There are many good reasons to grow plants in raised beds. Most importantly, they give you more control over ground conditions. You can create the perfect mix and ensure good drainage. Raised beds are also easier to manage, especially if you have mobility issues.
On the other hand, raised bed gardening has one major problem: water. Like containers, soil in a raised bed will dry out faster than soil in the ground. This means you have to spend more time watering, unless you use one of these clever strategies or easy-to-find tools and materials to create beds that are mostly or entirely self-watering.
Here are the four easiest and most effective ways to turn your raised bed into a self-watering garden that can withstand the heat and drought of summer or that you can go on vacation and not worry about wilting.
1. Build a Wicking Tank
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A water leak The reservoir is an underground irrigation system. The tank stores water at the bottom of the bed. A drainage material allows water to move up into dry soil as needed.
With this guy raised bed system, you only need to fill the tank every few days or every week, depending on the weather. Prevents excessive watering and encourages strong, deep root growth.
You can find self watering raised beds on amazon which already have an integrated water tank, purchase a self-watering insert from the Gardener’s Supply Companyor make your own water drainage system from simple materials.
Line the bed with plastic sheeting or pond liner to make it waterproof. Create a reservoir on top of the liner using large, clean rocks or perforated drainage pipes. Cover it with horizontal fabric to act as your material.
Finally, you just need a vertical PVC pipe on the side of the bed that goes all the way to the tank. You will use this to refill the tank as needed. The drainage material allows water to be drawn up into the soil, but only when the soil is dry, so overwatering is not a problem.
2. Use Watering Spikes & Olla Pots
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There is an even simpler solution to creating self-watering beds that is the best small raised beds. watering spikes, potsand similar products are an easy way to let your beds water themselves. They work in a similar way to a bottle tank, but are easier to install.
These appliances are made of unglazed terracotta. You fill them with water and bury them inside raised bed soil. Terracotta clay is porous, so moisture slowly seeps into the dry soil around it. This is a low-tech, easy option for watering the beds. The downside, however, is that each pot or watering spike only covers a small area of soil.
A olla pot, like this one from Amazonit will cover a growing area of 4 to 6 square feet (1.2-1.8 m), so it’s a great solution for small raised beds. Watering spikes, which you can get from IKEAthey are better for single plants. So if you have some thirsty plants, like tomatoes, a handful of spikes can keep them happy and reduce the amount of time you need to spend watering.
3. Set up a drip irrigation kit
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Add a drip irrigation system to your raised bed turns your garden into a self-contained system in a single afternoon. These kits come in a range of sizes, and those designed for smaller areas, such as raised beds, can be as little as $30, such as this simple drip irrigation kit from Home Depot that Content Editor Laura has been using in her garden for years.
Kits include a pipe or pipe system with multiple holes. You will install it on a bed and connect it to a hose. A pipe-faucet timer like what Laura suggestsallows you to set the system in water at regular intervals.
Once installed, this is a hands-free watering system, so convenience is one of the biggest benefits. With some kits, you can even connect to an app and control watering from your phone.
Drip irrigation kit they’re also very efficient, so if water use is limited in your area, they’re a great option. You will use up to 70% less water than using a regular hose and nozzle for the water.
4. Create a gravity-fed drip system
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Instead of pressure from a faucet and hose, you can use gravity to water your beds through a drip tube. You need an elevated source, such as a rain barrel, and some pipe. The water moves down under the force of gravity and into the raised bed.
Like a drip irrigation system connected to a faucet, you get the benefit of saving water, but you don’t need the pressure of the faucet. This is good DIY drip irrigation option for a bed that is not near the tap.
Start with an elevated rain barrel, like this one with a built-in base from Home Depot. If you have higher raised beds, you will need to place your rain barrel even higher. You can use bricks, blocks or old pallets to make a simple platform to raise your barrel above the height of your raised beds.
Then add a drip irrigation system to get the water to your beds. You can build your own drip irrigation system or use a pre-made kit. Just make sure the kit you buy will work in gravity. Some drip irrigation kits need water pressure from a faucet or hose to work. But this drip irrigation kit from Amazon works with low or no water pressure.
No single solution to creating a self-watering bed is perfect, but one of these ideas may be better than others for your garden. You can also combine strategies to make watering easier. For example, use a drainage tank with mulch to keep moisture in the soil longer. Or use a drip irrigation system with watering cans for your extra thirsty plants.
Whether you install a simple drip irrigation kit, build a drainage tank, or simply add mulch and a timer, these upgrades can dramatically reduce maintenance while keeping plants healthier and more productive. With the right setup, you can spend less time watering and more time enjoying your harvest.
