Need recommendations on growing medium for wicking beds (sub irrigated)

[Drew151]

Hello Forum Members!

I'm a new member from Fayetteville, AR. Thanks for accepting me to your forum. I'm a relatively new gardener, I'm in my second year, but I'm fairly serious about it. I have constructed 3 large sub irrigated wicking beds. I did exhaustive research and I'm sure my design is solid. I cannot, however, find a consensus online as to what growing medium is best to fill the beds with.

I have a truckload of high quality compost already sitting in my driveway. At what ratios would you suggest I amend this compost, and how would you suggest I amend it?

I'm considering vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, black kow, sand, etc. Just can't decide what to use and at what ratios. I need to make sure the bed wicks properly, and I want to have the highest nutrient quality possible.

All responses appreciated!

 

[Drew151]

I guess nobody has any answers for me


I have decided to go with this mix in 2 of my beds:
4 parts peat moss
4 parts compost
1 part perlite

And in the 3rd bed I'm going to use thi formula:
1 part vermiculite
1 part perlite
3 parts peat moss

I would appreciate it if anyone has any advice for me. Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[abrogard]

Here I am from 3 years in the future. A newbie know nothing who just googled it. this looks like a good clue to me:

Wicking Beds 101

The wicking bed, or self-watering garden, is not that mirage of water in the desert. Rather, it is one of the most user-friendly growing infrastructures for all the lifestyle, time-poor, lazy gardeners out there. Using the age-old idea of capillary action, water in a reservoir below is drawn up...

littleveggiepatchco.com.au

 

[Meadowlark]

What is the make-up of the compost? Does it have animal manure in it or just grass and stuff?

I'll offer a different approach for your consideration.

I'm not experienced with wicking beds, but very experienced at building organic garden soils that test out at "No N-P-K " required and nutrient density scores above 90%. My advice to you would be to build your own soil for the beds.

It will take some time, but the quality can be far superior to commercial products and at a considerably lower cost...but it does take some work which it appears you are not afraid of doing. Over time you could rotate your depleted wicking bed soils with your own super garden soil and completely avoid synthetic fertilizers and chemical based insecticides.

Start with an area preferably with sandy, loam soil. Use extensive cover cropping summer and winter turning green manure into the soil. Apply generous amounts of well composted animal manure obtained from a reliable source. Soon you will have a continuous supply of the best growing medium possible...and all built organically.

Not everyone is willing or able to do this, but if you are a serious gardener that expects to be in this for the duration, it is certainly worth your consideration to have a superior soil in those well-conceived wicking beds... a soil that will produce healthy nutrient dense food without chemicals.

 

[redback]

Well done @abrogard. But probably not detailed enough for the scientists.
The mix is - 2 barrows of soil mix? - perlite? - moo poo? - compost? - worm poo? - potting mix?
No quantities apart from the soil mix - which is what? Although maybe those bags are a certain size?
It looks to me as if the experts are saying decide for yourself.
Why can't you just load it with the "high-quality compost"? Or A high quality home-made soil mix like @Meadowlark says.
Probably no-one answered because they didn't know what was going to be grown in the bed.