Wicking Containers - Part 1

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   Small Wicking Containers

I am sure many of you will have heard about wicking beds. Even so, I will start at the beginning for those who have not.

The idea is that the bed/pot/container was a water reservoir at its base where you do your watering, this moisture is then 'wicked' up into the soil/growing medium above. You can buy wicking pots/containers (can be expensive) or make your own.

The advantage of this type of bed/pot/container is that your plants have ready accesses to water, the moisture is more consistent, which can prevent your fruit/veggies such as tomatoes, from splitting or becoming water stressed.

So how does a wicking pot/container/bed work?

Self-watering pots and planters have a water reservoir in the bottom part that supplies the soil of your plant with the necessary water through capillary action. This is the same action that allows a sponge to absorb water.  The layout and design of the self-watering pot may vary from pot to pot but the basic principle is the same.  This allows you to water less frequently, as well as checking the soil of your pots to ensure the moisture level is adequate. 

There are different types of self-watering pots available, but the basic principle is the same; water is poured into a reservoir under the plant, which is provided to the plants through wicking action, or capillary action.

I have made three types of wicking containers. 

  1. the simple container, 
  2. the double bucket, 
  3. and the self-watering type.  
In this post we will look at the first of these three types of wicking containers, we will also talk about what plants do well and what does not (lessons learned).

I have made small simple wicking containers using cheap storage containers; however, these are not UV stable and so will become brittle, and may only last you a year tops, but it will get you started whilst you work on a more permanent solution.

You can get harder wearing, or UV stable container that will last a little longer, and also you can paint the container with an external paint with a solar protection in it.  This has the added advantage of stopping algae growing in your reservoir if your container is semi opaque.

For a simple wicking container, you will need:

  • a waterproof container
  • some poly-pipe
  • a bulky filler (polystyrene, straw, gravel)
  • a barrier (weed mat, hessian)
  • growing medium
  • mulch

     
Gather your tools and equipment. Measure and cut poly-pipe to create a 'U' shaped irrigation pipe, cut slots or drill holes along the bottom pipe on the lower edge.  Wrap bottom pipe with the holes/slots in a barrier. This helps to keep roots, filler and growing medium out of the irrigation pipe.  Fill the reservoir space with a bulky filler which leaves lots of gaps, for example 20mm gravel, polystyrene, and in this example straw.

    

Fill the reservoir space with a bulky filler which leaves lots of gaps, for example 20mm gravel, polystyrene, and in this example straw.  Separate the reservoir and growing medium spaced with a barrier, here I have used hessian, but I have also used weed mat. Slightly higher than the barrier, drill an overflow hole in the side of the container.  This will stop your plants from drowning if it rains and there is no cover on your container.

    

On top of the barrier, fill with a growing medium, this needs to have a high organic percentage to help 'wick the moisture from the reservoir.  Option is to cover your container, this is a good option to improve germination, however, make sure you check regularly to ensure mildew does not form, or seedlings do not rot off because the humidity is too high.  Once your plants germinate, you will need to remove the cover to allow for good air movement and to stop your plants from overheating if in the sun.  As the plants grow, mulch to conserve the moisture. 

If you have not painted the outside of the opaque containers, you will be able to see the level of your moisture, it must be in contact with the barrier.  The only problem with this is that you will bet algae growing in your reservoir. Alternatively, water until water just starts to emerge from your overflow.

To prevent mosquitoes getting into your reservoir, you can cover the ends of the poly-pipe.


This is a low-cost option to get you started and there are lots of options for containers, some better than others. Blue barrels cut in half length ways is another option with the advantage of being able to plumb these together.

If you are wanting some early salad greens or herbs, they are great to sow direct, cover with plastic like a little mini greenhouse, or use the lid if semi opaque and get a head start, as the soil in these containers heats up more quickly than the ground, so better germination rate for the spring salad crops.

These simple wicking containers are great to get you started, if you are renting, have limited space or in temporary accommodation and fancy some fresh greens.


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