Harvesting Rain!
Collect rainwater to irrigate your garden. We’ll show you how.
Summer showers can irrigate gardens long after storm clouds have passed, thanks to rain barrels that collect and store precious water. At the Lowe’s Giant Garden, two 48-gallon rain barrels (Fiskars, #306222) harvest storm runoff from the roof of a house on the property.
At the Giant Garden
To give the barrels firm footing, we set them on concrete slabs, elevating them a few inches above soil level. Rain barrels release water via gravity flow. Our barrels are located at the top of a gentle grade, with the Giant Garden at the base of the slope. We ran a garden hose from the barrels down the slope to water vegetable beds. To make irrigation easy, we attached a short section of garden hose to the barrel’s drainage spigot. This hose is anchored to a wooden stake, which is supported with a piece of rebar. We attach our garden hose to the anchored hose and send water down the slope to the Giant Garden. The short hose section allows us to attach and remove a garden hose easily, which has proven convenient for mowing.
The barrels fill quickly during rain showers. One inch of rainwater on 1 square foot of roof yields half a gallon of water. In a rain shower that drops 1 inch of water, it only takes a 100-square-foot roof to yield 50 gallons of water.
To capture rainwater, you insert a downspout diverter, which comes with the rain barrel. The diverter directs water from the spout into the barrel. When the barrel is full, water diverts from the barrel back to the downspout to flow away from the house.
Installing a rain barrel is easy. Check out our step-by-step video [insert link]. If you’re considering adding a rain barrel to your home, read over our tips for success.
Setting a Good Foundation
Rain barrels need a solid surface. The weight of 48 gallons of water is equivalent to a little over 400 pounds. It’s best to set this kind of weight on a solid surface that won’t crumble beneath the heavy load.
It’s also a good idea to elevate a rain barrel. This increases the pull of gravity on the water, which speeds up water release from the barrel. Build a simple platform using cinderblocks, pavers, or wood.
Watch water flow during a downpour. When the barrel is full, water should divert back into the downspout and run away from your home’s foundation.
Using the Water
The rain barrel features a drain spigot, which releases rainwater with a simple twist of the wrist. Some gardeners drain rainwater into a watering can or bucket. If you elevate the rain barrel, you can fit a taller container beneath the spigot. Or, you can do what we did at the Lowe’s Giant Garden and install a short hose section to extend the drain point away from the barrel.
If you do build a platform for your barrel, consider how you’re going to drain the water—into a smaller container from the spigot or from a short hose section. To use the spigot on an elevated barrel, you’ll need to make sure your bucket or watering can sits level and close enough to catch the water.
Standing Water
If your barrel has even the tiniest opening, monitor the water for mosquito breeding and act accordingly. To prevent mosquitoes from multiplying in your water, use a biological product that kills mosquito larvae with bacteria, such as Mosquito Dunks (6-pack, #92460).
Most rain barrel water shouldn’t develop an odor. If, however, your gutters aren’t pitched properly to drain fully and collect leaf debris, that debris can begin to decompose in the standing water. In that case, any subsequent rainfall will wash the foul water into your barrel. Keep gutters clean and properly pitched to ensure you’re saving clean water. Install a screen device in your gutter to prevent leaves and debris from moving into the downspout. If your barrel does develop an odor, look at pond supplies for organic materials you can toss in the water to eliminate the foul smell-generating bacteria.
Seasonal Maintenance
In zones where winter brings freezing temperatures, it’s best to disengage the diverter kit. Replace it with a downspout coupler. Store the diverter kit in a place where it won’t freeze. Drain rain barrels before freezing temperatures arrive. To prevent the barrel from taking on water during any winter thaws, store the barrel upside down.
Why harvest rainwater?
• It’s recycling. Directing storm water runoff into a barrel limits the amount of runoff leaving your property and entering sewer systems. Using rainwater limits your usage of municipal water supplies.
• It’s free. Collecting rainwater means you’ll have a water supply to use on gardens and containers that isn’t regulated by local water ordinances. This is especially useful for those living in areas with water restrictions.
• Plants love it. If you garden in an area with hard water and you use a water softener, you’re bombarding plant roots with unnecessary salts and chemicals. Rainwater is naturally pure and soft—perfect for growing a gorgeous garden.