How to make
How to make wicking pots
I just want to share with you how I use what we have at the garden to make wicking pots. But first I'd like to thank Catrina for collecting these buckets! Also thank you other members for the yogurt containers. I have been watching Gardening with Leon to learn different methods of wicking buckets. There are other ways out there but this is to me the simplest. Often wicking beds are heavy as they have a layer of gravel. I am very aware of doing gardening without hurting my back so I want to find another way
First, I drilled holes on both sides of each containers
Then 2 containers in each bucket
Old cotton shirt cut up into strips and tucked into holes in the top bucket.
I tucked the old scarf(from our garden😂) to fill the gap between 2 buckets. This step is important to make sure no gap, so no mosquitoes can lay eggs in the water. The gap is filled completely
Then pour water onto the top bucket, put potting mix in and then plant away
Here is another way. I ran out of the black pot so I used two yogurt buckets as described above. This black pot fits perfectly so no gap between it and the yogurt bucket. This saves my time to water plants and also save lots of water.
The final product
How to make a 'hügelkultur' bed
Some members of our community found the hügelkultur bed useful. Below is a summary of an ABC article outlining what a hügelkultur bed is and how it can be constructed in Australian climatic conditions. For the full article with more information please click here.
What is hügelkultur?
Devised in Austria centuries ago, hügelkultur involves stacking piles of old wood and other garden prunings into a soil-covered mound, creating raised beds that purportedly 'take care of themselves'.
The wood acts like a sponge over time, helping reduce the need for watering, while also slowly releasing nutrients to feed your veggies for years to come.
How to create a hügelkultur bed
1. Place a thick layer of cardboard in the bottom of the bed, to help prevent weed growth.
2. Pile woody material in first, starting with the largest logs and gradually layering smaller branches and sticks on top until about a third of the raised bed is full. Water well.
3. Add a nitrogen-rich layer directly on top of the wood, such as aged manure, grass clippings or compost — this can help counteract nitrogen deficiencies in the early stages of log decomposition.
4. Next, follow the no-dig gardening system and alternate carbon-rich 'brown' materials with nitrogen-rich 'green' materials in lasagne-like layers to fill another third of the bed, watering well between each layer. In my beds, I repeated the following three layers: green garden prunings and compost, then shredded paper, then organic fertiliser. Importantly, I made sure to fill in gaps around the logs and wood material, to prevent air pockets that would dry everything out.
5. Lastly, to fill the top third of the bed, add a thick layer of compost or soil rich in organic matter, and water well.