Easily Collect Rainwater for Gardening or Other Outdoor Needs
Harvesting rainwater for your garden, houseplants, or whatever else you need for outdoor watering is easier than it sounds. You will need a few supplies, but our friends at Old World Garden Farms say it’s simple – and very important now when the weather is warm and water conservation is a must in many places.
On the Old World Garden Farms blog, they explain that all you need is a large rain barrel (they use a massive 275 gallon barrel they got for $ 40 on Craigslist), but smaller ones are available at your local department store) and they installed crossings in the gutters and gutters of their house to divert some of the water into the barrel, which you probably want to do too. They explained that in one two-hour rainstorm, they can sometimes collect over a hundred gallons, so it’s a worthwhile exercise.
It is important that the rainwater container is dark and covered. Keeping it dark ensures that algae or other luminous organisms don’t bloom in your water, and closing it off keeps insects (especially mosquitoes, which love stagnant water) from blooming. Finally, they remind us that it’s important not to use water for drinking unless you process it (they don’t process their water, so they only use it to keep their garden and other plants happy).
The method linked below is slightly larger in scope than most people might think for their home in the suburbs or their community garden in the city, but is still doable (unless the local HOA or other authority files an objection here or there.) .) They explain that almost all of the water they use on the site comes from rainwater, which is really important given that they don’t have a well or other natural source. The end result not only saves water in general, but also saves money that they would have spent on utilities.
How To Easily Collect Rainwater For Outdoor Irrigation | Garden Farms of the Old World