Rainwater in the gardencan be a very valuable source of water for watering plants. It is worth using rainwater, because we have it for free, and it has a better effect on plants than tap water. We advisehow to collect rainwaterand to which barrels, as well as we reveal simple ways towatering the garden with rainwater , thanks to which you will not work hard and the water will be evenly distributed on all beds.
Rainwater in the garden
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Is watering the garden with rainwater a good idea?
During the year, a huge amount of water falls from the sky, for which, firstly, we do not have to pay, and secondly, it is safe and valuable for plants, because it does not contain, for example, chlorine.Rainwater, or simply rainwater, is perfect for watering plantsIt has the same temperature as the environment, thanks to which the plants do not get shocked during watering.
Interestingly, rainwater does not contain mineral s alts that could adversely affect the pH of the substrate. A rainwater container, tank or barrel can therefore be an excellent source of water for watering your garden .
Good to know!
Rainwater is soft water containing little magnesium and calcium. For this reason, it is perfect for watering plants that are damaged by hard water.
How to collect rainwater in the garden?
If you want to fully userainwater to water the gardenwe have to equip the roofs of all buildings with gutters and place containers under the drain pipes. This is the easiest way tocollect rainwater to water your plants .
Rainwater barrel
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In garden centers we will getrainwater containers made of plastic , equipped with additional taps, which facilitates water collection. The tap should be installed above the layer of possibly formed sediment and high enough above the ground to put a watering can under it.
Traditional barrels are also suitable for collecting rainwater . We can connect several barrels or containers together, which will significantly increase the volume of water collected. There are even special kits with tubes for connecting barrels in stores.
Collecting rainwater into several barrels
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Containers filled with water are quite heavy, so they should be placed on a solid, hardened surface.Rainwater containers must be tight, opaque and should be placed in shaded places This is important for the quality of water that is kept for a long time. In transparent barrels or placed in sunny places, algae will quickly develop and the water will be polluted.
If there is a lot of sunlight under the gutter, where you wantto place a rainwater barrel , it is worth installing a garden pergola planted with vines that will cast some shade. At leastonce a year the rainwater barrels should be emptied and thoroughly cleaned
To collect rainwater,also uses underground cisterns with a ground inlet.
Note!
Rainwater is usually slightly acidic water and is therefore easily corrosive to metals. Metal rain barrels can rust and release harmful substances into the water. For this reason, it is best to use plastic containers to collect rainwater. Any sheet metal containers used must be protected against rust and regularly checked.
How to use rainwater to water the garden?
The rainwater can be collected into the watering candirectly from the barrels. However, this is an inefficient and very labor-intensive method. It is therefore only suitable for small gardens. You can make things easierby connecting a drip irrigation hoseor the so-called spray hose. Thanks to this, the water will slowly drain into the beds along which the hose is laid, or the drip irrigation system installed.
Rainwater for garden watering collected in underground cisternsis carried by pumps to the irrigation system, which distributes water around the garden, with hoses terminated with sprinklers or drippers.
Drip irrigation with barrel rainwater
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We can use the excess rainwateralso by directing it underground with pipes to specific places in the garden (e.g.under the canopy of large trees, where the soil may remain dry even after rain). It is also worth directing the rainwater into the depressions of the terrainor special troughs that can be planted with moisture-loving plants, such as garden ferns or iris. As a result, we will obtain an extremely climatic moisture reserve during a drought.
Anotherway to use rainwater in your gardenis to direct gutter drains to your pond. Right next to the water outlet from the gutter, you can build a small reservoir with aquatic plants, which in turn can be connected with the drain gutter to the target pond.
Rationalthe use of rainwater for watering the gardencauses that we stop practically all the water flowing from the roofs. Thanks to this, we improve not only the development conditions of plants in the garden, but also the general climate and soil conditions on our plot.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
