I'm a big believer in saving rainwater too. I feel like it's one of those things I never really paid much attention to - but the last few years of climate change have really made it clear that it needs to be an essential part of my gardening plan. Rain is just too scarce/unreliable. I've several rain barrels now & have gotten a bit obsessive about tracking how full they are.
On a tangent, I've found that plants grow better w the rain barrel water rather than from the hose. I guess because it's untreated? No idea what chemicals are washing off the roof (which is a bit alarming) but things just seem healthier in general w the rain barrel water.
(Random musings I just thought I'd share lol. Also - your greenhouse is lovely! So tidy!)
@MelsGarden Nothing focusses minds like the lack of something. It’s good you do all this. More people should, even in our wet UK.
Our tapped supply on site is shut off from November to late March so I’ve always needed to collect rainwater for autumn/winter greenhouse crops and early spring seedlings.
Since the heatwave in 2022 I upped my game and have much more rainwater storage to better get through something similar. I can catch more rainwater from a heavy downpour now.
The main thing is our tapped water is chlorinated so I prefer not to use it as I don’t like killing my soil biology. No wonder plants do so much better on rainwater.
I haven’t used any tapped water on my plot since June. I hope it rains just often enough to keep that going.
I am frugal with it I don’t over water and established plants have to search deeper with their roots or work together with the mycorrhizal fungi for water.
Mulch also helps to both conserve moisture and keep the soil temperature lower.
@MelsGarden What do you do with your rain barrels in winter? I let most of the water in mine out to prevent them from bursting. But now in late winter/early spring I need water to plant woody plants and water them in. I'm dreaming of an underground zistern. This way we coul collect all the winter rain to keep it into the next year, instead of giving it up to prevent frost damage. Those garbage cans are your rain barrels?
@levampyre @MelsGarden We’re lucky our winters are usually mild. I’ve had water butts for twenty years and never had any issues with damage caused by freezing.
This is my rainwater harvesting set up.
With our average rainfall the shed roof will be able to collect 6500 litres per year. With not as much but extra from the greenhouse. I have nearly 3000 litres available rainwater storage.
Ah, that's neat. But won't work for me. We have weeks of negative temps lakes freeze over and if you don't release the water from hoses and rainbarrels they would burst. Therefore I want to go underground with my collection point. @MelsGarden
@MelsGarden I too have upped my water conservation on the plot. Collection is difficult so I use the mains water occasionally to top up barrels and leave it for a few days for the chlorine to evaporate . I've been thinking though, that with all the other chemicals that are now in our waters, I can't really claim to be producing organic chemical free food. I suspect that a healthy soil microbiome will help, but feel I'm losing the battle.
@Hesperalis @MelsGarden I do dread to think what Thames water are sending our way these days. A healthy soil microbiome will be better placed to survive or recover from some of what gets thrown at it than an almost already dead one.
One of our plot holders bought a water butt in November but didn’t attach it to her guttering but we’ve had so much rain it’s full anyway!
I used to chlorinate off the tapped water too before using any.
I feel I’m winning the battle in the soil but getting nowhere with changing what’s in between peoples ears (this comment refers to some people I speak to on the site, not on here).
You’ll be doing more good than you think, for sure. Keep at it.
@MelsGarden I've joined a citizen science project to test our allotment stream. Goodness knows what that will show. Yes, there are multiple other benefits from growing your own, from lowering the plastic, chemical and mileage costs, the wellbeing side too, so it's still worthwhile.
I'm trying to find ways to move away from using tap water in the garden. There's so much chlorine in the water I can actually smell it as it's running. I don't even drink it from my sink, so I can't imagine the garden likes it either.
I would love to get to a point where I could rely entirely on rainwater. Not sure my climate is conducive to that tho. Last summer was downright frightening. We went months w scorching heat/drought & virtually no rain.
This year I'm going to track rainfall amounts - for my own education - to see just how far my rain barrels can actually carry my garden. I'm sure I'll need to up my game too.
@MelsGarden We can only do so much but it’s a start just seeing how much water we use.
Most plots on our site are entirely reliant on tapped water because most people haven’t made any allowance for 2022 happening again or worse.
Right now it feels like we never do 2 days without rain but the jet stream saved the UK from last summer’s heat and drought. We might not be as lucky this year.
If our UK average rainfall doesn’t change too much I can water my plot without needing to rely on the chlorinated tapable supply.
If we’re in for heatwave and drought I have enough stored to water the plot a dozen times. Enough to get it through a dry summer.
Rainwater catchment is on my list for fall projects. The biggest hurdle is the cost of tankage, pretty much anything you get to store water is going to be about $1/gallon. And I really need to store at least 3000 gallons, which means by the time we get the pumps, solar panels and plumbing in I'll be back another $4k.
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@johntimaeus @MelsGarden We went with multiple 96 gallon trash bins and homemade rain chains. Lift lid, dip watering can kind of thing. Small operation but lots of downspouts.
I'm not having a lot of trust of the groundwater. We haven't dug a test well for quality checks, but we're near an airbase, in town, and close to a landfill. I think I'd rather the distilled water that falls from the sky.
We've got a small patch of wetland at the very back. If we need to, we may do a near surface well to collect what runs off the property and pump it back uphill.
Wm.son
in reply to Broadfork • • •We are waiting patiently here in CT.
I volunteer at three gardens...cannot wait.
Broadfork
in reply to Wm.son • • •@Sfwmson We have a long wait yet before last frosts but I’m getting the little jobs out of the way when I can.
Three gardens sounds good, enough variety to keep you on your toes.
rooftopjaxx
in reply to Broadfork • • •Broadfork
in reply to rooftopjaxx • • •rooftopjaxx
in reply to Broadfork • • •Broadfork
in reply to rooftopjaxx • • •rooftopjaxx
in reply to Broadfork • • •Melanie
in reply to Broadfork • • •I'm a big believer in saving rainwater too. I feel like it's one of those things I never really paid much attention to - but the last few years of climate change have really made it clear that it needs to be an essential part of my gardening plan. Rain is just too scarce/unreliable. I've several rain barrels now & have gotten a bit obsessive about tracking how full they are.
On a tangent, I've found that plants grow better w the rain barrel water rather than from the hose. I guess because it's untreated? No idea what chemicals are washing off the roof (which is a bit alarming) but things just seem healthier in general w the rain barrel water.
(Random musings I just thought I'd share lol. Also - your greenhouse is lovely! So tidy!)
Clara Listensprechen likes this.
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Broadfork
in reply to Melanie • • •@MelsGarden Nothing focusses minds like the lack of something. It’s good you do all this. More people should, even in our wet UK.
Our tapped supply on site is shut off from November to late March so I’ve always needed to collect rainwater for autumn/winter greenhouse crops and early spring seedlings.
Since the heatwave in 2022 I upped my game and have much more rainwater storage to better get through something similar. I can catch more rainwater from a heavy downpour now.
The main thing is our tapped water is chlorinated so I prefer not to use it as I don’t like killing my soil biology. No wonder plants do so much better on rainwater.
I haven’t used any tapped water on my plot since June. I hope it rains just often enough to keep that going.
I am frugal with it I don’t over water and established plants have to search deeper with their roots or work together with the mycorrhizal fungi for water.
Mulch also helps to both conserve moisture and keep the soil temperature lower.
levampyre
in reply to Broadfork • • •Broadfork
in reply to levampyre • • •@levampyre @MelsGarden We’re lucky our winters are usually mild. I’ve had water butts for twenty years and never had any issues with damage caused by freezing.
This is my rainwater harvesting set up.
With our average rainfall the shed roof will be able to collect 6500 litres per year. With not as much but extra from the greenhouse. I have nearly 3000 litres available rainwater storage.
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Melanie, Pollinators and Cycles reshared this.
levampyre
in reply to Broadfork • • •Broadfork
in reply to levampyre • • •@levampyre Good luck, it would be great if you could do that sometime.
@MelsGarden
nature
in reply to Broadfork • • •Hesperalis
in reply to Broadfork • • •Broadfork
in reply to Hesperalis • • •@Hesperalis @MelsGarden I do dread to think what Thames water are sending our way these days. A healthy soil microbiome will be better placed to survive or recover from some of what gets thrown at it than an almost already dead one.
One of our plot holders bought a water butt in November but didn’t attach it to her guttering but we’ve had so much rain it’s full anyway!
I used to chlorinate off the tapped water too before using any.
I feel I’m winning the battle in the soil but getting nowhere with changing what’s in between peoples ears (this comment refers to some people I speak to on the site, not on here).
You’ll be doing more good than you think, for sure. Keep at it.
Hesperalis
in reply to Broadfork • • •Broadfork
in reply to Hesperalis • • •Melanie
in reply to Broadfork • • •I feel exactly the same.
I'm trying to find ways to move away from using tap water in the garden. There's so much chlorine in the water I can actually smell it as it's running. I don't even drink it from my sink, so I can't imagine the garden likes it either.
I would love to get to a point where I could rely entirely on rainwater. Not sure my climate is conducive to that tho. Last summer was downright frightening. We went months w scorching heat/drought & virtually no rain.
This year I'm going to track rainfall amounts - for my own education - to see just how far my rain barrels can actually carry my garden. I'm sure I'll need to up my game too.
Broadfork
in reply to Melanie • • •@MelsGarden We can only do so much but it’s a start just seeing how much water we use.
Most plots on our site are entirely reliant on tapped water because most people haven’t made any allowance for 2022 happening again or worse.
Right now it feels like we never do 2 days without rain but the jet stream saved the UK from last summer’s heat and drought. We might not be as lucky this year.
If our UK average rainfall doesn’t change too much I can water my plot without needing to rely on the chlorinated tapable supply.
If we’re in for heatwave and drought I have enough stored to water the plot a dozen times. Enough to get it through a dry summer.
Pollinators reshared this.
John Timaeus
in reply to Broadfork • • •@MelsGarden
Rainwater catchment is on my list for fall projects. The biggest hurdle is the cost of tankage, pretty much anything you get to store water is going to be about $1/gallon. And I really need to store at least 3000 gallons, which means by the time we get the pumps, solar panels and plumbing in I'll be back another $4k.
We may be looking alternative means of storage:
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Easy Set® 13' x 33" Inflatable Pool w/ Filter Pump
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Shonin
in reply to John Timaeus • • •Pollinators reshared this.
John Timaeus
in reply to Shonin • • •@shonin @MelsGarden
Unfortunately, we're at about 250 meters of bed, heading toward 1000 before next spring. If I can't automate it, it won't get watered.
Shonin
in reply to John Timaeus • • •John Timaeus
in reply to Shonin • • •@shonin @MelsGarden
I'm not having a lot of trust of the groundwater. We haven't dug a test well for quality checks, but we're near an airbase, in town, and close to a landfill. I think I'd rather the distilled water that falls from the sky.
We've got a small patch of wetland at the very back. If we need to, we may do a near surface well to collect what runs off the property and pump it back uphill.
Broadfork
in reply to Shonin • • •Broadfork
in reply to John Timaeus • • •Clara Listensprechen
in reply to Broadfork • •Broadfork
in reply to Clara Listensprechen • • •Clara Listensprechen likes this.