Re: can't water...need help!

Just another rain-saving device - my version of a water butt. 

I cut off one of the downspouts of the rain gutter on the corner of the house with a
hacksaw - just long enough to put a black plastic garbage can (British dustbin?)
under it. I cut a small hole about 6 inches from the bottom in one side of the can
and installed a plastic spigot in it (available at the hardware store) - well sealed
with silicone caulking (the kind used for sealing the edges of aquariums). And I have
a 4-foot piece of hose which I fitted with a new female hose end attached to the
spigot. (You can get these as hose repair kits in hardware or discount stores)

During the plentiful enough spring rains, the garbage can gets full from the roof run
off and I can tap it to water the pot plants on the deck. I keep it covered with the
original lid with a flap cut in the side to fit over the downspout - mostly to keep
mosquitoes out and other critters who might crawl in and drown. But there is a tree
(?) frog living in there - he clings to the underside of the lid when I open it.
Hopefully, he eats earwigs!!!

I use it as well to wash my hands once in a while after weeding if I don't want to
trek into the house - I even tied a fingernail brush to it. And I throw terra cotta
pots in there to soak before potting or to clean. 

I have seen commercially made "rain barrels" like this in catalogs - some even with a
hose connection between two of them to double the water holding capacity.

One year (I've had this setup for about 5 years now), I put a burlap bag of composted
manure in it barrel to make "manure tea", but haven't bothered since. It's been
easier to add fertilizer to the water I draw out.

Drought hasn't been a problem here - in fact, hate to say this to you sufferers, it's
raining today. I don't know if you could save enough water this way to make a
difference to large gardens, but to save those special plants...
-- 
Barb P.
SE Wisconsin, Zone 4


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