Hi all!

I was roaming around Youtube (as one does) and got onto all the self-watering techniques (I LOVE my homemade Earth-box-type thing!).

The Self-watering gutter set up with the float was cool- but I was wondering if anyone has tried the...Aussie?... technique of the wicking bed?

Now this is NOT "wicking" as in using some kind of cloth or string wick that dangles in some water... what they are calling a wicking bed is more like an earthbox - a vessel/box/bucket with a water reservoir at the bottom that you fill through a watering tube. There's an overflow hole to ensure you don't overfill...

The difference is that an earthbox has a perforated platform dividing the container inside into a space for water below and a space for potting mix above.

These wicking beds use a bed of sand or gravel. The pipe fills the gravel with water and the potting mix is sitting on top of the gravel - no divider.

I'm looking for feedback from anyone who has used this system (If I'm not explaining it well, you can go to youtube and search for WICKING BED GARDEN). It just strikes me as so much easier than making an earthbox! Just get a container, lay your flex pipe, throw in the gravel, throw in the dirt and GO.

Anyone tried this technique?

:)