Garden bed drainage

[kassa10]

Hello All,

I have a garden bed which has a base so I fear it may become water logged , how would I go about doing the drainage, just to note the garden bed is concrete. Underneath the concrete bed is earth soil and the bed is also water proofed as well ,I just want to put some trees for shade and decoration.

The garden bed height is about 50 to 60 CMS.i have attached a picture


Thanks

 

[Bushboy]

Well Ive done a lot of this sort of rectification/ drainage and work and there doesnt appear to be any drainage at the moment so yes it will become water logged. Obvious answer to me is leaving the plants in tubs and just placing them there. Asking for trouble planting trees directly because its next to a a wall and the roots will grow, swell and destroy the walls of the box and the wall next to it. Ive lost count of the number of times Ive seen foundations and walls cracked and destroyed by the root systems of trees planted next to them in planter boxes. Also the tree roots can grow through any drainage holes. Lots of things to consider here and not enough information but I def would not be directly planting trees there. But more pictures to show the layout would be needed also but golden rule is never to plant trees right next to walls.

 

[kassa10]

Hi,
Thanks for the prompt reply

I have attached a picture below to give you more of an idea of the garden bed and its surroundings.would it be possible to put tree which have dwarfed roots?

Thanks

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

It kind of reminds me of a pond.

If you're willing to drill some drainage in one of the sides, there are ways you can significantly improve the drainage.
Actually! One of Mark's latest videos shows an amazing example. You will see it only has 1 exit hole, but still has amazing drainage:

 

[kassa10]

Thanks for the prompt reply,

Would the opening be in the base where the water would find its way underground or on the wall and if so how high up from the base

Cheers

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

@kassa10 In the particular examples shown in the video it's not quite at the base. How far up may depend on how deep your bed is altogether.
Below is the image used on Mark's website describing the wicking beds.

I definitely recommend you check out Celia's post on the website. It's very informative and shows you how to DIY it yourself

How to Make an IBC Wicking Bed - 2 Ways - Self Sufficient Me

What is a Wicking Bed? A wicking bed is a type of self-watering raised garden bed that is both water-saving and time-efficient. It has a water reservoir at the bottom and growing medium (soil) on the top, which are separated by a layer of fabric. This allows the plant roots to ‘wick’ water up as […]

selfsufficientme.com

 

[Bushboy]

Hi,
Thanks for the prompt reply

I have attached a picture below to give you more of an idea of the garden bed and its surroundings.would it be possible to put tree which have dwarfed roots?

Thanks

I wouldnt be planting any trees directly there unless you can put them in a container so the roots dont grow out. Basically the roots going to get bigger , increase the mass of the soil and slowly push the sides of the box out. Plus you got some pipes and other stuff going on there, I think Mandys idea of a vegetable garden is probably better.