WickWorming
Planter Box
®
A wicked way to garden.
The WickWorming® Planter Box is stylish for the modern household, yet still offers all the sustainable elements that we love. The ideal system for the family backyard, balcony, deck or to add to your existing garden. All Australian made.
What is Wicking?
Wicking
Wicking is the movement of water by ‘capillary action’, where water is drawn upwards due to surface tension and the interaction of adhesive and cohesive forces. This is what allows plants to draw up water and nutrients through their roots and up into the trunk and leaves of the plant.
In wicking beds, water is drawn up into the pore spaces in the soil to a height of about 350mm. Water wicking beds eliminate the problem of deciding when and how much to water. Plants in a wicking bed can last up to 4 weeks without additional watering, in contrast to surface watering, which can require daily watering depending on climatic conditions. Apart from the frequency of watering, there is a substantial saving of water itself in using the wicking method.
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History of Wicking
In Australia, we use the terms “wicking and“wicking beds”. In America, they use the terms “sub-irrigation” and “sub irrigated pots” or SIP’s. Water wicking is not, however, a new invention. Wicking has occurred naturally on earth since rivers first formed. Archaeological evidence of gardens irrigated by capillary action dates back about 2,500 years to near the City of Old Jerusalem. In more modern tim, utilisation of wicking for plant watering can be traced back to Ohio USA in the 1890s.
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‘Popular Mechanics’ magazine in 1909 made mention of a “Self Watering Flower Box” that “protects plants from neglect”. A patent was actually granted in the United States in 1917 for a sub-irrigation planter. In Australia, where water is a scarce resource due to our climatic conditions and sometimes harsh growing environments, the application of wicking beds in organic
agriculture is fast becoming a popular method to help
grow plants and keep them healthy.
Key Benefits
Plants.
Grow your own plants and vegetables with minimal space and effort. Perfect for balconies, decks or the backyard.
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Wicking.
Save up to 80% water compared to conventional garden beds through the use of a wicking system.
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Compost.
Reduce household food waste entering landfill with an in-ground worm farm.
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Sustainability.
One unique planter that provides a simple solution for households to adopt sustainable gardening habits.
Requires
80% less
water than conventional garden beds.
What's In The Box?
The WickWorming® Planter Box is stylish for the modern household, yet still offers all the sustainable elements that we love. The ideal system for the family backyard, balcony, deck or to add to your existing garden. All Australian made.
The Planter Box:
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Made from hardwood timber finished with a hand rub oil to give extra protection and a smoother finish.
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Stainless steel screws and bolts are used in assembly with a neat finish.
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Colorbond panels are available in a wide range of colours and the top edges have a protected metal reinforced rubber strip.
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Small (3 x Cells) -1250mm (L) x 570mm (W) x 700mm (H)
or
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Large (8 x Cells) -1690mm (L) x 910mm (W) x 700mm (H).
The Wicking System:
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The cells are manufactured from recycled polypropylene and are comprised of a rigid deck with 4 “wicking legs” that can be interlocked to form a raised platform that has a water reservoir below.
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Each cell is designed to allow the legs to be filled with perlite/soil/potting mix to act as wicks.
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These wicks allow water from the reservoir to moisten the soil layer above the cell base.
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The cells can store around 120 litres of water below each square metre of cells.
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The system is filled directly to the reservoir below via the inlet pipe using a garden hose.
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Excess water will flow out of the bed via the overflow pipe, thereby resulting in excellent drainage to avoid the bed becoming waterlogged.
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There is always an air space between the soil above and the water below allowing the soil to breathe.
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The reservoir liner insert comes flat packed, machine creased with fixing tabs, and a pre-cut hole for the overflow pipe for easy installation.
Included in the WickWorming® Planter Box kit:
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Custom made raised planter box
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Wicking cells
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Reservoir liner insert
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Inlet pipe
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Overflow pipe
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Bag of perlite
Just add potting mix/soil, and your plants (and worms if you order the Subpod).
+ Add Extras
+ Subpod Compost System
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Subpod is an in-garden worm farm & compost system.
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Compost worms and microbes live underground inside the Subpod and turn the materials you feed them (food scraps, paper, cardboard) into rich compost.
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Going below ground means your worms are happier, and you feed your plants at the root level.
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Over time, nutrients from the compost will feed your garden soil and help your plants thrive.
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Subpod Mini composts up to 10kgs of food waste a week and is suitable for households of 1 - 4.
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Subpod composts up to 20kgs of food waste a week and is suitable for households of 4 - 8.
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Adds nutrients direct to your garden bed or planter box for increased plant growth.
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+ Lattice
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Add a timber frame lattice to your WickWorming® or Fox's Cub planter box to grow climbing plants or add hanging pots.
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The lattice is designed to fit on the back of our planter boxes.
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It is made from 50mm x 50mm square galvanised steel set inside a timber frame and is super easy to assemble and attach to the back of our planter boxes.
Be Bespoke
Order your custom planter box.
Bespoke Planter Box
The Wickworming® Planter Box can be custom made to meet your requirements, making it perfect for any project.
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Sizes and materials (such as composite eco boards) can be altered for your needs. Choose from a wide range of Colorbond colours.
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Perfect if you are looking to fit out an office or commercial space.
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Need to think smaller?
Fox's Cub - Ground or Raised
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Custom designed and made.
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The Fox's Cub - Raised is our entry planter box.
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The range starts at 70cm in length and extends as far as 200cm.
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Our Fox's Cub - Raised is 70cm in height and 41.5cm wide.
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Our Fox's Cub - Ground is 37cm in height and 41.5cm wide.
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Each planter box is made from Merbau timber.
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Sides are finished with a hand rub oil to give extra protection and a smoother finish.
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Stainless steel screws and bolts are used in assembly.
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Colorbond panels are available in a wide range of colours and the top edges has a protected metal reinforced rubber strip.
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Our Fox's Cub - Raised range will transform the look of patios, porches & courtyards.
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*This planter does not include the wicking system or worm farm.
Express Your Interest
Contact us and we'll work with you to discuss what works best for your project and provide some pricing guides.