Capillary miracle garden or watering every 10 days: the best solution for the lazy gardener

Now capillary beds are in fashion in the garden fashion - this is a slightly tricky, but advantageous solution for agriculture. They are used in areas with poor, infertile soil in an arid climate, in dachas, where it turns out to come once a week. And also where in normal conditions nothing grows at all, capillary beds become a real salvation.

What is a capillary bed

A capillary bed is made according to the principle of high beds, the soil in it warms up faster than in ordinary beds, but these are not quite warm beds, they do not work like a compost heap. They focus on improving soil quality. They need to be watered no more than once a week - and all watering comes down to pouring water into the pipe. In capillary beds, water is required half as much as in ordinary ones.

Capillary beds have become a salvation for people who grow tomatoes in humid climates: with this method, water does not fall on the ground part of the plant, is delivered directly to the roots, which means that the risk is reduced several times diseases.

How is a capillary bed arranged

The capillary bed is not complicated: it is two layers, drainage and fertile. The bottom layer is poured from coarse sand, expanded clay, or fine gravel. It occupies a third of the total layer. The top layer is a fertile soil mixture. The layers are separated from each other by non-woven material, the only requirement for the material is high water permeability.

How does the irrigation system work?

In the lower layer there is a drip system made of PVC pipes with holes. Water from the pipes saturates the lower layer, goes into the fertile one and goes to the roots of plants.

Once every seven to ten days, water must be poured into the tube. In the garden bed, water circulates: first rise to the plants, then again sink into the lower layer. When it rains, excess moisture drains through the safety hole, and the soil dries out quickly.

It is important to ensure that the top layer of the bed does not dry out - it is imperative to mulch it with straw or compost. Needles give excellent results: earthworms like to settle in it.

How to make a capillary bed

A capillary bed can be made from any wooden box.

1. Attach any non-woven material to the box from the inside.
2. Lay dense polyethylene on it.
3. Put the non-fabric on top again.
4. Place a corrugated plastic hose or pipe with drain holes on the non-woven fabric. The hose must go through the entire bed and exit vertically - water will be poured into this end, and the other end must be muffled. A hole must be made in the walls of the box above the plug to prevent overflow.
5. The next layer is coarse sand or fine gravel. It should completely hide the pipe.
6. Put the non-woven back on the gravel or sand to prevent the fertile layer from washing out.
7. Pour a fertile layer on the non-woven and plant the plants.

Disadvantages of capillary beds

• Labor intensity in manufacturing.
• Danger of freezing in regions with cold climates. For the winter they need to be closed, and in the spring they should be warmed up with hot water, or covered with foil.
• You need to plant only adult seedlings, which can get water from the lower layers.

Found a new solution for yourself in the publication - like it! Do you know how to improve the garden - write in the comments.

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