May was another innovative and fun month at the Lennox Community Gardens. Not only was there the first harvest off the delicious Rollinia tree (a fruit that tastes like lemon meringue pie) but there was also the installation of a new ‘wicking’ garden bed.
In a nutshell, the idea is that the modular WaterUps wicking cells, made in Australia from recycled food-grade plastic, ensure consistent water levels in the garden bed, reducing labour needs - which is particularly handy in a community garden that might not get daily attention. This in turn promotes consistent fast growth, instead of growth spurts and lulls that happen when soil dries out then gets wet again. Incredibly, the wicking bed system also saves up to 85% of water usage and unlike surface watering, doesn’t require watering for up to six weeks.
Under the expert guidance from Paul and Rosemary from Aqualess, the installation was relatively straightforward. Basically, modular cells in the bottom of the bed were topped with perlite and biochar, which was then finished off with nutrient-rich soil from the Lismore waste centre. The only thing left to do now is plant something delicious to eat.
To keep up-to-date with the Lennox Head Community Gardens, visit them on Facebook / Lennox Community Gardens.