3. Fill the Boxes with Soil, Water and Your Plants
After the dirt and boxes have been added into your wine box wicking beds, use the PVC pipe to add approximately 2” of water into the reservoir. You can even create a bobbing device out of an old wine cork.
Simply take a cork, stab it once with a bamboo skewer and stick the cork inside the PVC pipe. If this homemade bobber is floating in the water after the PVC lid cap has been removed, there is no reason to add more water. However, if the bobber is below the top of the PVC piping, you will need to put more water into your wicking bed.
Instructions and photos were provided by star1270 (CC BY-NC-SA)
As you can see, creating a wicking bed does not require a lot of time or special knowledge, and it is a fantastic way to minimize the amount of times that you need to water your garden. This can be especially useful for individuals who are really busy throughout the week or who have a difficult time getting around on a daily basis. As an added bonus, these wicking beds make it easier to utilize space that is located far away from your garden hose.