ultimate auto-wicking garden: 10 steps (with pictures)

We were not satisfied with a simple elevated bed garden in the backyard and decided (
Or should I say I convinced my wife)
In a garden of twisted sweat beds. . . an auto-
Fast drying garden with Ridge (
Say it three times. .
The design uses the floating ball valve on the toilet bowl and the passive pressure on the rain bucket to continuously water our vegetable garden while we enjoy the fruits of labor (No pun intended).
The design uses the basic principles of the sweat garden, which provides water from below the soil, effectively watering the garden, while encouraging deeper root growth and less evaporation.
Another benefit of the design is that in the cold months it is easy to adapt to a green house or isolate the hungry!
Depending on your creativity and ingenuity, how much you spend on supplies or how much you spend.
We decided to take the expensive route and buy everything new to reduce our build time and make sure everything that comes into contact with food is safe.
However, you can get wood from the soil and rocks of the old fence posts and Craigslist.
The plastic parts require more search, but the padding can be obtained from the old tarps or pool padding, buckets in the big kitchen/restaurant, and floating valves in the old toilet.
The price is probably (USD)
And specifically for our construction (13\' x 6\' x 1. 5\'): (15)1.
Pressure treated wood 25 \"x 6\" x 8 \"for $6. 50 ea. = $97. 50 (3)
1 \"x 1\" x 8\' pressure treated wood for $2. = $6 (2)
Organic soil Yards code delivered, $180 (1)
River Stone code delivered, $100 (1)
10 \'x 25\' polyethylene sheet, $10 (5)
4 \"x 10\" corrugated high density polyethylene tube, $6 ea. = $30 (1)
$4, from the ripple to the lower spray (1)
4 \"bellows end cap, $1. 50 (1)
Five gallons, $2. 50 (1)Bucket Lid, $1. 25 (1)Float Valve (
I save space with this, click here), $6. 50 (1)
Garden water pipes, $8 (1)
4 \"part of any diameter pipe, $0. 50 (1)
Landscape fabric roll, $10 (2)1lb. Box of 8 x 1-
1/4 \"deck screw, $7 ea. = $14 (4)Zip Ties, $0. 50 (1)
Silicone sealing tape, $7 (1)
Teflon tape, $1 (1)
3/4 \"reverse hook x 3/4\" reverse hook PVC coupling, $0. 75 (1)
3/4 \"hose card, $0. 25 (1)
5/8 \"inner diameter PVC hose, $0. 50 (1)
1/2 \"MNPT x hook 90 degree elbow, $0. 50 (1)
10\' x 1 \"PVC pipe, $3. 50 (4)
10\' x 1/2 \"PVC pipe, $2. = $8 (16)
Pipe bracket, $0. 10 ea. = $1. 50 (32)
1/2 stainless steel screw tool: Drill bit Mitter or round saw Carpenter horizontal rotary tool short nail gun scissors pipe knife razor knife trolley shovel garden rake this step will change significantly with your application and size, but the first thing you have to do is determine the location and size of the box.
Once you have the size planned, make sure your material and cut out.
According to the research I did, the sweat box should be in the range of 8 to 18 inch deep.
Depending on the composition of the soil, the soil will only increase moisture by about 1 feet, but if you have a larger plant and the roots are deeper, you can reach 2 feet deep.
There will be countless plants in our box, the depth of the roots is different, so we chose 12 inch of the soil depth, 6 inch of the reservoir.
This means we need to be 18 inch vertical, which is the height of the three boards.
Our box is also a bit wider than ideal, 6 feet wide, but since I didn\'t want to build multiple valve assemblies for two parallel beds, we decided to build a valve on a 13 by 6 feet bed
According to the specified size, we envision the required cut and plan the amount of wood required.
Vertical support is also required about every 3 feet m to prevent the wood from bending and adding three layers of wood.
Therefore, we will eventually need (15)1.
25 \"x 6\" x 8 \"and (3)
1 piece of wood treated under pressure.
Cut 6 of 1.
25 \"x 6\" are divided into 5 feet pieces, and we docked them with six 8 feet pieces, creating the two 13 feet faces required for the design.
The remaining 6 pieces are over cut by 3 feet (
From 8 feet Wood in the last sentence)
Pair with three other 6 feet cuts to produce two 6 feet sides.
All of this is connected to 7 1.
5 feet cut of long side 1 \"x 1 (See pictures)and two 1.
Cut 1 \"x 1\" 5 feet on the short side with deck screws.
Drill holes first before screwing everything together to prevent the wood from cracking.
Once the sides are assembled separately, we move everything to the level to assemble the box.
The short side is then docked with the long side at a 90 degree angle, drilled, and then screwed in using the end 1 \"x1\" bracket of the long side.
Once your box is built, use it to block the area you want it to go.
If the ground is flat, there is no need to clear the existing terrain, but in any case you need to sink the bottom of the box back to the ground so that nothing comes out at the bottom of the box.
First place the box where you want it to go (
Extra hands are helpful)
Use it to cross out the perimeter, or use a flat shovel to erase the circumference with a vertical digging method.
Once the perimeter is tracked, remove the box, or complete the spatula by removing a few inches along the perimeter interior (
If you are going to sink the box)
Or all the turf around (
As shown in the figure).
If you remove all the turf as we did in the photo, do it by shrinking the small parts with vertical digging and then removing them with shallow horizontal digging.
The turf should appear as a whole, as a root and as everything, and I used to do this a lot
There are places on my lawn that look a little bare.
Once the turf is all cleared, clean up the soil using the garden rake sub and screen any large stones that may pierce the plastic lining.
The level of the boards and carpenters works well to ensure the soil is flat so that once it is filled with water, there will be no pool of water.
Next, put the box back in place and align the bottom with corrugated cardboard (
No color printing).
This will provide some biodegradable protection when you complete the rest of the project.
Note: Please refer to the steps regarding the valve assembly, it is much easier to prepare ditches for the water supply line at this time than to wait until later in the project.
If you choose to place an animal screen around your garden, or if you want to use it in a greenhouse, you will need to install a lever to support screening and/or plastic.
This method is a simple, fast, flexible, and inexpensive method.
First, cut 1 \"PVC pipe into 12\" sections with a hacksaw or pipe cutter.
Every 3 feet or so of the box length, you need a pair of brackets, so I ended up cutting 8, evenly spaced, 4 on each long side.
I use two pipe brackets for each bracket and install the cutting rod bracket with 1/2 stainless steel screws.
To make things easier for myself later, I also screwed a screw at the bottom of each cutting rod holder about 1/2 \"from the end to prevent the rod from sticking out from the bottom of the holder.
Since all the boxes vary in shape, application and size, PVC pipes offer a good modular alternative to static fences or structures.
They can be connected together, they can also be bent to create tunnels or boxes of various sizes to cover screening or plastic, or they can be used in a more practical way to integrate mister pipes, plant light electrical pipes or brackets to grow vines and vines.
Okay, now what does it start to look like!
Take a minute to appreciate your work (
Or curse yourself not measuring twice before cutting).
You\'re basically halfway through, and most of the hard work is done. . .
Oh, besides shoveling tons of rock and soil!
The basic idea when queuing is to provide a lot of liner slack for yourself.
I used a rather thin 3-
4 mil padding, ideally you want to be a little thicker, but it is important to have at least 1 feet in each size for the highlighted part.
I started in the middle of a short edge and nailed it to the middle of the liner with some plastic backing squares.
The backlining square will provide additional support so that the staple does not tear the padding and you can cut these things off from any food
Plastic container.
You can also provide a little extra tears
Resist by doubling the liner at the end you are tracking.
If the first rule of the box lining leaves some slack on the lining, the second rule is obviously not to tear the lining!
But I\'m sure you got it now.
Expand the rest of the liner, place it loosely in the box, nail one per foot or 2 feet with a stapler, and now less, as you may need to remove them later (I did).
Now that you want to add some weight to the inner perimeter of the box to weigh the liner, you can do this using bricks or the rocks you plan to use in subsequent steps in this description.
Once you have narrowed the perimeter of the interior, you can adjust your liner as needed so that no area is under pressure or stretched (
This is where extra slack comes in handy).
Now you can work slowly around the box, do about 10 staples every 6 inch or where needed, and then do the same on the other side.
Remember to use the backing every time and try to wait until the last minute to trim the remaining liner.
Below are the steps to separate the Khan garden from the elevated bed garden and the reservoir.
The function of the reservoir is exactly the same as that inferred by the name, providing water for the soil above.
The design of this reservoir is not too revolutionary. It consists of spiral pipe and river rock.
However, although the other sweat bed garden reservoir is supplemented by a vertical pipe, this reservoir will include a valve assembly installed in a bucket to ensure a constant and reliable water supply.
Once the box is lined, it\'s time to install the reservoir.
I chose a 6 \"high reservoir that allows the 5\" diameter tube to distribute water and river rocks to support the soil above and allow the water to dissipate across the garden bed.
Rocks make the soil not penetrate into the water, which can be harmful to the roots of plants and lead to reproduction of harmful bacteria and fungi.
River Rock is not your only option here, they happen to be rich and cheap for me as I am close to the Delaware River, I have seen others use shells, nut shells and lava (pumice)
Same success.
Working from outside, I formed the perimeter of the Rock and then rolled around the tube.
There is no standard length for irrigation pipes to use, but I find that it works well about twice the length of the perimeter (about 50 feet).
In the photo, you can see that I use some rock as weight to fix the tube in the proper position to prevent the tube from popping up from the winding twist, these can be leveled once all the rocks and pipes are in place.
Luckily, each board of the box was 6 \"high, so I just piled the stone to the edge of the botom board.
You also need to know the volume (Cube size)
Rock to get.
This can be done using the following formula, where (l), (w)and (hr)
Indicates the length and width of the box and the rock height in feet, respectively, and (lt)and (rt)
Length and radius (
Half the diameter)
Pipes in feet, respectively.
Convert it to a cubic code divided by 27 (27 ft3 = 1 yd3).
For my application, I will eventually need about 0.
9 cubic code so I just ordered a full cubic code and used the rest around my property.
Note: You will need to move on to the next step before filling the whole reservoir with rocks.
So this is where magic happens.
By installing the valve assembly, we turned an ordinary sweat garden into a semi-sweat Garden
Independent vegetable production machine!
Or something like that.
When you are close to the site, you want your valve assembly to start when you create the reservoir (see last step)
, You will want to be ready for your valve.
Your water source should be able to get to the place easily and close to the edge of the box so that the line can be run more simply.
If you plan ahead, you can even do most of the work before placing the box, and this step will be much simpler.
I\'m going to split this step into two sub-steps, one for making components and the other for installing components, which are easy when done right.
To make the valve assembly, all you need is a hose long enough, a 5 gallon barrel, lid and a cheap toilet float valve that fits into the bucket (
Check the supply list of the models I use).
Pick up your rotary tool or drill bit with the right size, open a hole in the center at the bottom of the barrel, which will allow the bottom of the float valve to protrude (
Connecting the threaded part of the water supply).
Fix the valve in the barrel using the supplied rubber gasket and plastic nut, as long as the valve is upright, no water tightness is required.
Now, as shown in the picture, test the water inlet by assembling the pipe fittings and the rewind.
These need to be waterproof, but they can only withstand medium pressure, so use teflon tape around the thread and I use silicone sealing tape around the accessory as an extra precaution.
You can test the connection by connecting the hose to the water source and filling the bucket with water (
Note: The family water supply line may be under too much pressure, please use it carefully).
Empty and adjust the valve filler line until it stops filling 6 \"from the bottom of the barrel \".
After emptying the bucket to dry, measure 6 \"up from the bottom of the bucket, cut a hole with a rotating tool or razor to match the corrugated\" bottom spray \"end to the bottom spray inverted hook.
I tracked down a template to use, but this is not necessary as it doesn\'t need to, just snuggle together so the irrigation hose doesn\'t fall off.
Do everything by drilling a few air holes in the lid, and a layer of garden fabric between the lid and the bucket will prevent mosquitoes and other insects from entering.
Now that you \'ve built it, it\'s time to put it in the box!
If you haven\'t done so, prepare a trench for the water supply line (
See preparing notes in drawing steps)
It is below the edge of the box and provides enough clearance below the liner so that the hose does not twist.
It\'s better to finish before putting the finished box on the ready plot, just be sure not to cover it when you drop the cardboard.
Pass the hose through the trench and under the side of the box until you see it poking at the bottom of the lining.
Create a small gap in the lining that pushes the hose through until it reaches the area where the valve assembly is to be placed.
Pull some slack on the lining, create a small collar around the hose with the lining and tie it tight with the zipper, you can wrap it with tape to increase leak protection.
Connect the free end of the hose to the bottom of the valve assembly, place it in place, and connect the irrigation hose (
As shown in the picture, you may need to cut off the bell end to fit the Rewind
And finish filling in the rock.
So you ask, why not install the valve assembly first and then all the rocks at once?
The rocks provide enough movement on the liner, and when you fill the reservoir, everything may have moved.
But if your box is small enough, or if you feel lucky enough, I think you can install the valve assembly without filling the rock.
This is a short but important step in establishing physical separation between your Reservoir and the soil. This water-
Permeable separation allows water to pass through while preventing soil clogging works.
In this step we have also installed a drain to remove the excess water so you don\'t have a muddy pool.
Drill a hole large enough on the water line you want to place a small hose in it;
I left the hose from another project, so I just trimmed a few inches.
Push the hose through from the inside and pass through the lining like in the previous step.
Take a small piece of garden fabric, tie it tightly with a zipper and secure it on the outside of the tube to prevent any insect from entering and clogging it.
This will be designed for your drain in case it rains more than the reservoir.
We actually started testing the drainage system a few days after we finished the project, when the remnants of the tropical storm passed through and dumped a few inches of rain!
Now cover the entire reservoir rock formation with overlapping gardening fabric or permeable weed plastic, be sure to allow a few inches of overlap along the perimeter so that the soil does not work down the side of the box.
There are several soil types and amenities to consider when filling the box with soil.
Our applications include compost-corrected organic top soil mixtures with our compost bins, bone powder, and blood averages.
Although important, due to the length and number of choices, I will not introduce soil types and facilities in this manual.
Filling the box with dirt is equal to sweat, intelligence and team spirit.
We found that it was easiest to shovel the top ten carts full of soil into the box, using it to wrap the perimeter of the box to keep the gardening fabric in place.
We then form a rough ramp from the scrap plate and milk case and pour the rest into the box.
Soon a system was set up in which one of us would fill the trolley while the other would move the ramp to the next position while spreading the soil with a shovel and a garden rake.
For our application, we need about 3 cubic IC code of soil, you can use the following equation to determine the volume of the soil: take the length of the box in feet (l)
And multiply the width of the box in feet (w)
Then through the height of the soil (hs).
As before, you can divide it by 27 (27 ft3 = 1 yd3).
Now that your box is full of soil, if you choose to do so, the rest is to hang up your rain bucket and surround the garden.
For us, connecting the rain bucket is as simple as screwing the hose running from the valve assembly into the faucet of the rain bucket.
Other settings may be different and need a rewind or other connector.
This setting is also ideal if your roots end up requiring less water, as you can turn the water off at any time.
Finally, install your 1/2 PVC pipe into the pipe clamp by placing one end in the nearest pipe clamp, bending the other end into a parallel pipe clamp on the other side.
With the growth of the plant, you can increase the design by increasing the additional length of the pipe or wooden bar connected to the connector.
Then measure and cut the screen or plastic of the appropriate length and cover it on the PVC structure.
You can fix it on the frame with a large binder, but if you need a more permanent solution, you can use tacks or staples. Now your semi-
The sweat garden of the automatic lifting bed is completed and ready to be planted!
You can spend less time worrying about watering vegetables and spending more time enjoying them.
Another benefit is that, in addition to house nannies, dog nannies and nannies, you don\'t need a plant nannies when you leave during the summer vacation.