Kids corner
Let’s get sprouting with wicking boxes.
Brought to you by Our Kids Corner contributor - Jane Byrne
This month at my school, St Joseph’s Primary School in Sorrento, my sustainability students have been sowing seeds, getting organized for planting time.
With our newly delivered wicking beds, made for us by the Point Nepean Mens’ Shed, we have been preparing the soil, ready to plant out our veggie seedlings in October. Our wicking beds are a design adaptation by them, from the ABC Gardening Australia design of a wicking bed. (abc.net.au - Step by step, how to construct wicking beds.)
Wicking beds are fantastic as they rely on a sub-system that draws water from a reservoir up to the plant roots, thereby reducing water usage by up to 80%. Even if you are away you can top them up with water prior to your departure and the plants will survive. You can also plant densely in a wicking bed and your vegetables will still thrive. Simply, it is a sustainable gardening practice.
If you would like to construct a wicking bed, I can’t recommend it more highly. Just go to the ABC website and you will find all the information you need.
We have planted a mixture of different pumpkin seeds and mizuna lettuce. The pumpkin seeds have been collected by students. It is a great way to learn about what is a vegetable and what is a fruit. Many children can’t believe that pumpkins are a fruit, simply because anything starting from a flower is botanically a fruit.
What you will need
- Vegetable seeds
- Propagation soil
- Water
- Seedling pots
- Mini Green House seed tray or a converted soft drink bottle
If you have a wicking bed at home, please send in your photos to operations@opengardensvictoria.org.au. We would love to see what you can grow.
Past activities