was bored, so built a rain barrel system for the garden

[dirtlooter]

With all of this extra time stuck at home, I decided to go ahead and build a rain barrel system for the garden. I had 5 plastic barrels already, two with the tops already cut out so that was a good start. I set the 2 open ones under two different rain gutters at the end of the house. They were placed on cinder blocks stacked 2 wide and 3 high. I set the other 3 barrels on cinder blocks but only 2 blocks high (all that I had). We had quite a few old rubber garden hoses so I simply used the female ends and about 10-15' of hose to go from one barrel to the next barrel. I used pvc 3/4 2" nipples to actually go into the base of each barrel.

On the catch barrels, I used the garden hose straight to the nipple and ran it to the next barrel. On the 3 middle barrels, I simply attached a hose divider at each one to attach a hose to and to go to the next barrel. I cut the hoses to be a very loose fit for ease of unhooking and draining for the winter. At one pont towards the very center barrel, I used an old washer hose to go from one divider to another and attached a spigot to it. I placed window screen over the open barrels to keep trash out plus mosquitoes out. on the top of the three center barrels, I drilled a 1/64 hole to vent air out of. The water will seek the same level in all barrels and any excess will simply run off. All we have in the garden is a big patch of strawberries, blueberries, two rows of watermelons, one row of cantalopes, ten tomato plants and a bunch of peppers. So we should be set now for free water for a long time.

 

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[RustyGold]

Good job DL! I definitely have some room for a vegetable garden and you’ve inspired me to start to work on it.
Good luck with the garden!

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Good idea, rain water doesn't have the treament chemicals in it, tap water does.
Plants don't need chlorine or flouride, they got no teeth.

I've had a 30 gal plastic trash can. sitting at a precise spot,
where rain water runs off the house, for a long time now.
I have something to lay over it, when full.

Filled it up from the water hose, last night.
Hasn't rained in a week, ain't going to rain, till end of next week,
if we're lucky.
My lawn is on life support, atm....

 

[dirtlooter]

Good job DL! I definitely have some room for a vegetable garden and you’ve inspired me to start to work on it.
Good luck with the garden!

it is an easy thing to do. we will have more tomatoes that we can use but then we can some for making sauce later. we like poppers and so grow sweet peppers (for the wife's) and jalapenos for me. of course the berries and melons are always welcome. too many deer to grow the beans and peas or the sweet potatoes. the corn never has a chance either. it doesn't take much of a rain to fill the barrels either. I am offically looking for an old BB gun to work on the wasps with. We even bought a grow light to start our plants with and that worked out great plus it gave the little grandkids something to do

 

[RustyGold]

Peppers are some of my favorite foods especially the jalapeño peppers. Good luck!

 

[against the wind]

Pictures??

 

[amypang]

Wow, it's a great concept. I was always thinking about how to manage rainwater efficiently and I got the best solution here.