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Overview

A wicking bed is an innovative and efficient way to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers, especially in hot or dry conditions. By creating a self-watering system, you’ll conserve water, encourage healthy root growth, and enjoy a thriving garden.

Safety tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

Steps

1Choose a sunny spot

Find a location in your garden that gets 6–8 hours of sunlight each day. This will ensure your plants get enough light to thrive. If the ground is uneven, level it by digging or adding soil to create a flat base for your raised garden bed. Construct the frame and then check that it’s level before moving on to the next step.

A neat garden features raised metal beds filled with soil, surrounded by plants, shrubs, and trees

2Add geo-fabric

Lay a sheet of geo-fabric over the drainage gravel. This fabric acts as a barrier to prevent soil from mixing with the gravel, which keeps your reservoir clean while still allowing water to move up into the soil.

A Bunnings Team Member is laying a sheet of geo-fabric over the drainage gravel in the garden bed

3Fill with potting mix

Once the geo-fabric is in place, add high-quality potting mix to the bed, filling it until it’s about 50mm below the top of the garden bed frame. Choose a mix that’s rich in organic matter to give your plants the nutrients they need to thrive. As you add the soil, gently compact it to remove any air pockets and create a stable planting surface.
A Bunnings Team Member wearing mask is adding high-quality potting mix to the garden bed.

4Trim and secure the pond liner

Once the soil is in place, trim the excess pond liner that’s hanging over the sides of the bed. Use waterproof tape or adhesive to secure the liner to the inside of the garden bed frame, ensuring it stays neatly in place.
A person uses both hands to apply tape over the sides of the garden bed, securing the liner edges.

5Plant your garden

Now that your wicking bed is ready, it’s time to plant! Dig small holes in the soil and place your chosen plants (vegetables, herbs, or flowers) at the appropriate depth, following the recommended spacing on the package. Dig small holes in the soil, plant each one at the appropriate depth, and gently press the soil around them to hold them in place. Make sure to space them out to allow for healthy growth.
A Bunnings Team Member wearing mask, planting leafy green vegetables into a raised metal garden bed.

6Water and fill the reservoir

To help your plants settle in, water them lightly from above. Then, fill the reservoir through the PVC pipe until water begins to flow out of the overflow outlet. This ensures the soil stays moist from below, allowing your plants’ roots to grow deep and strong.
A person holding a hose with a spray nozzle is watering a raised garden bed.

7Looking for more garden watering ideas?

Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer.