depends on your container. the plant doesnt have to be over the wick.

But does the soil in the wicking container "water" the upper soil enough?

yes,depends on the container and your soil mix.

Thanks for the answers but can someone be more specific?

H, Julia - the idea is to build or use a soil that has sufficient 'wickability' to keep the soil moist, but not so much that the soil is soggy, with insufficient air. Most SWCs only require 1 wicking assy, unless they are very large, in which case you may need more than 1. If you're looking for best results, HOW you build that soil depends on what you start with. If the soil is too water retentive right out of the bag, you're not going to be able to correct it unless you add significant volumes of larger particulates, so it's better to start with a soil that already has good drainage and aeration, or build one yourself.

Al

Google up earthtainers and you'll find a design that works perfectly. I did much of my gardening in homemade earthtainer-like SWCs last year and did well.

If you're going to do your own thing at least have a look at the size of the wicking cup relative to the container. As long as you stick close to that ratio, the water will wick nearly right to the top - throughout the entire container (not just over top of the wicking cup).

Awesome. Those are the answers I needed. Al, I will be making my own soil so I think I will be good.

Wulfe, I have googled ideas and printed off some ideas. I sure wish I knew where to get 5 gallon buckets free. None of my grocery stores gives them away. But I guess getting them for $2 at Firehouse Subs is better than buying a large container.

Great! Glad to help!

Try restaurants for the buckets. They often get pickles & condiments in 4-6 gallon buckets. I get as many as I need from friends who own a janitorial service and drywall business.

Al