You see you can get everything right - you can choose the right space, have the best quality potting mix, and what's more, a plant in the peak of its season - but time and time again it is water that derails the entire operation; more specifically, people not able to find the time to water their plants.

Wicking beds use the age old idea of capillary action to draw moisture through the soil from a reservoir below. That way plants then decide when to use water and how much to use. After initial surface watering to get them set up, the gardeners' ongoing challenge (and a much more manageable one) is to keep the reservoir topped up. This becomes a fortnightly job, rather than a daily job where the process normally falls over. 

A few years ago we teamed up with Glowpear and our friends at Taxi Dining Room to embark on a 3-month self-watering challenge where we tested just what can be grown in a single unit, over the peak of summer. Most people assume that come summer, starting a veggie patch is gardening insanity. This challenge was designed to prove otherwise.

Self-Watering Systems in our shop.

Learn more about self-watering beds in another post Wicking Beds 101

Related videos:

Self-Watering Challenge: Finale

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 3

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 2

Music:
"La Fata Morgana (con Lucrecia Dalt)
Los Amparito
losamparito.bandcamp.com

The fourth and final installment of our self-watering challenge. We continue trialling an exciting new wicking bed product. The Glowpear Self-Watering Garden is a modular planter specifically designed for growing a wide range of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in the urban environment.

An iconic, contemporary design aesthetic and durable construction make these modern planters perfect for balconies, courtyards, decks and patios, while clever design features ensure they are ready for use on any surface, indoor or out.

In this episode, Mat has slacked off and has pest problems, while LLoyd remains true to the cause.

Self-Watering Systems in our shop.

Related videos:

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 3

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 2

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 1

Music:
"La Fata Morgana (con Lucrecia Dalt)
Los Amparito
losamparito.bandcamp.com

"Memory"
Barbara Streisand
itunes.apple.com/au/album/memories/id192485121

Three and a bit months into our self-watering challenge, Little Veggie Patch Co founder Mat Pember and Glowpear co-founder Lloyd Fenn are getting strong results from their patches. 

In this episode Lloyd has a bumper harvest of basil and Mat finds a way to turn his garden into summer cocktail bliss.

Check out some Self-Watering Systems in our shop.

Related videos:

Self-Watering Challenge: Finale

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 2

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 1

Music:
"La Fata Morgana (con Lucrecia Dalt)
Los Amparito
losamparito.bandcamp.com

The self-watering challenge enters its second month, and like you, we are hungry for results. The powerful force of instant gratification is stronger than ever and it's not that we don't mind a slow burn - in fact No Country for Old Men is one of our favourite films. However, in this moment we eagerly await to see what condition our condition is in.

Thankfully the patches have not let us down. After a couple of weeks of surface watering the wicking system is in cruise control. As most traditional gardens struggle with the mid-summer (and even worse, hydrophobia!), our plants are in the unusual state of cruise control normally reserved for winter.

With our watering duties simply a process of keeping the reservoir full, it's a matter of conquering any pest problems that come our way (can you tell the difference between caterpillar damage vs snail damage?).... and finding good uses for the abundance of produce. This month Taxi Kitchen showed us how to make the most of red veined sorrel. 

Self-Watering Systems in our shop.

Related videos:

Self-Watering Challenge: Finale

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 3

Self-Watering Challenge: Month 1

Music:
"La Fata Morgana (con Lucrecia Dalt)
Los Amparito
losamparito.bandcamp.com