The Wicking Bed Experiment in The Giving Garden

Mrs. Beiter and Mrs. Miller, our garden experts, have added something very exciting and new to The Giving Garden this summer.  Two new beds were built, thanks to Mr. Braden, and one was made into a Wicking Bed.  Wicking beds are used a great deal in Australia where the climate is very hot and dry.  Plastic lines the bottom of the bed and a layer of gravel is put down before the soil is added.  A large plastic pipe is sticking out of the bed and water is put in that pipe delivering much-needed moisture to the bottom of the bed keeping the plants' roots just moist enough.  We have had a hot and dry July, so this is an ideal way to keep bed watered.  Our other new bed does not have this -- so the students can compare when they get back which plants are healthier and growing more robustly. If this works well, we would like to do this for all of our beds in The Giving Garden.