[motaco]

good luck to you but I don't think it would work with our swamps.

relying on the bottom to be hard enough to slow water to a trickle for months on end up to the roots just doesn't seem real to me.


the only way to swamp grow in ground that I know of is to cut the bottom out of a barrel or garbage can so that half the root mass is above soil and half is not. half the roots stay drenched and only the water roots can live in it, but the top is dry enough to not drown it, but only because its raised above the water table.

if your water line is only six inches above the water and and your relying on water to slowly trickle upwards to keep the soil moist for months I just don't think would work to well. if it can feed them because of the water pressure going upwards than I think it would drown them within a month.


Maybe you have clay bottomed swamps or something but here it don't matter what you drive into the ground, if its got holes at the bottom of it within a day or two you'll clealy see the water line go up the pipe.

Two feet down here you hit the water table. if you dig a hole it has standing water in it.

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Yep, it wouldn't work in your swamp.

[Rare Groove]

I guess it would really depend on how thick the sediment layer is, how deep the water is, and what's below the sediment. Too bad it isn't warm now or I'd go drive a few pipes to see what happens...

If the area is secluded enough perhaps you could have the pipe stick farther above the water and use more soil? Using a 10" pipe would be similar to the method you described, only a bit smaller in diameter. That way you'd have a larger zone that wouldn't be submerged all the time if the water were to rise in the pipe. Overall it still seems like a workable idea to me.

[Deft]

Some sediment and muck dosent like having a pipe thrust into it! I know this because in high school I tried a science project like this and it didnt go so well. But swamp muck can be awsome compost/soil, I thought of trying somthing similar but with barrels or huge buckets instead but decided that it was was not sutible for my location.. But there is a spot close by, but I would have to go through private property with some big pipes and that would be wierd lol.

[WAMEN]

theres no way you would be able to measure those 6 inches imho. and i think the size of the hole in the bottom will change with the water's pressure and with the movements of the mudd...
and how do you prevent root-rot?

[Deft]

You'd have to know how position will affect how much water will wick in (not gush!!) in order to have it even work, but like I said before swamp mud CAN be wicked rich in decomposed organic matter, and as long as other factors like PH and bacterial circumstances, ya gotta know if your local swamp will work!

[WAMEN]

inspirated from the wick-cloner. the swampwick bucket system lol

3 containers..1-2-3 starting from the bottom
The first one (1)collects and filters the water right below the surface ,the way it should get the cleanest water.. the water goes towards the bottom ..
This container is settled on top of the hardpan.

Here comes the second container(2).. with "wick-like bars" passing through the bottom of it, and through a fat layer of perlite. the wicks are dipped in the water at the bottom of the container 1

And than comes the plant container..(3).. the wicks pass through the bottom if it through and another layer of draining material, and heres the contact with the growing medium.

the water should raise towards the medium if absorbed from the wicks, and it should also tend to raise and get to the general swamp level.
So the taller is the container, the less it risks to get totally dipped in water.
if the medium stays on top of the swamp water level.. than it shouldnt get into any kind of overwatering problem.
At the point where the wicks get through the holes in the containers, there should be a good sealing ring the way theres no dispersion of water other than the water absorbed.

just an idea.. but it could be a great base for something similar IMO..

peace guys

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Interesting idea WAMEN

Here is something my just woke up in the morning/foggy brain just came up with, inspired by some stuff I remember form OG.

You would start with a old, but airtight and inflated car tire on rim. A planter with a wick comming out the bottom is set in the tire on the rim, the wick fed down into the water. A slack cord is tethered to a tree, this will keep the planter in the neighborhood, and allow it to rise and fall with the water levels.

This of course could be made with a variety of different things used to flot the planter on the surface, styrofoam, wood, etc. The car tire was the thing that appealed this morning, LOL! A empty car tire stuffed with light floating materials maybe could work as well?

[Deft]

I just chose a spot where there is moisture year round only a foot or two below ground, watering is not an issue in my spot but light and soil are.. mostly light but my 20" chain saw fixes that heh, and my town gives away free compost so what could be better!

[WAMEN]

wondows Paint's basic colors are the best huh LOL