At WaterUps® we are often asked about aquaponics, both whether aquaponics is similar to wicking bed technology and whether some features of aquaponics can be incorporated into our wicking beds. Basically, they are very different ways of growing, which some people have combined in a single system.

Last month I went to a ‘Farm Chats’ evening at Pocket City Farms in Sydney to listen to a panel discussion on food security. The extent of food insecurity in the developed world is certainly concerning and urban agriculture and the use of wicking system technologies are likely to play a part in redressing this.

Should you use scoria for your wicking beds or riversand or gravel? What are the environmental impacts? How does perlite in WaterUps recycled plastic compare?

Avid gardeners would more than likely be aware of Perlite, and probably have used it in their soil. They may also have used Perlite for starting cuttings or growing seeds. Hydroponic growers would also be aware of Perlite as a growing medium. Perlite is now also starting to be used

Ever since reading ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ by Frances Mayes I’ve dreamed of having an abundant herb garden just outside my kitchen door, says cookbook author, Jules Clancy.

Due to the way that they are constructed, wicking beds are what I would call a ‘closed system’. This means that the nutrients in the soil are not flushed out through the process of watering. In a non-wicking garden bed there is a gradual leaching out of nutrients,

For my WaterUps^® wicking bed, that I planted with tomatoes on 19th August, the comparison is amazing. After filling the wicking bed and surface watering of the seedlings with 4 litres on day 1, I gave the seedlings half a watering can on each of following 3 days.

Tomatoes (“Lycopersicon Esculentum”) fruit best when they have a consistent soil moisture level. They are also thirsty plants. According to Ohio State University, they need around 38mm of water each week to fruit. Therefore, if you are using conventional above ground

In our consumer driven society, where we have seen a massive increase in high density living, we have become disconnected from the source of our food and community and school gardens are helping to re-establish this link. The Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network,