The answer is YES!
This is a photo of the Berry Bed in the Kitchen Garden. The Loganberry is thriving in this bed as are the Strawberries below it.The Wicking Bed itself has quite a shallow growing area but these plants don't mind that at all. The frame of this bed is actually an old single Bunk bed base that the kids had.
Each year as I tidy up the plants I add in more compost and feeding mulch...lucerne hay, pine needles and home made compost.
As you can see in this collage the Loganberry is loaded with fruit again this year and new growth is already emerging. The canes that fruit this year will be cut to the ground in Autumn and the new canes attached to the trellis for next year.As this bed faces the hot, afternoon, Western sun a shadecloth cover is attached to a frame during Summer to keep the heat off the plants.
One other positive about growing brambles in a closed wicking bed is that you can confine their growth to the one bed and not have them take over the whole yard!!!
I hear you! My raspberries are popping up all over. A wicking bed would be great for them.
ReplyDeleteHi there, I have 15 hectares of land in south africa in the midlands. I would like to turn it into a self-sustainable garden with permaculture principles. It's bare right now and do not know where to start. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteHi Anne
ReplyDeleteIf you have not done so already I suggest getting in touch with Permaculture South Africa to make contact with fellow permies and see first hand their systems in action.
Participate in a design course or introduction course.
If you are unable to make face to face contact the online courses offered by Permaculture Visions are very useful.
I spent years reading about permaculture but things never really 'clicked' until I did the design course.