A rain barrel is a good idea. You could even have a spigot attached to it with drip hoses for when the dry weather returns. And also, mulching heavily around your plants will help conserve moisture.
A rain barrel is a good idea. You could even have a spigot attached to it with drip hoses for when the dry weather returns. And also, mulching heavily around your plants will help conserve moisture.
We have a barrel under one if the rain spouts on the garage. We use this water to water all of flowers and plants.
Having rain barrels with covers to keep out the mosquitoes and a tap at the bottom to connect your hose are ideal. The rain water is much better than tap water if you are in an area where your water is chlorinated. The more barrels you have, the less you must rely on tap water.
A second idea is to mulch your plants. A 2 to 4 inch mulch is great to keep the soil moist even in the hottest weather. An added advantage is that you'll have a lot less weeding to do.
A third option is to follow what is called the deep watering method which can save you time, water, and money. The idea is to water less often but more deeply.
Hope this will help.
Last edited by Chris; 07-31-2008 at 09:58 PM.
one tip for rain barrels is to raise them up high on a platform or cinderblocks or something, to help gravity give you a better water flow out the bottom hose.
I just dont bathe. haha, just kidding. I just try and be concious about how much water im using.
These few tips will help you conserve water in the garden.
- Incorporate organic matter into your soil to help retain water in the soil.
- After the soil has warmed and the plants are planted, keep an organic mulch of 1 to 3 inches on the garden to prevent evaporation and keep the soil from getting too warm.
- Water early in the morning so the water will sink in without evaporating.
- Use drip irrigation so that the water goes right to the roots where it is needed. Never water anything overhead except the lawn.
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I just read that putting a goldfish or two in your rainbarrel will keep mosquitoes from hatching in your rain barrel. An added bonus is the nutrients from goldfish "poop" though, admittedly, there won't be much "poop" from one or 2 goldfish in a 55 gallon barrel.