Central Goldfields, Victoria, Australia

Quality Seedlings & Wicking Beds

FARMER PHIL

Basket 0

How Much Fresh Produce Can an IBC Wicking Bed Grow?

Here are examples of how much fresh produce a single IBC wicking bed can grow each season!

What If I Grew Just one Vegetable in an IBC Wicking Bed?

Want to be weird and pack a wicking bed with just one vegetable? Here's what you could reap:

20 beetroot clusters
(@60 beetroot)
9 silverbeet plants
12 potato mothers
28 parsnip seedlings
20 lettuce
12 cauliflowers
9 eggplant bushes
9 capsicum bushes
9 chilli bushes
5 tomato bushes
6 pumpkin vines
12bean plants

What are IBC Wicking Beds?

IBC wicking beds (Intermediate Bulk Containers) use scoria or blue metal to funnel water and a felt material to separate soil from water.

Our food-grade IBC wicking beds are converted from bulk containers used to transport food liquids such as vinegar or olive oil. Re-purposed food-grade IBCs are a popular and cheaper alternative to commercially made wicking beds and use standard plumbing parts.

IBCs retain their form and are housed in their original IBC metal grate. IBCs are not UV protected so we like to cover ours in black weed mat which helps to protect them and makes them look great.

Farmer Phil slices, prepares, plumbs, and builds food grade IBC wicking beds ready for growing and delivers them to gardens around Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia.

Phil has 30 years horticulture experience and knows what grows where, how, and when it grows. He'll show you how easy it is to grow vegetables year-round and your wicking beds will deliver healthy vegetables for years to come!

What does a ready-to-plant Farmer Phil Wicking Bed Include?

A ready-to-plant food-grade IBC wicking bed from farmerphil.com.au costs $360 and includes:

A free initial consultation to discuss location, sun, and light requirements.
A complete and ready-to-plant wicking bed
All plumbing attached and tested
Healthy soil mixed by Farmer Phil
The scoria or blue metal substrate
The Geotech wicking felt
Fully covered in black weed mat for UV protection and good looks
An anti-terminte treated pine base so your bed is waist high (is a game-changer in our opinion)
A detailed IBC wicking bed guide explaining the plumbing and plant growing
Free delivery
Free help and advice at any time for those vegetable growing questions - ring the potting shed or come and see Phil at the markets!

What is the Installation Process?

Your wicking bed will pre-plumbed and the base prepared off-site at Farmer Phil's
On-site Phil will level your ground, install the base, add the scoria and soil, and fill the reservoir with your water
Phil charges $40/hr for the installation of your bed. If his ute is not too far from the wicking bed location, the installation will normally take up to one hour

Can I buy an IBC Wicking Bed Kit and build it myself?

Yes you can! You can buy one of our IBC wicking bed kits and gain confidence and skills by building your IBC wicking bed yourself.

An IBC wicking bed kit from farmerphil.com.au costs $165 and includes:

1x 1m x 1.2m Food grade IBC wicking bed with metal encasement
2x reservoir ag pipes
1x water inlet pipe
All tap plumbing parts already attached for you
Geotech wicking felt (separates soil and scoria)
Black weed mat bed cover
Full instruction guide
Free Local delivery
Free help and advice at any time for those vegetable growing questions - ring the potting shed or come and see Phil at the markets!
Kits do not include: soil, scoria, timber base, site leveling, or installation

What is the Size of a Farmer Phil Food Grade IBC Wicking Bed?

Size: 1m x 1.2m
Depth: 500mm
Timber base: 200mm high
Total height of a complete ready-to-plant Farmer Phil wicking bed: 700mm

IBC wicking beds are converted from food-grade bulk containers.

Early stage salad seedlings in IBCs at the entrance to the greenhouses

Lettuce and Spring Onion almost ready to pick

We use IBC wicking beds at our small commercial nursery in NSW to grow market seedlings and vegetables. Bottom right is our rat protection cage for young seedlings.

IBC Wicking beds go well with hard landscaping

A wicking bed pod and compost bay designed and built by Farmer Phil.

The plumbing parts being prepared for the wicking beds.

Phil's hardwood base and IBC cages waiting for the wicking beds in an inner city courtyard.

We never spend money on lettuce! The black container bottom right prevents mosquitos in the water inlet.

A customer's IBC wicking bed after delivery and set-up being filled up with water via the water inlet.

Farmer Phil Wicking Beds

IBC vegetable wicking beds in our nursery

Farmer Phil IBC vegetable wicking bed pods with hardwood base

IBC Wicking bed ready for vegetable planting

IbC wicking beds filled with lettuce and other vegetables

IBC vegetable wicking bed ready for Spring

IBC wicking beds with rebar climbing frame

Our customer's IBC wicking beds looking great and highly productive

IBC vegetable wicking beds and hard landscaping

Farmer Phil IBC vegetable wicking beds are highly productive

IBC vegetable wicking beds in hot and dry Castlemaine

Farmer Phil IBC Wicking beds in the plant nursery

IBC wicking bed vegetable seedlings looking great

IBC wicking beds with hard landscaping, all from Farmer Phil

IBC wicking bed in Castlemaine, Australia

Testimonials

Bree

Castlemaine

"The wicking beds are fantastic. It’s great to have garden beds that are easy to keep consistently moist, especially in a dry spot like Castlemaine. They make the growing of vegetables and herbs almost effortless. Friends without wicking beds have been amazed as to how much the small spaces produce. I started with three and quickly went to six. I’d have more if I had more flat ground! Phil is great to work with."

Lynda

Maldon

“I'm getting so much produce from your vege bed.”

Christena

Chewton

“So pleased with my wicking bed I am looking at getting a second one. Would you be able to set another one up for me over the next few weeks?”

Deb and Brett

Moruya

“Thanks Phil. We already love the new beds. Hope to have them set up by the end of this week”

Gwen

Malua Bay

“I'm really enjoying the wicking bed it's produced so well”

Jan P.

Chewtown Bushlands

“It looks fantastic! Looks really great and thank you for opening the gate for the chooks too”

Catherine J.