on this?
Seems we should only use HDPE or LDPE plastics so no phthalates are leached into the water, and therefore the plants we end up eating 🌱🙂🌼
There are a few food grade pond liners you can get & know folks that use them in aquaponics as well. EPDM is a synthetic rubber & is used to make fish/food safe pond liners. You should be able to get it at most pond, aquaponics & hydroponic stores.
Hope that helps you out some Sharon. 👍
@@RobsAquaponics thanks for the info Rob 👍
It’s weird that someone would take down their channel. It could just hangout on youtube indefinitely.
He had his reasons & I think he was right in doing so. 👍
Cheers Bryan.
Not really. Your public facing image online can hinder your professional life.
the water level is lower in sand due to the slowed movement of water through the medium, as it has a large surface area, creating a slower flow.
this means that, although the sand looks dry, the water is infact more evenly spread throughout the medium, which should provide more efficient watering for your garden.
Cheers 👍
👍
👍👍🍻
Hey Rob, any thoughts on using scoria for the reservoir? I'm trying to source some sand and gravel but can't seem to find coarse sand on offer at the local landscaping places - seems like it's all either brick sand or fine sandpit sand. I've seen a few other folk use scoria and was wondering if there was any particular reason you hadn't used it?
Hey Jake. I like to use the sand as it wicks far better than scoria & other rocks.
I like to maximise the water holding capacity of my reservoirs & have a smaller amount of wicking area/volume moving the water up to the soil. I'm fairly sure that the scoria would not work as well in this situation but would be fine if used in bulk if that makes sense.
Are you here in Oz or elsewhere?
Hope that helps a little.
@@RobsAquaponics Ah, got it! Yeah, I was thinking scoria across the whole reservoir as opposed to just having the centre be the wick as you've done. That was actually the method I had seen first before I found your videos. I'm in Melbourne, but my main challenge is that I've not got access to a vehicle to pick things up, so end up having to go with whatever is available for delivery by local landscaping supply businesses. Would a finer sand create any issues do you think? Because that is an option I saw when looking for a supplier too.
@@djake93 I have used fine sand & it does work. At a guess I'd say that it will still wick better than scoria as a central wick but haven't personally compared the 2.
Hope that helps some.
@@RobsAquaponics okay, thanks! Really appreciate the advice :)
Rob, what do you think of the "Albo Pepper" method of just Aggie pipe with potting soil stuffed between the cracks as a wick? Seems simple (too good to be true)?
Have seen many that use that system & it works fine CTP. 👍 Know a few folks (including the inventor) that just use soil in the base of all their beds.
I had issues with soil in reservoirs going rancid through high rain events here when I first started. That's why I like to use sand in the base of ours & would do the same if I used Albo's methods.
In saying that, I am interested in seeing if an addition of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) into the res in a soil based bed would reduce the smell that our faulty wicking barrels produced. Have planned to try this for a while be never got around to it....
Cheers & happy growing.
Good thinking, I've got some LAB kicking around the fridge, I'll give it a try.
@@cherrytreepermaculture756 Would like to know how it goes if you get a chance to use it in a smelly bed.
i'm curious if you've experimented with other wicking reservoir materials, I'm thinking of things that are a lighter weight option for roof top gardens such as coconut chips or hemp mulch, which have high water holding capacity. So literally the whole reservoir is filled with hemp mulch instead of sand for example. Also wondering if a horizontal pipe at the bottom is really needed; wouldn't the water distribute itself throughout the wicking reservoir?
I have used soil & sand myself but know others that have used wood chip & perlite. The perlite settled down after a while which was just due to the beads being squashed I think.
The Pipe & larger voids I create in the reservoir is more for increasing water holding capacity. I now have beds that have less than ¼ of the base area of the reservoir in contact with the soil & they are working just fine. You can check out these builds here,
th-cam.com/video/InQW7838HrM/w-d-xo.html
Hope that helps some.
Cheers & happy growing.
@@RobsAquaponics thanks!
I was wondering the same about having to have a piece of pipe going across the bottom of the bed to disperse the water. Surely a piece of vertical pipe where the water is poured into would fill the reservoir just as well? Why put a horizontal pipe in?
Good info.
We took the void space of the pipe a step further. We set wire fabric on top of 6” tall can, covered it in weed fabric to hold the soil up, except for 15% that extends into a fabric pocket. Should be a couple weeks worth of water stored and most of the material was recycled bits.
Is Water,Whit and Wisdom still available in Aus?
Apparently so Charlie.
www.waterright.com.au/water_wit_wisdom.html
Cheers.
We ordered rock for This. But the rock is bigger then we ordered. It’s like 2 to 5 inch. Will it work with Rick this big? Any help would be greatly appreciated
I have no idea sorry. I think they got it from a landscaping mb but will double check next visit. 👍
What about deep water culture systems for growing bananas and other fruits?
Not sure a foam raft could hold their weight Sam. They would been some form of scaffolding to help out I'd think.
Sandgardening/iAVS in a dutch bucket style system is perfect for that.
I realize this video is prob pretty old, but I have a question - I guess it would be more of an experiment. What would happen if you were to modify aquaponics and wicking systems. Another words pumping the fish water up to the bottom of a wicking bed. Will the nutrients from the compost and soils kill the fish or feed them? I'm new to it all and if I had a chance to do the experiment as well as the space I would definitely give it a shot
Hey Christopher. Not sure if it was you on another post I answered today so my apologies if I'm repeating myself.
A mate in the US has set up a similar system if you want to suss it out,
th-cam.com/video/7deguakZnOc/w-d-xo.html
It's something I've always wanted to do & am hoping I can fit one or 2 into the new build once we sort out the backyard.
Cheers.
@@RobsAquaponics ty for the reply. I was just curious. Hopefully one day I'll have what used to be the American dream! But for now I'm assed out with indoor (led) bathroom grows for my veggies and medical plants. But I have to say wicking buckets made life just a little easier. Again ty for getting back to me.
Why don't you use biochar instead of sand? I think it would hold more water.
It may float but I like the idea. Some doesn't float so you could use only biochar that sinks.
Would also get compacted very easily as well I think.
Lava rock
It doesn't wick like sand & is more expensive from what I've seen. Still works in a pinch though. 👍
Didn't Chris have several videos about putting some swales and things in his yard for rainwater catchment? What a shame he took down his channel. Not sure what his reasons were, but if he was having trouble from his neighbors or planning authority, that is absolutely terrible if that is why he took down his channel.
He did have a series but I think life just took a different turn for him. All's well with him & the family & have a feeling he might be popping in to look at the well wishes on these clips. 😉👍
Cheers.
@@RobsAquaponics Well that's great to hear it wasn't some noisy neighbors or some busybody bureaucrat.
Glad to hear they are well. I really liked to see he was putting in rain gardens and catchment swales. Hope him and his family continue to do great.
Gravel holds more water and releases it slower. Maybe that’s better?
I think sand is better as it wicks faster. I now focus on reservoirs with much larger voids & use small sections of sand to act as the wicks.
This is an example of what I mean,
th-cam.com/video/InQW7838HrM/w-d-xo.html
I don't run any gravel or sand in my beds. Just organic matter all the way to the bottom, as per Colin Austin's method.
I did a trial here & the neighbours complained about the smell. Didn't help that we had constant rain for a few weeks which didn't allow the water to be used up in a timely manner. If I knew more about it at the time I could have added some EM to help reduce the smell.
The next large beds I build will be soil only in the base along with the slotted pipe.👍
Cheers Tony & happy growing.
What type of organic matter Tony?
@@cherrytreepermaculture756 anything. Compost, coir etc.
❤💚💙💕💕💕💙💚❤
Like
What about just soil?
It can go anaerobic & cause issues if the beds aren't allowed to dry out periodically from what I've seen.
Thank you for replying sir, appreciate it
Wouldn't it be better to use gravel which would impart necessary nutrients into the roots? Sand is nutrient poor.
I'm not sure that gravel would have many available nutrients to offer either. It would need to decompose somewhat for them to become plant available.
The world will see the benefits of using 90% less water to grow food one day.
Until then lets bask in the profits/benefits.
More & More folks are being switched onto to the urgency which is good to see. Am seeing a lot more folks take up the concept of wicking beds allover the place.
Cheers AS & have a top one.
Too bad, he was quite good and interesting
It is a shame but I understand why he did it. 😉
Time to trim them eye brows buddy :)~
😂😂
NEVER!!!!
@@RobsAquaponics Just a little trim man, it will grow back.... mine does.
Wood?
Really the idea is to use what you have around to create a resivore of water for soil moisture, and Plant growth.
That's about it. Many folks will use sand & rock so this will help them. 👍
Cheers & happy growing.
Gee I guess TH-cam won't censor this PC site ..
Not sure what you mean. I'm not trying to be PC, just sharing what I've learned.
@@RobsAquaponics Yes it was a good tube so thanks. My comment came to mind, after seeing politically incorrect websites being censored ad nauseam by TH-cam and other platforms, who treasonously, attack free speech rights .. but your material while very useful is innocuous to their agenda.
@Pc Grova - I wouldn't be so sure of that. Some of those vegetables lean pretty far to the right. :)
285000
Sorry Rodrigo, I don't understand mate.
Attempts to make hydraponic out of earth ... Why? Since my dilemma with a system from scratch made of plastic and metal - why not take care of fertilizers on their own and not drag dirt in the system? In general, this is all bullshit. People just do not understand how growth can actually grow by 100%.
Attempts to make hydroponics out of the ground ... Why? We build a system from scratch from plastic and metal, why not take care of the fertilizers ourselves and drag the dirt into the system? In general, all this garbage, the rules of the HPA. People just don't understand how a plant can grow 100%.
It's not hydroponics at all as you don't add nutrients into the water. It's a basic no dig style bed with a reservoir in the base.
They're great for folks that live in areas of low rainfall or want a basic yet very reliable irrigation method.
Cheers.
@@RobsAquaponics kind of understand what it is. It's a steel box stuffed with plastic. The quick drying of such a container is obvious. This pipe is just a way to solve this problem. All these parts can be used to create a high-performance plant production device. the earth can be used on the ground. in small containers with earth, mycelium still does not develop and there are no bioprocessors. so that the plants will only find themselves spending the remaining reserves in the ground. hydroponics is not about mineral fertilizers, it is about a medium for roots and the lower roots that grow through the geotextile will become hydroponic by definition. will the land have to be changed and geotextiles thrown away? a system with earth that generates polastic garbage. what can I say ...
@@user-fv1uf9bf4r You can add mycelium, bacteria worms & keep it a healthy.
Just need to think outside the box.
@@RobsAquaponics no my friend. you need to think more broadly. in a container, never recreate what is happening in living earth. life cannot be arranged simply by pouring magic powders with "life". I have an idea of what I am talking about, I have been doing hydroponics for several years and at the moment I manage a half gigtare of rural land. I work on the ground. I know mycelium by sight. he will not live in a small iron bank. but it is not even needed there. It seems to me that anyone who deals with plants will find it useful to grow at least something, at least on DWC on minirals (not on this fish nonsense), but not with a compressor with bubbles, but with a pump for circulation. well or constantly spilling coconut with a solution, so it also gets good. so you can understand what the plant is generally capable of. if he lives without stress. This helped me a lot to understand about the physiology of the plant. And I will come to understand that there is not much benefit from a handful of soil closed in a container, while the same volume can accommodate many roots if you remove the soil and, for example, spray a solution inside. well, or just keep the solution there. doing something less productive than it can be is not environmentally friendly.
@@user-fv1uf9bf4r Some people rent and have no choice but to leave the gardens the way they are......some people have very small space......some people have pollutants in soil or dangerous water run-off. Yes, fertile soil is always the best choice, but not always a choice for everyone.
One thing to be careful with- ants love the sand!
But if it's constantly wet... not so much.