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Morning! So, I have been wanting to put a raised salad bed outside our back door (think vegtrug type trough on legs - has to be on legs as will be on wooden decking). But as I got to thinking about this (which lets face it is dangerous really...) I wondered if I could make it self watering. So...my plan is to use a plastic trough on legs (can buy this no need to cobble together with my appalling DIY skills), seal the drainage holes in the bottom. Add a layer of gravel as the reservoir with a bit of pipe running vertically from the top of the trough into the gravel to allow me to top up the water in the reservoir. On top of the gravel some kind of mesh - and this is where I could really use your input - and then the compost on top of that.
Where I'm getting a bit stuck is what I should use between the gravel and the soil. I'm thinking either a fine metal (or plastic) mesh or some capillary matting (which I already have a load of in the shed anyway!). Only downside to the capillary matting would be that the roots may well grow through it and its a b*gger to get them out and clean it up when I need to grow the next lot. Also as I'm typing this, I realise I've got a big sheet of polycarbonate I could use as well (would just need to make some holes in it obvs) that used to be the lid of a long-dead cold-frame. Should say this is really aimed at lettuce type crops but may get the odd tumbling tom or similar in there too!
OK...so...I hope that made sense, but if someone has tried this before some pointers would be great! I've had a look on the interwebs but mainly found lots of videos on how to make them using buckets inside buckets which isn't really what I'm after!
Ta muchly!
Where I'm getting a bit stuck is what I should use between the gravel and the soil. I'm thinking either a fine metal (or plastic) mesh or some capillary matting (which I already have a load of in the shed anyway!). Only downside to the capillary matting would be that the roots may well grow through it and its a b*gger to get them out and clean it up when I need to grow the next lot. Also as I'm typing this, I realise I've got a big sheet of polycarbonate I could use as well (would just need to make some holes in it obvs) that used to be the lid of a long-dead cold-frame. Should say this is really aimed at lettuce type crops but may get the odd tumbling tom or similar in there too!
OK...so...I hope that made sense, but if someone has tried this before some pointers would be great! I've had a look on the interwebs but mainly found lots of videos on how to make them using buckets inside buckets which isn't really what I'm after!
Ta muchly!
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