Thanks for posting, new info for me, live and learn!
Brief browsing leads me to believe that it would be useful for arid areas where no rainfall to speak of, for me with massive rains that we could get it would be veggie garden suicide. I do use similar idea for bog loving plants in my perennial gardens though...
Also I am always wary about people posting some misleading info like using box store bought $15 ph meters is great thing... BS and waste of your $$. Small thing I know but makes me suspicious of whole thoughtfulness behind their ideas...

The thing is a drip system is only as good as your mulch. If you didn't mulch, or didn't mulch well, a drip system will underperform.

I don't think wicking beds are a good idea unless you are in a pretty arid region. For the 4 to 6 weeks of your "drought", they might be fine - but the rest of the time you'll be in that "garden suicide" area mentioned by the other poster. I'm IN an arid region and I've found that good mulch plus drip is quicker and easier for me to deal with.

Also, I get a lot more than a year out of my drip irrigation tubing and parts - perhaps because they are mostly buried by mulch or protected under the "canopy" of the plant they are watering. The fact that I roll the whole thing up and store it (well drained) over winter may have something to do with it as well.

I lay down a couple layers of broken down brown corrugated cardboard, lay out the drip system, and top with wood mulch (not the dyed stuff).

If you're in Arizona, NM, or Nevada, or places like that - a wicking bed might be just the thing for you. But I'm IN the High Sierra Desert and haven't seen a need to go to something like that yet. I have no doubt it would use even less water than a mulched/drip system (since I'd mulch a bed like that anyway) but I got by just fine without the extra expense and effort to put one in.

This post was edited by zensojourner on Wed, Dec 17, 14 at 3:33

I'm in an arid environment (Northern NV) and I would be hesitant to use that technique for a couple of reasons.
The first is that as we get very little rain during the growing season, the majority of the water for my garden is coming from the public water system. Which, though very good compared to other populated areas, tends to be alkaline and higher in salts just because I live in a fricking desert environment where the high evaporation rates leads to salt buildup in the soil and surface water bodies. Watering from below as the wicking bed design suggests would mean that there is no opportunity to flush the salts from the soil, and that buildup would leads to soil fertility problems over a few seasons. I've seen people selling the design here (mostly with sand as a growth media) and while they've never outright said it, they are careful to mention that constant and consistent monitoring of the soil pH is a REALLY good idea.
The second reason I would be hesitant is that even in this arid climate I've had problems with root rot. I have a couple of those Ikea self-watering pots which I've used outside for tomatoes and while the plants are initially healthy, they take careful watching because a spate of cooler or overcast days or an uncommon downpour can cause too much water to accumulate in the reservoirs. I realize the concept of a wicking bed is not the same but I would be still want to watch for the development of anaerobic conditions at the bottom of the bed.
I prefer watering from above, which with the addition of a good thick layer of mulch once the soils is properly warmed, isn't all that much work.

zensojourner/Aniaj,

Thanks for the response.

Your points are well taken. I hadn't thought about root rot, but if the soil is continually wet since it is always wicking water from the water reservoir layer, one could definitely expect rot to occur.

The wicking bed is well known as being a touted as a "self watering" system. If rot occurs, that's a deal breaker. I'm wondering how thick the soil layer should be to ensure good root development without root rot occurring.

Has anyone employed a wicking bed and can comment on soil moisture using this system?

Another thing with wicking beds is that there is a limit to how high water will "wick up" - which means the bed is effectively limited to a fairly shallow depth. That's why most wicking pots and containers are so shallow. About 9" is as far as you can expect water to "wick up". And that could be reduced rather significantly by the actual potting medium used.

Basically, I don't think the bed CAN be "deep enough to ensure good root development without root rot". Too deep, and the top layer stays dry. Too shallow, and its root-rot central.

You also can't flush these, or at least not very easily, to wash out the salt build-up Aniaj describes. Most of the designs I've seen for these (if not all) depend largely on some form of liner that retains water in the bed.

I used to be a big proponent of these types of beds. Of late, however, I'm significantly less enthusiastic.

For water retention designs permaculture has plenty of good solutions if you Google some. There are known deserts areas with fantabulous gardens. look into hugelcultur swales...

Am wondering though if it possible to build overflow dams?Here is my bog garden bed, with heavy liner, soil is clay set on a berm. It has ability to absorb all water plants need and release extra down to the pond, which in its turn has overflow by gravity into dry stream
{{gwi:242698}}

I never post here. I just read. I thought some viewpoints were missing in this thread. I have no opposition to drip irrigation, but I think there are a lot of misconceptions about the efficacy of wicking beds in general that are exemplified within this thread in particular.

It's always difficult to play the "which is better" game because it's usually a trade-off of benefits and considerations. So don't take this as an endorsement of one over the other, just some added perspective.

Wicking beds can be made to serve deep rooted plants and even trees:

http://www.waterright.com.au/Wicking_bed_under_construction.pdf
(Note the second photo explanation in this link).

Wicking beds are well suited to arid regions, but this does mean they are problematic in high water regions. All wicking bed designs should include a drain component to them. This can be done in a variety of ways including creating a natural run-off. In fact a high water region would have advantages as the new water would rotate wicking water automatically.

http://www.waterright.com.au/Weather and wicking beds.pdf

Since good wicking design also involves soil with good capillary action and thus proper drainage, it is not likely to prove a disadvantage in high water regions. If a person is having problems with growth due to too much water, they should take a critical examination of their drainage and soil compaction issues, not wicking bed concepts.

http://www.waterright.com.au/newletter march 2013.htm

In terms of water conservation, I don't know that one is over the other. While the value of wicking beds is known for arid regions, dripping is also of noteworthy for the same. Both are noted for advantages beyond water conservation.

If wicking beds boast one major advantage, it is that they are effective in maintaining a self regulating soil moisture conducive to healthy growth. This is done without repeated adjustments or replacement of components.

wicking disadvantages, include the risk the build up of anaerobic bacteria in the water and many first timers, often buying a retail or E-Bay product have experienced this without understanding why. It comes down to good aeration of the soil and the water, preferably the soil.

They also are noted for build of concentrations of calcium, salt and other minerals in the bed. This comes from areas with hard water and high evaporation (arid regions tend to have both). So While they can hold water for extended use, there are times when running water into them and flushing them is wise. I can't say how often, but I start for a once a month period. This is why such beds in high water areas are actually an advantage.

http://www.waterright.com.au/newletter 12 Jan 2014.htm

It also impacts the use of plant supplements that are often surface applied with water, which may also contribute to mineral buildup. So using a wicking bed with inorganic mulch (provided by some retailers) and a surface applied plant food isn't going to bring you joy.

However, there are solutions to these just as there are to drip irrigation problems. As I said at the start, it's not about one over the other, it's about trade-offs and understanding them.

It's also not just about understanding the delivery of water. It's about understanding the soil for that method. All of the alternate methods to traditional agriculture partner with views of soil, and nutrients. that need to be taken into account.

I am working with my first wicking bed implementation now. I am taking a different approach by using a continually moving water flow based on ideas in an aquaponics forum.

http://aquaponicsnation.com/forums/topic/8090-the-ultimate-growing-system/

I am hopeful the disadvantages will be overcome this way. However, I am also going to experiment with a rudimentary drip system in the sub-surface that utilizes wicking bed concepts.

That's more than two cents worth and should satisfy my need to post for a couple of years at least.

This post was edited by tripster2001 on Thu, Dec 25, 14 at 3:06

Thanks! Great info!

I've used soaker hoses and other watering techniques for years. I converted all my raised beds to wicking beds last winter and couldn't be happier with the results. It has made fabulous results just plain easy. I've never had such healthy and productive plants.