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Rain Watering
Avid gardeners spend a good part of the winter planning what they will plant
in the spring. Even casual gardeners invest plenty of time and money in their
plants. Regular watering is one key to a successful garden. So what’s a
gardener to do when faced with lack of rainfall combined with water restrictions
in the middle of a hot summer?
More and more gardeners are turning to rain barrels to
keep their gardens happy and healthy. Saving rainwater to use during dry
periods is an ancient practice that is once again becoming popular. This low-tech
but ingenious solution is simple and inexpensive, and provides chemical-free
water that plants thrive on.
The plastic rain barrels come in a range of
sizes, with 50 to 60 gallons being most common. Simply place the barrel under a
downspout in an unobtrusive part of your yard and wait for rain. Instead of letting
rainwater flow down your driveway and into a storm drain, it will collect in the
barrel for later use.
You can harvest a surprisingly large amount of
rainwater from your gutters. Just a small amount of rain -- less than half an inch --
can easily fill a 50 gallon rain barrel, so you can quickly start to collect enough to
keep your flower beds, garden or houseplants well watered. “It won’t be enough o
water your lawn, but it will be plenty for vegetable gardens, flowers and
shrubbery,” says Lars Hundley, owner of Dallas-based CleanAirGardening.com,
an online company that specializes in environmentally friendly lawn and garden
supplies. To collect more water, you can connect several barrels with a pip or
hose, or you can put barrels under more than one gutter downspout.
Once your rain barrel is full, you can hook a hose up to the rain barrel to
water your garden (rain barrels are perfect to use with soaker hoses), or you can
simply dip a watering can into the barrel. Rainwater is naturally soft and free of
minerals, chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals.
“Trees and plants rely
on fungus, bacteria and nematodes to help them absorb the minerals and
nutrients they need,” explains Hundley. “Plants have an efficient immune system
that allows them to fend off diseases and other invaders as long as they have a
healthy soil environment and aren’t stressed by other factors,” he adds. Chemical
fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides and drought disrupt the balance and harmony of
the soil, weakening trees and plants and allowing disease to take over. “The
chemicals and hard water from many municipal water systems also add to the
imbalance of the soil. Watering with softer, natural rainwater is a nice treat for
your plants,” says Hundley.
In addition to being good for your plants,
rain barrels can also save you money. Some experts estimate that lawn and
garden watering make up almost 40 percent of total household water use during
the summer; by utilizing collected rainwater, you can substantially reduce this
amount. As an added benefit, collecting rainwater also helps control moisture
levels around the foundation of your house.
Here are some tips to
consider when shopping for a rain barrel:
- Make sure your barrel is child-proof. A safety grid at the top prevents
children and animals from entering.
- All systems should use covered barrels that keep the water from
accumulating leaves and other debris. They should also have some kind of filter
to keep out silt and leaves; these can range from a funnel with mesh in the bottom
that is covered by gravel to a rainwater washing apparatus that you can
purchase.
- Keep mosquitoes from breeding in your barrel by keeping it
tightly covered and using debris screens to filter water before it enters the barrel.
Cleaning your gutters and downspouts frequently and using collected rainwater
within a few days will also help control mosquito problems. You can place a
nontoxic mosquito “dunk,” in the barrel for additional protection.
Some cities have started programs to give residents easy access to affordable
rain barrel systems.
Make Your Own!
More Rainbarrel Facts
You may be able to find a limited selection of rain barrels at your
local garden supply store; for more options, visit www.cleanairgardening.com or
call (888) 439-9101 for a catalog.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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