question about wicking beds or medium use

[elijahboy]

I want to try the wicking bed method but im trying to use as many free items as possible and trying to keep it as natural as possible

I really don't want to fill the bottom up with rocks or gravel because I already have rocks and gravel throughout my yard and currently trying my best to get them away fro my yard

I was wondering if I could use the fallen branched around the property to create the reservoir at the bottom

I know the branches will rot in the water over time and Im okay with that

Can someone enlighten as to why the branches might not be a good option other than them rotting over time.

There will be a variety of branches collected throughout the property


My plan is line the very bottom in maybe packed clay then collect enough branches till fill half of the wicking bed and cover those in landscape fabric then completely cover that contraption with a layer of sand then a sheet then cover in soil..complete

Im sure in maybe 2 years I will have to remove everything to replace the branches and sticks (from decomposition) but if the branches and sticks leach out nutrients into the water that might be beneficial to the plants I would prefer that than using gravel that i despise

so question is

do you think the tree branches will work in this situation AND
do you think the packed clay in the bottom is doable or do I need to just go ahead and plastic the bottom and say to myself well its better than grocery store veggies

thanks in advance

 

[thistlebloom]

I'm not familiar with The wicking bed concept Elijahboy. Maybe you could give us that don't know a brief explanation, and why you are using that method rather than just planting in the ground.

 

[elijahboy]

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2011-05-31/bottom-diy-guide-wicking-beds

you water from the ground up

I guess I forget to mention there is a pipe coming from the water reservoir at the bottom to the top of the raised bed and you just fil the reservoir from the top so you have less water loss

but what I want ot know is if I could replace the gravel area with old fallen branches

 

[elijahboy]

oh forgot to answer your other question

I have sand for a yard nothing but sand all sand

so to have anything I have to till it with some soil only to have the rain wash all the goodies right back out unless I dig a whole and replace it all with soil then I would need to have a truck deliver the dirt

they are raised bed just modified

I started with like 50 corn plants, watered everyday, 1-1/2 corn plants left yes one and a half, 2 months later, those 1 1/2 are 12 inches high.

 

[digitS']

No time but here is a quick link, Elijah.

Small-scale hugelkultur in raised beds There is a video and you can do a search of hugelkultur to get some ideas that might help.

I have no personal experience but can share a crazy thought or 2 later this afternoon.

Steve

 

[elijahboy]

I saw those but I was hoping to make raised beds with the reservoir in the bottom and was worried if the sticks and branches sitting in the water in the bottom would taint the water in the reservoir

 

[elijahboy]

that's a different method under the same name that I read about thanks so much