'Wicked Sleeper' garden beds

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'Wicked Sleeper' beds replace the Whiteheads garden (Dec 2024)
'Wicked Sleeper' beds replace the Whiteheads garden (Dec 2024)

On the 8th of January 2024 we had another a flood event that had a big impact on Seymour and our Whiteheads Creek garden beds across the road at my neighbours place - see image below. What you see in the image above is the finished concrete sleeper wicking beds that I designed and my neighbour financed and built (with help). The wicking bed internal design is based on the Very Edible Garden system and uses their DIY kit, custom made to size.


Whiteheads Creek Garden after the flood
The Whiteheads Creek Garden after the flood (Jan 2024)

I was contemplating giving up on growing food after the previous flood just 15 months earlier, when this one wiped out the garden again. My neighbour, Jim, was keen for me to continue and offered to build a raised bed from concrete sleepers. The sleepers were 2m long, and about 200mm high, 100mm thick. Initially I wasn't interested, thinking that a giant raised bed near eucalypts would soon be filled with roots from those thirsty trees. I suggested that if they were built as 3 wicking beds, the future flood waters would flow through them and the tree roots would not be a problem. It would also address the other big issue I had, which was keeping them well watered, and would make the garden easy to net. 

Jim liked the idea and was happy to finance (as it was on his land) and work on the project, as he had recently retired and needed a project. The exchange? He's happy to receive a few veggies and see the land get productive use.

Materials for the concrete sleeper beds arrive
Materials for the concrete sleeper beds arrive, lots of embodied energy there.
Jim and Dave building the beds
Jim and Dave building the beds (May 2024)
Plastic liner and plumbing fitted into concrete sleeper beds
Plastic liner and plumbing fitted into concrete sleeper beds
250mm of 5-7mm bluestone gravel levelled before geo-textile added on top
250mm of 5-7mm bluestone gravel levelled before geo-textile added on top  

Once the wicking beds were prepared the soil mix was added on top. This included the original soil, that was sifted, lots of horse manure from the nearby racecourse and 'charged' charcoal. The charcoal was mainly collected from the back of the charcoal chicken shop in town, sifted to collect the smaller chunks and then 'charged' with a mix of worm wee, urine, compost tea and soaked chicken manure. The charcoal holds valuable nutrients and provides a home for beneficial bacterial to help build the soil. 

Brian set up his bed frame sieve
Brian set up his bed frame sieve and demonstrated how to sift a huge amount of soil 
The wicking beds being filled
The wicking beds being filled, rear one complete, middle ready for planting and front with gravel.  
Sifted soil in front bed with horse manure in coffee bags and charcoal soaking
Sifted soil in front bed with horse manure in coffee bags and charcoal soaking (June 2024)

The beds were planted out as they were completed around June onwards, mid-winter is not the ideal time to plant. Within a few weeks many plants were pulled out and ripped apart by cockatoos. I was always planning on netting the beds, but I thought I could wait until the tomatoes were ripening at the end of the year - to prevent fruit fly and bird damage. The centre bed was planted out with just tomatoes, and I'm hoping for a huge harvest, enough to last us the entire year (2025). I'll weigh the veggies separately from my home garden in 2025 to see how productive these three 2x4m beds actually are. I suspect the will do very well.

Newly planted beds after being attacked by cockatoos - netting definitely required
Newly planted beds after being attacked by cockatoos - netting definitely required
My Mum (Irene) helping with the tomato planting in the middle bed
My Mum (Irene) helping with the tomato planting in the middle bed (October 2024)
Star pickets concreted at base and fixed to the timber used to support poly pipe
Star pickets concreted at base and fixed to the timber used to support poly pipe
Poly pipe cut using string to measure length and hole distance for fixing timber
Netting fixed to poly pipe using pipe off-cuts
Netting fixed to poly pipe using pipe off-cuts (100mm with 15mm cut out of side)

For more about the wicking bed process, watch this from Very Edible Gardens

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