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.
Winterize a rain barrel by draining it completely, disconnecting the diverter, restoring the downspout, and storing the barrel upside down before the first hard freeze. The whole job takes about 30 minutes, and it saves you from a cracked barrel in spring. A barrel left full through winter is one of the most common and […]
A full 55-gallon rain barrel lasts about one deep watering of a 200 square foot ornamental bed, or about two to three light waterings of the same bed. In days, that means one barrel lasts one to three days of regular watering in summer, depending on how big your beds are and how much water […]
Linking two rain barrels together doubles your storage from 55 to 110 gallons, and it is the cheapest way to get more water without buying a bigger tank. Place the barrels side by side on level ground, connect them near the top with a short hose or pipe, and put the overflow on the last […]
Rain barrel overflow should go at least 4 to 6 feet from your foundation, downhill, onto a lawn, an ornamental bed, a rain garden, or into a drain. That is the short answer, and it is the most important thing about a rain barrel system after the barrel itself. A barrel without a proper overflow […]
The most reliable way to keep mosquitoes out of a rain barrel is a fine mesh screen over every opening plus a tight-fitting lid that stays closed. Together they block adult mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water, and they work without chemicals, without cost, and without maintenance beyond a quick check after each storm. […]
A first flush diverter should hold about 10 gallons for every 1,000 square feet of roof that drains into your barrel. That is the standard rule of thumb, and it is enough to send the dirtiest first water of a storm away from the barrel while keeping almost all of the storm for watering. For […]