Our first wicking garden - in a raised bed.

Well in week three of the Links to Learning relationship with Narrandera Food Garden the students built a wicking garden. A wicking garden is a system in which water is retained in the gravel at the base of the bed, and only moves up as the earth above dries out. It's a simple permaculture principle and reduces water use by reducing evaporation and reduces the frequency with which watering is required by retaining water within the loop until it's needed by the plants.

TAFE teacher Karen Lenehan demonstrated the way a wicking bed works first using a small one made using a polystyrene box, gravel, shade cloth, soil and a poly pipe. It's simple, anyone can do it. Karen has built 5 larger beds at home and she only needs to water weekly or less.

The students laying the shade cloth (you can use weed mat in the base of the garden.

With pond liner in on top of weed mat - the gravel layer goes in.

News from the Wiradjuri Food Garden

Hi all,
This garden is at the rear of the Sandhills Foundation in Audley Street. I ate snowpeas fresh picked from the vine just this morning. It is so so lush!  It was planted up by a group of Year 7 - 10 students and a small group of community Elders who regularly visit the foundation.  As you can see the raised beds are working a treat.  Thanks to Cory Prior who checks on the garden and waters daily.  It's at picking stage so it's wonderful to know our elders are picking salad items and taking them home.

Tomatoes, lettuce and companion plants - marigold. The marigolds are doing their job. They attract the bugs that would normally attack the tomatoes. Might need to plant more Marigolds - they have been much munched upon!

 
The citrus goes in.

Uncle Kevin gives our seedlings some attention.


Very pleased with ourselves.

You have to agree - that is success!!!!.  And I ate snow peas straight from the vine.

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