Being one fifth the size of the rhizome in photo, the small amount of spare store bought ginger planted in the wicking bed last year has supplied me with a 2 harvests of rhizomes similar in size (Starting in May), with a further 2 harvests to come.
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I missed your earlier question Christa, I'm just lifting them when I need them. I'm going through a bit at the moment playing with ginger kefir. I'm trying to keep some ginger going for as song as possible, which seems extended in the current weather conditions. I'm dying to see Phil's styrene box ginger, there was heaps of growth last time I saw it.
Rob you have certainly gone to a lot of trouble, but the results are surely there. What a set up you have. Please elaborate what is VRD and great white (sorry about my ignorance). I would love to have a source of fresh Fish Water and Fish Manure, the way I go through the stuff (anyone would think I was drinking it.)
I do crowd my beds a bit too much, these are the 1 square meter wicking beds, they are 450 - 500mm deep and I can vary the reservoir height from total flood (which I've never done) to almost empty.
The reservoir's height is set by putting a fixed length of 25mm pvc into the top of the 90 degree bend in bottom shot. I remove the length of PVC from the outside, and twist the 90 degree bend 180 degrees to fully drain.
Too much playing around's maybe the explanation for failures with snow peas, (trying again this winter), melons, rainbow chard, broadbeans, some brassica.
I probably was a little harsh on the WBs in the previous comments. I had a think and could give positive outcomes to the below, which is not too bad considering the massive water savings.
In these 4 contained large wicking beds to date, and excluding above mentioned plants ...
Average results for - capsicum, tomatoes, cucumbers, some beans, lettuce, some brassica, squash.
Good results for - Aibika, ginger, pepino, potatoes, chick peas, chilli, chives, chia, basil, dill, strawberries, okinawa spinach, okra,
Amazing results for Kankong, rhubarb, Madagascar beans.
So I was really winging unnecessarily a bit back there :)
So far I've not found any plant to not like the wicking beds. Although just from a space pov, I've not grown Paw Paw in my bins. Just too big a plant for a 200L pot. Although I've heard Blueberries don't take to poor drainage, they lived and fruited in their wicking bins, 100L and 200L.
Only refilling the reservoirs when the top is fairly dry is a way to get extra oxygen into the soil. I cannot drain my reservoirs though unless there's very heavy rain to flush them. Even then, the space under the overflow doesn't really get drained. Mostly there is no smell when I water although some beds have a bit of a pong. The ones I used coir in the reservoir are the worst though the plants growing above are doing well.
Not all plants like the wicking beds, but Ginger really does. I see a pattern of what likes pots and containers, most of the time also likes wicking beds. This bed was fed fish tank water fortnightly and VRD 6 monthly, great white added 18 months ago. I now allow most of the wicking beds reservoirs' to fully empty before filling back up ... this meant that I lightly watered from the top after 3 or more hot days (above 30).
I also completely drain the reservoir on those rare weeks where rain keeps the reservoir full (I think that's only occurred once or twice last summer).
The bed also has one huge Madagascar bean vine, maybe doing a bit of N fixing.
Nice looking ginger you have grown there Rob. It made me check mine but like yours it's still growing young shoots so I'll wait until winter starts and the growth stops before harvesting. Isn't edibles in the ginger family great in our climate. You can get abundant results with very little effort and they can be grown from a few pieces of store bought rhizomes. You can even grow them in an old bath tub like Roger. I'm looking forward to harvesting my turmeric and galangal too.
Good harvest Rob, don't tell too many people or they will stop selling it in the shops. Your wicking bed ginger is a success story. Have not had a lot of time for gardening lately and the wicking beds have more or less looked after themselves. Do you lift the ginger when you need some or is it just a time factor.
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I missed your earlier question Christa, I'm just lifting them when I need them. I'm going through a bit at the moment playing with ginger kefir. I'm trying to keep some ginger going for as song as possible, which seems extended in the current weather conditions. I'm dying to see Phil's styrene box ginger, there was heaps of growth last time I saw it.
Rob you have certainly gone to a lot of trouble, but the results are surely there. What a set up you have. Please elaborate what is VRD and great white (sorry about my ignorance). I would love to have a source of fresh Fish Water and Fish Manure, the way I go through the stuff (anyone would think I was drinking it.)
Happy Gardening!!!!!!!
The reservoir's height is set by putting a fixed length of 25mm pvc into the top of the 90 degree bend in bottom shot. I remove the length of PVC from the outside, and twist the 90 degree bend 180 degrees to fully drain.
Too much playing around's maybe the explanation for failures with snow peas, (trying again this winter), melons, rainbow chard, broadbeans, some brassica.
I probably was a little harsh on the WBs in the previous comments. I had a think and could give positive outcomes to the below, which is not too bad considering the massive water savings.
In these 4 contained large wicking beds to date, and excluding above mentioned plants ...
Average results for - capsicum, tomatoes, cucumbers, some beans, lettuce, some brassica, squash.
Good results for - Aibika, ginger, pepino, potatoes, chick peas, chilli, chives, chia, basil, dill, strawberries, okinawa spinach, okra,
Amazing results for Kankong, rhubarb, Madagascar beans.
So I was really winging unnecessarily a bit back there :)
So far I've not found any plant to not like the wicking beds. Although just from a space pov, I've not grown Paw Paw in my bins. Just too big a plant for a 200L pot. Although I've heard Blueberries don't take to poor drainage, they lived and fruited in their wicking bins, 100L and 200L.
Only refilling the reservoirs when the top is fairly dry is a way to get extra oxygen into the soil. I cannot drain my reservoirs though unless there's very heavy rain to flush them. Even then, the space under the overflow doesn't really get drained. Mostly there is no smell when I water although some beds have a bit of a pong. The ones I used coir in the reservoir are the worst though the plants growing above are doing well.
Not all plants like the wicking beds, but Ginger really does. I see a pattern of what likes pots and containers, most of the time also likes wicking beds.
This bed was fed fish tank water fortnightly and VRD 6 monthly, great white added 18 months ago.
I now allow most of the wicking beds reservoirs' to fully empty before filling back up ... this meant that I lightly watered from the top after 3 or more hot days (above 30).
I also completely drain the reservoir on those rare weeks where rain keeps the reservoir full (I think that's only occurred once or twice last summer).
The bed also has one huge Madagascar bean vine, maybe doing a bit of N fixing.
Nice looking ginger you have grown there Rob. It made me check mine but like yours it's still growing young shoots so I'll wait until winter starts and the growth stops before harvesting. Isn't edibles in the ginger family great in our climate. You can get abundant results with very little effort and they can be grown from a few pieces of store bought rhizomes. You can even grow them in an old bath tub like Roger. I'm looking forward to harvesting my turmeric and galangal too.
Good harvest Rob, don't tell too many people or they will stop selling it in the shops. Your wicking bed ginger is a success story. Have not had a lot of time for gardening lately and the wicking beds have more or less looked after themselves. Do you lift the ginger when you need some or is it just a time factor.
Fabulous, what is your secret ingredient in your soil or fertilizer? Share with us please.
That's great mate.
Wow!