vegetable patch design
Wicking Beds
wooden wicking bed - Construction Materials
This section lists the materials you will need to make a 3.6 metre long by 1.2 metre wide raised wood wicking bed.  

As there are a number of measurements given I have chosen to list all measurements in metric only.   Most materials listed were obtained from my local hardware store.  The only exception being the 20 mm threaded tank outlet, which I got from an irrigation supplies store.

This list should only be seen as a rough guide.  I suggest you vary it according to your own design and what materials are readily available.


materials used

  • 4 X 3.6 Metre Ironwood* landscaping sleepers 50 X 200 mm
  • 2 X 2.4 Metre Ironwood* landscaping sleepers 50 X 200 mm
    *Ironwood is treated pine but without arsenic being used in the curing
     process.  Redgum or Jarrah beams could be used instead of Ironwood.

    Note that 3.6 and 2.4 Metre Ironwood landscaping sleepers are standard lengths in
    Australia.  Other countries might have different standard lengths.
  • Landscape nails 8 X 250 mm
    • Photo of screws and nails used to make a wooden wicking bed.
    13 mm button needle point screw, 100 mm bugle batten screw and  250 mm landscape nail along side each other.
  • Galvanised bugle batten screws 16 X 100 mm
  • Packet of galvanised 13 mm button head needle point screws.
  • roll of non woven weed matting
  • Roll of woven weed matting
  • Vinyl  pond liner - 1.2 metres long by 4 metres wide.
    At the time of purchase (April 2010) it was selling at $39.95 AUD per metre, 1.2 Metres costing $47.95 AUD. Rubber pond liner was also available but much more expensive.
  • length of Agricultural pipe 50 mm wide by around 7 metres. 
    Agricultural pipe has perforated holes in it for drainage and is quite flexible.
  • 400 mm length of *100 mm diameter PVC pipe
  • *100 mm T section
  • *100 to 50 mm reducer.
    *I used 100 mm wide pipe so I could insert a low pressure float valve into it.   Just use
    90 mm pipe and parts if you are not using a float valve as it is much cheaper.  You could get away with as narrow as 65 mm, however using 90 mm pipe allows you to reach your hand into it should it need unblocking.
  • 400 mm length of  90 mm diameter PVC pipe.
  • 50 mm T section
  • 20 mm threaded tank outlet with male and female threads.

Equipment used
  • Circular saw
  • Cordless drill
  • Drill
  • Trenching spade
  • Clamps
  • Sprit level
  • Heavy hammer
  • Long drill bit - 8mm x 250 mm (to drill the pilot holes for the landscape nails)
  • Hex screw bit (to screw in bugle batten screws.)