Dear Kitty,
I am loving my garden this year! It’s my second year and everything seems to be going so smoothly! I used your mulching ideas. Now watering is easier and requires less. What is the best way to water without using my house water, to save a little money and wear and tear on my pump.
Thanks, Loving the Garden Experience
Dear Loving the Garden Experience,
What a joy it is to hear you are enjoying your garden! Many folks have wondered if there is a better way to water without using your house water and I say let’s collect the rain! It has been relatively rainy in our area this season but there are still many days we need to water in addition to the rain.
A rain barrel is the easiest and fastest way to collect rainwater to use for watering your plants. A very impressive amount of water can be collected from your roof, for example a 1000 square foot roof will yield 625 gallons of water from just 1 inch of rain.
You can purchase barrels specifically designed for catching rain from the downspout of your house. They have screens on top and a spigot on the side for running water out to a watering can. Some barrels come with a connection for attaching a garden hose. Some fancier ones look like a decorative planter and are great but can be costly. It is a great way to go if you want the barrel to be less noticeable.
You can also make your own inexpensive rain barrel with a food grade storage barrel (ask a local food distributor or bottling company) I have sometimes seen them for sale on buy/sell/trade sites.
If the barrel has a top use a jigsaw to cut an opening that your downspout can fit into. Using a flexible downspout hose might make this easier. You will have to make a hole in the side to get water out. If the barrel has no top, cover the top of the barrel with screen and adjust the downspout to allow water to flow into the barrel. Now you can remove the screen to get your water out with a pail as needed. If you prefer to water with a hose or your barrel has a top, drill a 1/4 inch hole a few inches up from the bottom of the barrel and insert a hose bib using teflon tape and silicone sealant to ensure a water-tight seal. Now you can attach your hose and water away!
Happy Rain Collecting!
Kitty
