Wicking Bed with Worms

Wicking bed technology is a simple way of irrigating plants with up to a 90 % saving in water because water is not left to drain away but captured in a reservoir under the soil surface from which it then wicks upwards to the roots of plants planted above it.

You may not think that water is often an issue in an Irish kitchen garden, but in fact, so far this year rainfall has been minimal and the soil in some parts of my garden was bone dry. I also have an issue with overhanging trees from next door, beds close to a wall, and thirsty conifers sucking every last drop of water from the soil.
Below is bed that receives plenty of sun but virtually no water because of the bushes above it and some overhanging trees (not in photo): (all photos can be enlarged by clicking on them)

Last year virtually nothing grew in here, despite constant watering, and the watering just invited slugs to come and feast.




So I dug out the soil, left it to one side and placed the lid of an old compost bin in the base of the bed. This reservoir rose to a height of a few inches below the old soil surface. Thus when the soil is filled back, the new soil level will be raised further above the edge of the reservoir

Bed dug up with reservoir in place:

I filled the reservoir with a mixture of coir, worm rich rottted horse manure and finished worm castings. I added volcanic granules (oh the irony!!) and pelleted chicken manure for fertility.


Note the upturned plastic bottle ends which will hold extra water and the coir which absorbs water well, but also wicks it up to soil above it.






Vermicompost, manure and worms added to the reservoir:


The worms will break down the organic matter (horse manure/ coir/ minerals/ chicken manure) and deposit their castings in the soil. Because the level of the reservoir is below the final soil level the worms can move in and out of the reservoir and move the fertility with them. The moist environment in the reservoir is ideal for the worms and other soil micro-organisms.









Next the bed is backfilled and planted with climbing french beans and some spinach and salad to the front. I have left another plastic bottle submerged in the centre to fill the reservoir. By not wetting the soil from above, I hope to dramatically reduce slug damage!












But wicking beds don't just make it easier for a lazy Irishwoman to grow a water hungry crop like beans- they could actually help save the world!
To read more about wicking beds go to:
wickingbed.com
Easy Grow Vegetables

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Gardening with Worms

Gardening is the main reason I haven't posted in a while. Spring being the busiest time of year in the garden!

In the past couple of months I've been planting seds transplanting seedlings and preparing beds for plants. Of course vermicompost has been an important part of that!
All my vegetable beds got a good dressing of vermicompost from the big flow through, and indoor bins were harvested to mix with coir to start seeds.
Here's a picture of one of my raised beds in March about a month ago:











And again today:












If you click on the bottom image, you'll see that the broad beans at the back of the bed are already well into flowering, and the garlic have really come on. I can't clain that's all down to Vermicompost, but I'm sure it helped!
The chervil plant at the front of the bed has certainly benefited! I can't remember ever growing a single chervil plant that big. Unfortunately it looks as if it's about to go to seed, and this year's haven't come on yet. I'm really also surprised it survived the hard freezes we had this winter.



Do you want to grow your own but you're not sure where to start? Get advice from the experts.
Click Here!

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