Wicking Containers - Part 2

  

Double Bucket method

I use the white 15L food storage buckets, as they have a deep neck, and this results in a reasonable reservoir in the base. Also, the 15L bucket is tall enough to allow a reasonable depth of growing medium and so can support a bigger plant. Saying this, latterly I have been able to source left over buckets from Builders.

For the double Bucket method, you will need:

• Any buckets will do, but some buckets work better than others.
• two buckets, preferably with a deep neck
• poly-pipe
• small plant pot
• coir
• growing medium
• mulch

I have grown salad greens, herbs, blue berries, strawberries, carrots, onions, capsicums and tomatoes. So, it is pretty much up to you what you grow.

      

The top (inner) bucket will need two largish holes drilled in the bottom, one for the plant pot and one for the watering poly-pipe.  The largest hole for the plant pot needs to be a snug fit with the lip of the plant pot being unable to pass through the hole. The hole for the watering poly-pipe also needs to be a snug fit so that growing medium does not fall through into the reservoir below.  Multiple small drainage holes need to be drilled into the base of the top (inner) bucket to allow drainage.

    

A drainage overflow hole also needs to be drilled into the side of the bottom (outer) bucket about 90 mm from the base. This is to allow excess moisture to drain away if over watered or if rained on.

When making up your growing medium mix, it needs to contain a reasonable amount of organic matter to help wick the moisture from the water reservoir in your bottom of your outer bucket, up through the wick and into the inner bucket and your plants at the top.  I use hydrated coir, mixed 50:50 with a good quality potting mix.

Plant out and mulch deeply.  Supporting canes and wind protection can also be added.