The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson cover image

The Urban Farm Podcast with Greg Peterson

876: Wicking Garden Beds with Ray Jess

Apr 15, 2025
36:30

A Rosie On The House Replay

In this episode we explore the concept of wicking bed gardens, hosted by Romey Romero & Farmer Greg, our guest is Ray Jess, a Master Gardener and hard goods manager of the Urban Farm Fruit Tree Program Store. Ray explains his journey from traditional gardening, which he has practiced since childhood in Central California, to discovering wicking beds during his Master Gardener training. He details the construction and benefits of wicking beds, which water plants from the bottom up, saving 40-50% of water, reducing nutrient loss, and requiring less frequent watering. Ray also describes the materials needed for building a wicking bed, and the principles behind its operation, including capillary action, evaporation, and condensation. The episode also touches on the suitability of different plants for wicking beds, the importance of garden bed orientation, and the process of succession planting.

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/876-Rosie for the show notes and links on this episode!

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