Self watering Wicking bed, IBC beds with a few modifications..
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Self watering Wicking bed, IBC beds with a few modifications
Hi folks. This clip shows a few modifications I've been making to the IBC wicking beds when constructing them.
The extra water holding capacity reduces the frequency of watering needed during the warmer months making them a bit more time efficient as well.
You can check out our latest Wicking bed build here,
• How to Make a Self Wat...
I would just like to thank Colin Austin for sharing his wicking bed idea freely with the world. It is great to see all the ways people have used this idea to come up with their own versions. I am a huge fan of wicking beds with the majority of the plants grown here coming from a wicking bed or wicking Root Pouch gardens. They help to conserve water & save you a lot of time watering.
Hope you enjoyed the clip & your gardens are booming.
Cheers all,
Rob
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Share the clip around with family & friends if you think they'll enjoy it too. 🌱 🍅🍆
Cheers all & have a top one. 😊
Rob
I appreciate how you give your measurements in metric and standard!
No problem Tim.
Although, most folks I talk to would say Standard & American. 😉😅
Cheers & have a top one mate.
I just unscrewed my first ibc tote, I’m in ks if that helps anyone wondering about bit size. The majority of star screws required the T40 size bit but there were two total screws that required T30 so I’d say buy a kit of sizes because more than likely your tank will require at least two but incase you need more you’ll have them
I've noticed a lot of the schutz are Torx bits.👍
The last lot I got were Phillips head & have also had a few with normal bolt heads as well. 👍
I made my first wicking bed from your model a couple years ago... you are still the best I have found for a video breakdown! I have shared this video with friends that have been interested! Such a great explanation, thank you!
From the State of Texas in the ole U.S.A.Thanks for the video's. I have a Aquaponic in my back yard. Your knowledge has helped me a lot. Again, Thanks.
Hey there Phil..
Hope it gives you a few good ideas on setting some up..
AP can be a bit addictive can't it ;)
Cheers & all the best,
Rob..
Another fellow Texan, will be making two beds in the next few weeks, thank you for sharing this information.
I really appreciate you explaining why you use the sand as the wicking material instead of soil. I hadn't seen that advice anywhere else.
You can use soil as well as long as it doesn't have a lot of organic matter in it. It tends to putrefy & from my experience. I have made some new beds with a very sandy soil mix in the base to show how they work & will have a clip posted on them soon.
Cheers & Happy Growing
Cheers
Nice build. I have a wicking bed that I made from an IBC too. I use 110mm PVC pipe that I cut slots, lengthwise in it with a circular saw. I added a 90 degree elbow that turns the reservoir pipe into the fill pipe. Part way up the fill pipe I made a hole through both the fill pipe and the IBC at the level I wanted the water to not go any higher and inserted a small pipe ~10mm. This makes it easy for excess water to drain out. Over the reservoir pipe across the bottom I added pea gravel then a cloth designed to stop roots. After that I filled the rest with compost and dirt. I find it works even better if you do not allow rain to fall on it as the top of the soil stays so dry the weeds stop germinating after the first bit.
Hey Frederick..
Sounds like a great build..
I find that a thick mulch works well & also provides the compost worms with a load of food.. Need to run out & get some more manure to feed up a few of the beds..
Cheers & all the best..
Rob, I am finding your ingenuity and resourcefulness very encouraging. I have started collecting the bits and pieces for an aquaponics system. I have three IBCs, an existing greenhouse, plenty of water and power. I've just got to get my head around the plumbing and filters. Your site is very helpful!.
Glad you've gotten a few ideas Mark.. Feel free to write up a list of questions for the visit mate :)
Cheers..
Have had a few days where around 100mm has fallen, doesn't happen too often but it can happen Brendan.. All our beds are wicking beds here as we started to build them during the last drought.. They were the most "water wise" way of gardening that I could find at the time.
Just ask what has been in the IBCs first if you get some. I prefer tanks that have had food stuffs in them.. Doesn't always mean they are non toxic but they would be easier to clean out than petrochemicals I would think. TBC
Great info, so happy you gave more emphasis on the of quality of the soil.
I ordered 4 IBCs, 2 to store water, 2 to create beds using your example. This is fantastic. Thank you Rob Bob.
Nice one Russ. Hope the builds went smoothly mate. 👍
You can drill the drain hole at the bottom of the tank and attach a flexible hose to use as a standpipe. Then you don’t need the fabric over the hole, and you can control the water level.
Hi Rob, you have inspired my husband who has built a 12 by 4.1m hoop house to shelter our veggies from the ferocious Darwin sun. He is still furnishing it with your IBC wicking beds hopefully in time for the growing season.
Many thanks for your quick reply, I found a Hydroponics store in Epping, Victoria and I will try that.
👍
My plan is to use one IBC tote for one garden bed. I will still cut the tote in half but not the cage. The cage will be elevated above the bed and wire screen will be attached as deer inhabit my back yard. Great updated video.
Nice one Terry. Have thought about doing something similar & turning the base into tool storage for the patch.
Hope the build goes well.
Super info! I'm in Tucson, Arizona; currently using some new raised beds. I have room to place a couple of these wicking beds, and hope to do that soon. Thanks for sharing!!!
Nice one Pam.
Hope the builds go well for you.
Cheers,
Rob.
You got it right with the cage Helen. Helps to keep the sharp edges covered in they are facing down.
For the base I just dig out a little hollow for the moulding to sit in.
For the top, I dig a small hollow out for the cap. I build up the soil either side of the cap to allow for the depression in the top of the tank that you see when it is sitting upright.. This helps to level out the base of the flipped tank. Hope that helps some. Let me know if you need more info.. Will be back on later today.
Have never noticed IBCs around here until this year. A couple were in a garage sale, back of a truck & here n there in our travels,not so much as wicking beds.Not sure if they would survive the winter so I'm thinking of getting one & filling it with beer! :))
well done
Thanks Jeffery. 👍
Thanks for sharing these ideas and design Rob. I took it on board and my grow beds are going great guns. Thankyou 🙏🙏🙏
Am glad they're growing well for you SHE. 😁👍 I hope to be whipping a few more up here as soon as we level out the back patch a bit more.
Cheers & happy growing. 🌱🍅🥦
I like the ibc concept, but I just spent an hour reading Colin Austin's own discussions of wicking beds and I won't be adding rock or sand when I get to build mine. Soil building materials all the way down!
Use whatever works for you. 👍 I have experimented with sand & soil & found the sand to be the best for my purposes.
I also focus on creating a large water holding void which Colin doesn't.
Cheers & happy growing.
Thank you! Will try this today! 🥳
Have fun with the build Jenny.
Thanks for all the tote ideas. I am going to try this with the free IBC totes I get from a local distillery. I'm also going to try IBC Kratky method. I'll shoot some video of the build
Hope the build went well Dennis. 👍👍
Thank you. The pictures look great. Can't wait to start gardening this summer.
Hope you have fun in the patch & grow some great crops :-)
Cheers..
Great video. We're putting together a half dozen IBC wicking beds before our aquaponics greenhouse begins, so this has been a great resource.
Cheers!
Nice one Sebastien.. How's the build gone for you so far ?
Cheers...
We finished three of the beds three days ago (six to go). We used 20mm scoria in the reservior with a perforated 40mm pvc fill pipe. A bit of old shad cloth over that, then a mix of chook poo, cow poo and mushroom compost, layered with soil and straw. We put a 200mm pvc pipe in with a cap as a compost worm farm. Now we've already got Broccoli and Cabbage sprouting - three days!!
Thanks again for your video.
Sebastien Wolfe
No problem...
Have been enjoying following the build on Instagram BTW..
Cheers mate..
Bad Ass! Can't wait to build/try one of these out! Thanks!
Nice one Jojo.. Am glad the clip's given you a few ideas..
Have fun with the build..
Rob..
Excellent. I have looked for some of these container. I do not live in a area of industry anymore. I looked at buying some but seams pretty cost inhibiting . Can't even find used ones. I just want one to try Irish potatoes in, the nematodes are such a problem here in south Florida. Only commercial growers can obtain the pesticide to kill them. My dumping lots of organic matter does not have to slowed them down one bit. I like those containers. Best of luck from Florida.
Hi there Garden Fawks..
Probably once a week during summer here but only topped them up every other week during winter this year.. Still like to give the seedlings a watering in every day until they are established though..
Hope that helps sir & take it easy..
Rob..
No problem John.. They are fairly easy once you get your head around it.. A very versatile bed system I think..
Enjoy the build :)
I hope they do & am still thinking corn still at the moment..
Thanks & all the best...
Rob.
down here in victoria i have bathtubs (plug siliconed in to use as sheep water troughs), and they fill themselves up at least 4/5, just from rainwater. this is good. i have an IBC that wouldn't hold water (leaks very slowly) and was gonna just chuck it away but though there must be something I can use it for. was intending to get a bathtub or something to grow a BIG mint patch in (mint tea), but may just use this way. IBC is already sitting on the front lawn.
Should work well as a wicking bed if you can plug the leak with a bit of silicone..
Cheers Mate & all the best for 2014..
Will keep it in mind for future barrel builds as it would be interesting to see how they run side by side..
Thanks & have a great one..
Rob.
Wonderful
Cheers Bruce :)
Dude - you are a legend - thanks for all of this - your vid is going to make my work a whole lot easier in a couple of weeks when I turn my IBC's into wicking beds.
+The Yarn Tree
Glad the clips given you a few ideas 👍
How many are you making up?
Have a great one.
three - really looking forward to it.
+The Yarn Tree
Nice one.
Have fun with the build.
Cheers.
I'll flick you some photos when I've finished.
+The Yarn Tree
Sweet :-) 👍👍
Koo & I planted out a few beds the other day.. I put corn & bush cucumbers in mine & Koo planted out sunflowers, beans, rock melon & carrots in hers.. Will be interesting to see how they both go so densely planted out..
Cheers mate & have a great one..
Rob.
very nice set up there.
Dad sat their bed on the base & I gave them some of my spare ones so they could use them for the top ½.. Also good for keeping fire wood off the ground & away from termites :)
so keen for spring and getting back into the garden!
a lotta love went into that! i bet whatever you plant in there grows well.cool.
Hello from NYC, great video, lots of good information. I have a small veggie garden and have been using self watering buckets to plant in, they have been working out well, but I really like your use of drainage pipes to fill the bottom of the containers . I think I can use the drainage pipe at the bottom of my raised beds instead of drip irrigation. You have inspired me to make a better growing area in my little yard. Thank you for your videos and please keep posting. Regards from M.
+Marianne Debrizzo
That's great to hear Marianne. I hope they work out well for you 👍
Are you looking at using pond liner or some form or builders plastic to line the base?
WHO in gawd's name would give this video a thumbs down? who are these 39 people?
Thanks Rob. 👍
Doesn't bother me much as I normally get a few within minutes of posting any vid.
Cheers.
Nice job, Rob. Thank you.
Hi there Robert..
Hope the clip gives you a few ideas..
Cheers sir :)
I'm in my second year using wicking beds. I use only potting mix soil with 6 inch perforated pipe. No problems of anaerobic, but I may try your method. I have also thought about using bio-char, good video Rob.
Nice one Sidney. 👍 I know others that have had no issues as well, I just like to play it safe after some of our first beds went a tad manky.
Cheers & happy growing mate. 🌱🌱
Hi Rob, I found all your clips on wicking beds. So no need to reply on my request. Thans!. I'm enjoying learning from your videos.
Hi Rob Just Been Watching your Video very good look forward to seeing some more
Hey Charlie.. Have a few updates on this garden if you're interested..
I think the latest is ua-cam.com/video/CAPhpTB1tBo/v-deo.html
Hope the clips give you a few ideas..
Rob..
Rob, I was never interested in gardening because kneeling on the ground and cultivating dirt just never appealed to me. When I heard about aquaponics I said: that seems like a doable project because there was no bending or dirt involved once the system is set up. During my UA-cam searches I ran across your videos and took an interest in all that you were doing, especially when you went to aquaponics. I just completed my first IBC wicking bed today and couldn't wait to get my hands in the dirt LOL. I have 2 more underway as well as a Kratky IBC. Thanks for all the videos and hard work you do for us rookies.
Hi Jeff.
It's great that the clips have helped you out in some way mate.. It still blows me away when I get feed back like yours & really appreciate you taking the time to let me know how I've helped..
Let me know if you have any questions on the AP build.. Are you in Australia?
Have a great weekend,
Rob..
RobBobs Backyard Farming I'm in the Detroit, Mi area. Just finished my beds and planted some strawberries in one. Darn birds or squirrels got to them the first day. Took care of that with some netting.
Jeff Sullivan Hope that keeps the pests at bay Jeff.. Had a rat eating the grain from the sprouting units in the aquaponics last week but sorted it out with some fresh sweet corn in a trap ;)
Cheers mate..
No probs. that all makes sense. Now just got to get the job done. Also trying to think of a way to use the extra bits left over...hmmm.
Hope that helps some Brendan..
All the best to you & yours..
Mr RB..
Thanks & I shall pass it on..
Have a great one :)
The 4 new ones I made this week had the rock coming up around the drain pipe to help with the drainage if that helps.. Flooded one after the sand went in to see how it worked & was most impressed... Hope that helps a bit :)
Thanks & enjoy he build..
Rob.
I am thinking of adding more rock in the drain pipe corner so it covers it completely then adding the weed cloth & then sand over that.. It would have the same effect as what you described I think. I have the next bed in place ready to add the rocks & sand to today so shall give that a crack..
Thanks for helping me make up my mind & having a go at it :)
Cheers & all the best,
Rob, not Bob ;)
Any straw should do Wayne. The straws main job is to keep the soil out of the sand while it settles I have found. Don't think there would ever be enough water flow through the soil to wash it into sand.
The large garden bed has been in for 4 years & still works great we think. The only beds I have had to remake are the ones that suffered root intrusion due to a poor job on my part.. Have one behind the aquaponics at the moment that has mango roots all through it :(
TBC
Great - all explained now. All I've got to do is source some IBCs
Great viedo thank you
Hey John.
I still build them the same way as this clip but instead of rock in the corners I pack them with small sections of the slotted pipe with their ends sealed off. I figure they will hold more water than the gaps between the rocks. Let me know if you need a pic to see what I mean & I'll post it to my community wall here on UA-cam. 👍
My recent 3 beds were built slightly differently again & I've been VERY happy with the one that's been fully planted out.
This is a clip of the updated version recently that may interest you,
ua-cam.com/video/InQW7838HrM/v-deo.html
Cheers John & happy growing.
Rob with the rougher rock saw that Murray Hallam protected his liner with a bit of foam that was in his Indy system
In the past few beds I made after this one I used alfalfa/lucerne hay that I ran over with the lawnmower to make it a finer mulch. I really think any straw or hay would do.. Hope that helps some Bob & Zoe..
Rob. :)
Thanks Karen :)
Cheers..
Really like your videos. Good stuff.
A cool short cut (pun intended) to splitting the tank on the IBC:
Make one center mark on each of the four sides, tip the assembly over, shim with paint cans and wood, use the cage as a straightedge to scribe your line all the way around. :-)
I was thinking of using this idea for a fruit tree in a greenhouse (by just cutting off the top 8 inches).
Hi there & thanks for that. Have been using the cage to mark out the last few tanks that got the chop.
Have a great one.
very nice video. good job, Rob. give my regards to ur family.
+jck qld Can't tag you here but have left this on your page..
I think you will have problems with the water wicking up that high once the water level drops in the reservoir.. Like Chris mentioned (comment below on jck's page) I think the water will go stagnate & you could run into other problems..
Another option that my father went with was to build trays off the ground for my Mum.. They are only around 400mm deep all up but they still manage to grow out some great crops in them... He used sheet metal that was lined with the 200um builders plastic as the trays & has them sitting on a frame made up of recycled gal pipe..
I saw below that you mentioned IBC style beds being an option.. They would be easy enough to set up on some besser bricks with sleepers as supports underneath, just like a lot of the aquaponic folks do for their grow beds.. Would be a lot cheaper than welding up a tray bed & stand too ;-)
Hope that helps some mate & would love to know what you end up settling on..
Cheers John..
Should do fine I think Clive.
I am going to add some lucerne hay (after it has been run over with the lawn mower to chop it up finer) into the next bed Clive. The thing is I won't know how it goes really unless I pull he bed apart which I hope I won't need to do. It is really only there until the soil settles as there won't really be enough water flow through the top of the bed to wash the soil into the sand I think.. Hope that makes sense & helps you out..
Cheers,
Rob.
I have used that method as well but its too cold to be dipping tour hands in water here at the moment!! Was 5°C last night !!!
Cheers sir :)
Nice
Thanks
I have watched a couple of your video's on this subject and they have been extremely helpful! I am looking to build 4 smaller versions of these on my balcony and I was completely lost until you posted this! I am so much more excited to plant my seeds now!
Cheers Kamakaze.. Have seen some great looking balcony set ups made with just broccoli boxes..
Have fun with the build,
Rob..
Rob Bob Well I have done it... I can already see some modifications I will make next year :) Pretty excited to see things start to grow! Thanks again!
Nice one kamakaze112..
Hope they grow you loads of food :)
Cheers..
Hi Rob,
I've just finished building an aquaponics setup (Murray Hallam type setup). I used a little Dremel oscillating saw with a knife attachment to cut up the IBC's. Worked really well & you don't need someone else to hold the thing like you do with a jigsaw.
Wicking beds are next on the list now :)
Your wicking beds look great. Can you show us how much food one produces.
Hi there.. I post pictures on our social pages of some of the food we harvest from the beds if you are interested..
facebook.com/Bitsouttheback
instagram.com/bits_out_the_back
plus.google.com/u/0/+RobBob/posts
Like most folks we have our ups & downs..A few of the beds out the front are very lightly planted at the moment.. Have started to harvest a small crop of sweet corn over the past few days though which we have been enjoying..
Hope that helps some..
All finished - got a CHOP system set up & first veges are in. Making your radial flow filter this weekend and putting that in. Water is a little murky because I didn't wash the gravel first :(
Added some Charlie Carp tonight, so hoping I'll start seeing some nitrates over the next week or so.
Once it all settles down, we'll be ordering some sleepy cod from the hatchery up on the Sunshine Coast :-)
Cheers
A suggestion for the tote drain would be to put a 90deg fitting on the end of the drain pipe. Wrap it in fabric and face the opening downward. Sand will not clog it as easy and the water will seep . i find it keeps the fabric from blocking up.
Great info thank you
Hope it gives you a few ideas Kevin..
Cheers & have a great one,
Rob..
Have found them to work great for us Larry.. I started out just with styrofoam broccoli boxes & saw how well they worked.. Is a very Lazy way to garden in my opinion when compared to others..
Had a low of 5.4°C/41.7°F last night & am expecting a high of 21°C/70°F today, so still chilly ;)
Have a great one Larry..
Thank you for the ideas
No problem James & hope they give you a few ideas to try out yourself..
Cheers & have a great weekend,
Rob..
Great to read...
Hope it all goes well for you..
Cheers
I think the soil in this bed should be fairly clean Peter.. From what I read heirloom corn is resistant to them so shouldn't need to do a treatment on this bed..
Thanks for the PM too, have responded but you have probably seen that :)
Cheers Sir..
Legend! Thanks for the ideas and sharing of knowledge
Cheers Dane & hope the clip gives you a few ideas..
Have a great one,
Rob.
Looking good. I would have loved to have this video a couple of years ago when I started building wicking gardens :). We,l
We haven't grown mushrooms for a year or 2 now.. I am looking at trying to set up a small patch down the back but that won't be happening for a while yet..
The beds settle all by themselves, & watering them helps a bit too..
Hope that helps :)
Rob.
The totes we get are the 275gal/1000L ones..
I have found that large plants like tomatoes do better in beds, wicking or not, rather than barrels.. To tell you the truth we don't grow many tomatoes here due to Queensland fruit flies stinging them.. Hope to have a good crack at them this year in a hoop house covered in insect netting..
I have used elbows before & haven't noticed much difference between the 2.. I do know someone that used fine sand & had their overflow clogged up with sand.. TBC
Bit of both Chris.. When we go to sell up I would like them to appeal to potential buyers & I think clad beds would do that more than painted ones.. Not really fussed myself, as long as they grow I would be happy :) Also looking at doing the same for the aquaponics..
All the best :)
Definitely doing this in 2019
Have fun with the build Tina & happy growing. 🌱🌱🙂
Thanks, tried those other years ago and failed. Only thing that works is the pesticide. The only thing to do is move the growing area or grow above ground. I am wondering about my sweet potato crop. I used the oil and rototilled it in and used a lot. Planted a cover crop of Marigolds and rototilled them in years past. One time with the Pesticide and they were gone for three years. I need one of the IBC to grow my white potatoes. BEST OF LUCK FROM SOUTH FLORIDA...
Certainly is my name but have been called many others ;)
That could be a way to make it flow a lot easier but I haven't had any problem so far with the sand.. The only time I have had them clog is when ants or mud wasps build nests in them from the outside.. My father went & covered the outside of the pipe on the wicking pots I made for them with shade cloth so that doesn't happen..
TBC
Have never had one of the pipe arrangements clog up from the inside Scott & I think having them on the wall lets you know when the water as soaked all through the reservoir..
Could rig something like what you suggest easily enough I think.. It would help with over filling the beds as that can happen resulting in some wastage of water.. I do think that happens in some of our older beds but not these new ones..
Thanks & have a great one sir..
Rob :)
Have spent a lot more time out there over the past week & loving it.. Think I might even get all he jobbies done before the warm season starts this year :D
Enjoy the dirt & warmth :)
Rob.
Have found that sand wicks really well here... I mainly use bedding or course sand if that helps..
Cheers,
Rob.
Hi there *****..
Some of the IBC for this build had fertiliser in them, others came from the soft drink industry & am not 100% sure on where the blue ones had in them as we got them washed out & cut up as a gift from some online friends.. All that was really needed was a bit of a hose out..
Best way to get cleaning instructions for the various liquids that were in the tanks is to search for the product material safety data sheet (MSDS) on line or call the manufacturer I've found.. Most will be only to willing to help..
Hope that helps some & have a great one..
Rob..
Thank you Rob for this...I have been watching your video's for a while and really love what you do, I have my first IBC waiting to go. We get a bit of rain here in the Vic alps so the idea with the gravel is a good thing for us. keep up the good work.
I find it is best to connect the overflow directly to you drainage pipe reservoir, this way it is impossible for the overflo to get blocked.
Have never had an issue with these blocking but I can see the logic behind your set up.
Cheers & happy growing.
Hi Rob, thanks for another great video! I’m just in the process of converting some raised garden beds into wicking beds. I’ve just received my liner, I got HDPE plastic from Kogan of all places! The previous liner I bought was PVC, and it stunk, so I’m happy I changed to HDPE, which has no smell.
My next issue is what do I put in the water reservoir, sand or gravel? I watched a video on your channel of an experiment done using sand or gravel, and the sand seemed to come out on top for wicking etc, but now I watch this video and you’ve used a combination of both.
Just wanted to clarify, with your experience, that this is the best method? Gravel around the inlet pipe, covered with weed matting or geotextile, then sand, then sugar cane mulch, then soil.
Thanks for all the information you put out there, really appreciate it!
The rock in these beds was to bulk out the area to produce voids for water & not there to wick water Sharon. 👍 You could pop sand there if you wanted to.
Cheers & hope the build goes smoothly.
buen trabajo,
Rosa Tula Thanks Rosa. Happy gardening.
Rob
That was awesome Rob :) My wife and I were talking about getting a few IBC beds like this for the back yard and I never thought about the layers :) of different materials :) Gave me a bit to think about Rob :) Thanks bro.
Colin Austin is now saying to leave out rocks and shade cloth. Just go complete soil. Have you tried it Rob? I'm building my bed tomorrow, will forgo rocks and shade cloth.
Hi Kurt & sorry I didn't get back to you in time.
Colin runs his beds a bit different to mine. I like to have water in there at all times if I can where last time I saw his work he was still recommending the beds are allowed to dry out some.
I did have a few barrels that had soil in the reservoir level & ended up with really bad odours coming from it. That's been my experience for what it's worth. 👍
I hope they work well for you however you built them mate.
Cheers & happy growing.
Perfect...absolutely PERFECT!
For the outlet, have you thought about using a small hose on the inside that goes from the drain hole into the ag pipe? That'd keep the little bits from clogging up the outlet.
Don't really need to worry about that here with the IBC or the barrels Gordon Pilcher but would in a plastic lined bed if I was going to include rock with the sand.. Have seen & done a few experiments with rock & it just doesn't wick as well sand so will stick with sand as being the main wicking material in my builds.. Still think it is a good idea to include rock as it does help create more voids for water..
Here is a clip on an experiment another great Aussie tuber has done on the comparison between the 2..
You can skip ahead to 9:45 for Chris Towerton's little experiment
Wicking Bed Pt 1 - Permaculture Our Urban Design: Part 15
I have found that they work great Brock.. Just don't drive a stake through the bottom to tie a tomato to ;)
Nearly did that to one of our other beds a few years ago... Would of taken a fair bit of work to fix it :D
All the best sir... Hope your enjoying the easy life ;)
Cheers..
Had to put it on the discussion page on your wall as the message was blocked..
Hope the info helps Cheers,
Rob.
Thanks for the video Rob. It gives me a few ideas for when I get my wicking beds done. That will be very soon I hope :)
Excellent video Rob, I don't think there are any questions to be asked about your process. I had dismissed this as pointless here but John (Productivegarden) told me you had torrential rain at times and the IBCs worked well. I might have to make a phonecall to a guy who can get me IBCs.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
Good info Rob. Dave
G'day Rob. You've had these a few years I gather, how well has the IBC plastic stood up to the sun with just paint for protection? I'm trying to decide whether to bother making a timber cover for them, or whether the paint does a good job of protecting them long-term.
Paint has worked for 90% of them SG. It does scratch off after a while. My next ones will be clad to better protect them I think.