Roof rainwater for your garden — non-potable, ornamental garden and lawn use
Practical rain barrel guides for your garden — non-potable, ornamental garden and lawn use only.
The best roof for rainwater collection is metal. A smooth metal roof collects the most water, at over 90 percent efficiency, and it sheds debris quickly, so the water that reaches the barrel is cleaner than water from any other roof. Asphalt shingle is the most common roof, and it is good enough for barrel […]
Water the garden with a rain barrel by raising the barrel 18 to 24 inches on a stand, running a soaker hose from the spigot to the bed, and letting gravity do the work. The water flows slowly at soil level, straight to the roots, with no pump, no electricity, and no sprinkler. A watering […]
Rain barrel water smells bad, turns green, or feels slimy when three things combine: debris rotting at the bottom, sunlight feeding algae, and water sitting still for weeks. Fix all three — drain and scrub the barrel, shade it from direct sun, and use the water regularly — and the smell, the green colour, and […]
You can build a DIY rain barrel for under 50 dollars using a used food-grade 55-gallon drum, a brass spigot, a downspout diverter, and a mesh screen. The total for the parts below is about 45 to 50 dollars, and the build takes two to three hours with basic hand tools. A store-bought rain barrel […]
Texas encourages rainwater harvesting, and collecting rainwater from your own roof for non-potable garden use is generally allowed in Texas, with conditions set by state law, local city ordinances, and your homeowners association. That is the short answer, but it is not the whole answer: the details depend on where you live in Texas, how […]
For most homes, a rain barrel is the right choice for watering ornamental beds, and a rain tank is the right choice only if you want to water a whole yard or a large lawn. A 55-gallon barrel costs 50 to 100 dollars, fits against a wall, and covers a bed or two. A 250-gallon […]