Wicking tub ? Many gardeners believe there is nothing new under the sun ( literally ) for gardening techniques , just new take on old trick . However , Leon Sloan from Kingston , Oklahoma , has a unique container gardening method expose most gardening beliefs .
Sloan shares his 13 - year - old concept of wicking water up through a pipe to get healthier flora that maintain wet 24/7 .
Waste Not, Want Not
Meeting Leon you promptly learn he conserves everything he can to make the most out of what he use . He believes in protecting the sea and environment through recycling and upcycling . And he always aims to save the most money possible .
At his greenhouse store , he sell fertilizers and works supplements in ziplocks and recycle daddy bottle . This responsible and designed mentality is part of his wicking tub method . The construct of the tub is simple and muse his way of bread and butter — wasteland not want not .
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About the Wicking Tub
Wicking Tubs are made of recycled 25 - gallon provender tubs , one PVC pipe and 8 - Imperial gallon Milk River jugful . These are all simple supply most people can access .
On larger scale the milk jug can be add on for French Drain Pipes when making multiple wicking tubs without needing so many jugs . you could also substitute the provender tub for 5 - gallon buckets , your best-loved beautify container or raised garden beds .
Sloan ’s universal regulation is to address 80 to 85 percentage of the bottom open of your container with the provision hold the oxygen ( i.e. Gallic drainage pipes or empty gallon jugs ) . This , he relate to as a “ imitation floor . ”
Soil will take up the remaining 15 to 20 per centum of the bottom of the container to wick the moisture up to the theme of the plant .
A Different Approach
Common Container Garden practices encourage using older soil or organic issue “ filler ” in the bottom 25 to 50 per centum of the container , and to drill hollow at the bottom of the container .
Sloan ’s wicking tub method teaches that the oxygen at the bottom is pertinent to wick the water up . And holes only allow water to make it through and out of the container leading to dry territory . The wicking tubful make even drip mould irrigation seem uneconomical .
“ Without a way to hold water in and keep dirt continuously and evenly moist , you are just run water through the soil and out the bottom , ” Sloan explains . Sloan does drill a hollow 4 in from the bottom on the side and as an index number of when you have watered the plant enough .
“ Just pour your water down the PVC pipe until it get out of the side hole , ” he explain .
understand more : Collect rainwater to save money and water . Here ’s how to start up .
Wicking Tub Assembly
To assemble the 25 - gallon vat with gallon jugs , abide by these steps .
Leon share these wicking tub tips and more on his YouTube Channel , Gardening with Leon . In the video above , he certify his method acting by assembling a fig tree using the Gallic drain pipe .
This article about a wicking tub was spell for Hobby Farms magazine . Click here to sign .
