I finally put together this self-watering (wicking) metal raised garden bed… and it took a lot longer than expected 😅 In this video, I show the full setup from assembling the planter, filling it with my soil mix (potting mix, woodchip, zeolite, compost, and minerals), to planting garlic and mulching it in. I’m also comparing this modern metal bed to my older wooden planters to see which performs better over time — especially in a smaller, courtyard-style growing space. 👉 Is metal really better than wood? Time will tell…
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0:00 Metal or Wood Raised Planters?
0:48 Self-Watering Raised Metal Planter Assembly
3:08 Positioning the Raised Bed
05:31 Filling the Bed
13:56 Planting Garlic in the Bed
17:01 Mulching the bed & Tips!
18:56 Wood or Metal?
20:48 Final Thoughts
45 Comments
If you soak cement mortar into cloth, you can drape and shape and layer that, when it hardens it will have some give causa the cloth but stone hard. Bird wire on layers adds boocoo stiffness.
As long as it never dries out it won't crumble. If you cover wood with it, paint the outside to seal moisture in — cement needs some water. Search YT on cement cloth craft to see techniques used.
I've used a number of self wicking beds (homemade) and buckets (you can get inserts made for 5 gal buckets) and they have worked well for peppers and tomatoes, I haven't tried growing garlic yet but I've been meaning too, maybe I'll do it this summer once it warms up (still snow in my area).
looks like bbq for plants lol interesting design
Pretty simple process to both restore and preserve your wooden beds for a longer life and not be such an eye sore.
I could build a home made one of these in 1/4 the time. And what about the cost? I can use free pallet wood combined with a few lumber store boards.
I like the idea! Really like your channel – learned a lot! 😊
Hi Mark which brand is that raised bed? Did I miss where you mentioned that? Thanks 🤩
I think you’ll be happy with the results Mark. I’ve been growing garlic in raised containers like these for years with great success.
One thing to watch out for in summer is that the dark coloured metal will absorb a lot of heat and transfer it into the soil. If it sees direct sunlight, you could fry your roots. Mine are painted white and between that and keeping them under a shadecloth the plants are pretty comfortable even in forty deg days
Yeah mulching is critical to keep the container moist. But you know what really helps to suppress weeds? Having the raised bed high enough that you don’t have to lean down and work your back. You can just wander out, take a quick squiz and what’s going on and pull out any unwanted plants every morning while you enjoy your coffee. Weeding isn’t a big ”thing” you have to do any more
The best potting mix I've ever found is the cheapest potting mix available at Bunnings I add equal parts compost and double the amount with aged cow manure and everything grows extremely fast
i just plant into the ground, far to expensive
I mulch heavily when I plant my garlic (here in the Fall) and I never have weed issues with them.
For the amount of work and expense for that planter I think I prefer your existing birdies type
I can get them delivered to my home all put together from my local landscaping place – easy peasy Big fan of the pumpkin patch 😂
Hearing the cockies in the background – how do you protect your citrus from them? Or you don’t find they’re too interested in the fruit?
Nice to see your video ! Good Luck with the new metal garden bin. 👍👍
Wood looks best BUT you need H4 treated not H3 like 95% of ppl use from bunnings which rots after a few years….
I am surprised you all have your hearing intact when you have to hear those cockatoos
impossible to take this seriously with all the affiliate links to buy these overpriced things.
Thank you for another very informative vlog. I'm also steering toward raised troughs for vegs so appreciate the comparison between metal and wood. I was also interested in what growing medium to use. All the best 😊
I do wood for my raised and semi-raised spaces – love the esthetics. My wood is all treated with varnish (lin seed as time goes on) and as they are in direct soil contact a good termite treatment is recommended.
I don't like the way untreated/unvarnished/unoiled wood beds look – that ash gray is a nasty color……
Birdies products are great.. but Mark, seriously get them to sought out the IKEA build styles, surely better design!
I love the Birdies beds, but at the same time surely engineering could be better, please don't blame your "Big Fingers" Get a better design for faster builds, no one wants to hold a spanner on small bolts… Go Techs
At least you are doing it late in the day. If you are working in the sun, set up shade, solar reflective shade. A good size table, power tools, and shade. I believe in raised beds all the way to the ground as they lets grow deep. One can install a culvert through the raised beds as they are constructed. The deep raised beds can be made self watering and they build soil. The type you are currently installing are good where space is a concern, there is no soil or close to buildings.
Trapezoid, Mark. I look forward to seeing how the wicking works.
Im not a fan. I live in Texas and metal (regardless of painting it white and trying to insulate the outside of them as some have suggested) they are awful.
Forget about the cost…
Forget about the rust…
Forget about the moisture evaporation …
My plants STRUGGLE due to one thing
The root temperature fluctuations!
From boiling hot to touch to dropping to the 50s at night… they dont stand a chance.
Switching to wood helps.
For me in central Texas its just a flat "no!" ive seen too many failures from other people as well to ever suggest this for a Texas gardener.
It might work in a small suburb microclimate in a backyard? I can see that work possibly.
But overall for my area I am not convinced
Believe me, I would replace mine if I could. I'm on the DSP and Birdie beds, and most other good-quality metal beds are just way too expensive for me. I'm mostly doing my growing out of large grow bags. I wish I could afford to have a good garden instead of the mess I have.
I used to take in abused and unwanted old parrots so hearing the Toos doing flock calls is just such a treat. Hello from Texas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I miss my Toos and their screams.
What kind of mulch did you put in the onion bed? Looks like straw
you need to start selling those garlic becuase it is well acclimated to the subtropics and most garlic seeds are from Tasmania where its cold as you know what i mean!
You can as always stain or paint the wood planters to extend the life of the wood. I'm painting my old ones Tourquoise, it makes me smile.😊
Very good mark.
I really love the look of that new one… is it a Birdies one? I want to get one. Really enjoyed watching your video, thank you Mark. Cheers from Yeppoon Qld.
That small thingy cost like 280 EUR – without soil? Does it has an overflow? I haven't seen one.
I live in an apartment in Texas. I very much miss owning a house and gardening! My balcony doesn't get enough sun to grow more than houseplants, I've tried!! I enjoy your videos. I can garden vicariously with you. Thank you for sharing!❤️❤️❤️
Nah, that's ugly af. Much prefer the wooden ones
👍👍👍
I like the higher beds like this saves so much work on the back
5 years tops .. all the nuts and bolts will rust out and yourll be dumping it 🤗
We are undergoing a kerbside pickup and I have seen several old rusted metal garden beds on the footpath. I just googled the costs. Holy cow.
I obtain my wood from the back of bunnings and other places for free.
When the wood is no good any more I have an empty one prepared to transfer the dirt into it. I leave an inch or so and top it up with screened dirt from my worm farms made in 44 gallon plastic drums.
I only spend money on recharge my saw and drill batteries and screw. All the rotten wood I put through my mulcher and reuse good wood. I have never paid dollar one for wood in my back yard.
I love stuff for free. If it's a little bit of manueal labor so much the better.
A few beers and bob's your auntie.
We have used ordinary clay house bricks for the inner skin of the wall for our raised beds and concrete breeze blocks (precast building blocks) for to create a stable outer skin of our raised beds. There should be no chemicals leeching from the clay bricks. Perhaps the precast concrete blocks might leech lime but I haven't found that to be the case. In any event, the concrete blocks are not in contact with the soil in the raised bed. I looked into wood and tin but decided against them because they do not last. Treated wood will leech toxic chemicals and tin will rust unless it is galvanised. Even then, the coating on galvanised steel will rust after 5 to 7 years, maybe sooner. And galvanised steel is NOT cheap!
Corrugated iron will rust, even if painted. Zincalum shouldn't
Good evening Mark. Just a quick question. Where did you buy this wicking bed planter and roughly how much was it. Thanks in advance. ❤
I have some older cedar beds that I can tell are nearing the end. I have had them for almost a decade, with some plant-based cedar treatments, wooden stakes for bracing weak points, and clothe garden bags to reduce pressure, it helps. One of things that is stopping me from making the switch to metal is the construction and then having to potentially redesign my whole garden area to work with a different bed size and time as I had to customize some pieces to work with the cedar bed configuration. Great video.
You really look like you have a wonderful place there! Always nice & informative videos!
Rust is my main concern plus paint peeling if you decide to paint them. Sure they look good but that does not always translate to being good. Me personally I am staying with wood 🪵 it has been working this entire time.