Garden with Less Water Using Wick Irrigation

Wick irrigation is a lesser-known method of efficient irrigation. I was first introduced to the concept while reading a paper from India many years ago, in which wicks were used in conjunction with buried claypot irrigation. I later discovered a variety of wick systems that had been used in lab studies to measure water use, vacationwater plants, and provide a steady water supply for plants in greenhouses. I couldn’t find any research on the use of wick irrigation in the field or garden, so I gave it a try. Over the past 30 years, I’ve conducted many experiments and field trials that have helped me understand how to design and use wick systems.

Wick irrigation uses a wettable fabric or rope to carry water from a reservoir or pipe