Backyard Farming Forum
Bringing food production home

Does the water and/or soil ever get stagnant and sour in the bottom of the bed? I just went out to our chinese water chestnuts that have been sitting in 2-3 inches of water for a few months and lifting the pots out of the water, they stink....! SO I was wondering how or why wicking beds get past this?

I was thinking of setting up some bathtub wicking beds, I figured a really easy way to do them would be to incorporate the same style of standpipe and outer surround we use in the aquaponics, into the bathtub.. That way the standpipe sets the water level, you use the natural drain hole of the bath, and the outer standpipe surround gives you your viewing point, water top up point..

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www.backyardfarming.com.au
Bringing Food Production Home

The stand pipe idea is grand, go with it.

As for the stagnant water I have had no problem over summer as the water slowly circulates as it gets wicked up as the bed dries and replace with fresh water from the bottom up when I water. Last winter as not very wet at all but during rainy periods the water did get a bit of a funk going on but it was an earthy organic aroma and it didn't seem to bother the frogs so it can't have been too rancid.

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Why did the chicken cross the road? ... To have her motives questioned.

I did notice a bit of stink in my small bed at one stage but only when I took the cap off the inspection tube and put my nose to close

I can't see any problem with a bit of stink water being in there as long as you can't smell it in your yard, plants love stinkwater, its just like weed or compost tea. Putting a cap on your inspection riser stops the smell and the mosquitoes.

If the presence of stink water bothers you; you could use no riser and attach a flexible tube to the bottom of the drain with so you can regulate resiviour depth by raising or lowering the pipe. If it gets stinky, dump it into a bin and pour it back through the bed after leaving the bed to dry out for a day or two. I am thinking of doing my next bed this way so I can drop the water level down to nothing in winter if the need should arise.

EB go with the stand pipe as long as you can seal it where i can i just use a tap on the bottom and if the bed gets to wet or stinks just drain it on in heavy rain leave the tap on i just use an ordinary brass yard tap
You know there's more than one way to skin a cat

Like this

And dont forget the worms and if you use the tap method you can use the juce as worm juce for other plants

i know Sweet FA about wickign beds (looking to set some up for root veg and potatoes though ) cbut could you put 1 or 2 small airstones in the scori/gravel? then have them turn on periodically on a small airpump or off a larger one if you have AP???

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Science: An attempt to understand the world.
Oftem contains big words that are unnecessary.
My System: http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... &sk=t&sd=a

You can if you want to but i don't see the benefit

Cool, I hadn't thought about having a tap and draining it completely if it gets a bit stale...

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www.backyardfarming.com.au
Bringing Food Production Home

Just emptied and moved one from a shady corner to a better position and added two new ones.
I’m putting agripipe on the bottom, one end onto an elbow, covering with gravel that forms a ridge above the pipe,
with a piece of shade cloth or weed mat on top before filing up with a mix of compost or mushroom compost and chunky coco coir.
That elbow lets me see the water level and acts as an overflow when it rains too much.
Had no problem with it.

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Entre la branche et la racine, il y a eu le temps... Proverbe chinois

EB you want some bathtubs?
I have some that were supposed to be used for horse troughs but they proved to painful to deal with.
All you have to do is pick em up - I will help of course. They are the old heavy buggers but access is easy.
Fizzyj

I've been hooking mine up so I only have to water one. River rock over the ag pipe. And the blue container gives it a 5ltr void for water, I put 2 in each tub.

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To think before you act is a wise option. But not as funny.

So many variations......

Thanks for the offer Fizzy, but I'm starting to think I won't be going for the bathtubs now, not for a while anyway, and I'm running out of storage space... No correction, I have run out of storage space.

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www.backyardfarming.com.au
Bringing Food Production Home

I am just starting on my last three wicking beds
the big cleanup continuous 8 cubic metres gone now
the kids are getting worried big clean up and getting the house painted

Road trip.

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To think before you act is a wise option. But not as funny.