Below you can find information on the science and history of wicking. You can also read about how WaterUps® compare to other types of self watering planters and how much water they save compared to above-ground watering.
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.
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 times, utilisation of wicking for plant watering can be traced back to Ohio USA in the 1890s.
‘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.
However, until WaterUps® launched its wicking cell, all “wicking” and “sub-irrigation” applications were inbuilt in planters. WaterUps® is the first product that has allowed this well-proven concept to be applied to virtually any plant watering environment, because of its modular design.
Below you can find out how much water WaterUps® saved in a recent trial and how WaterUps® compare to other types of wicking systems.
Peter Rutherford, Senior Ecologist at the Eco House and Garden, conducted a water usage trial comparing the performance of WaterUps® wicking systems. Also, he noted that “our regular observations of the gardens showed that the plants in the wicking bed gardens maintained a more even and ‘lush’ growth, compared to the plants in the traditional gardens.”
WaterUps® wicking beds are more cost-effective. They weigh less and are quicker and easier to install. WaterUps® also require less maintenance and only need to be refilled half as often as other wicking systems.
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