Rainwater for watering plants - water is getting more expensive and scarcer, but if you want a pretty garden, you must supply sufficient water, or all those pretty plants wilt and die. Even in the UK, we have periods when it is dry - and even sometimes, hosepipe restrictions are imposed on the garden hoses.
But rainwater is free - is it not? And can it not be stored up for those dry spells?
Plants need water the most in hot, dry, and windy weather, at the same time when water companies are most under demand for water resources. Newly planted plants, shrubs, trees, herbaceous perennials, seedlings, and vegetables are most vulnerable to water shortages when they are first planted. As their roots grow and established into the deeper, watering will need to be managed until these are established.
Rainwater is better for your plants as it often has a lower ph. In mains water treatment, some minerals are used in hard water areas, which can raise the pH of your root zone. Rainwater is good for ericaceous plants, including Rhododendron, Camellia, Azalea & Pieris.
View our rainwater harvesting tanks for garden watering systems here
This depends upon the size of your garden and the types of plants you grow. A small garden will simply need a water butt or small rainwater tank, with a lid to keep out leaves and small animals. If it is connected by a drain to a roof area, so much the better.
A larger area may need a larger tank and a more complex system for harvesting the rainwater. An underground tank with a pump to bring up the water as needed may be the solution. In either case, you can save money once your rainwater harvesting system is in place.
You may need to water more slowly to seep down to the root layer.
Once you have let our plants dry out, you will need to water slowly and carefully. This is where a tank full of rainwater can be an asset.
Rainwater is a great choice. It is free, it is available if you have a storage tank, and it is clean. Tap water, on the other hand, is not free; it must be transported and that costs energy and may contain chemicals that do not suit your plants. (In very dry spells, you may be reduced to using greywater - the water that has been used by washing machines and showers.)
You can point the can onto the plant's foliage to prevent yourself from watering the weeds.
Save yourself time by using a pot with a built-in reservoir. The roots can access this water by capillary action as and when they need it.
They need setting up. The holes in the hoses or pipes are placed just where they are needed. They can be slightly underground to water the roots. The system can be connected directly to our rainwater water tank, with a timed pump to deliver the water as required, forming an automated irrigation system.
Sprinklers can be connecter to a rainwater storage tank and can be installed to supply a great deal of water.
These include:
Enduramaxx offers a wider range of suitable water tanks or rain barrels for domestic rainwater harvesting, from 50 litres water butt to 2,000-litre rain water storage tanks. For larger watering systems, up to 25,000 litre water tanks are available. With robust construction, seam-free and smooth, they are durable, reliable and come in a range of sizes to suit your requirements for stored water.
However, space might be limited, and we have slimline tanks on offer to collect water and can be placed upright or horizontal in the garden. These tanks are black or green which is opaque to minimise algae growth in the water. Rainwater level gauges are available to see the level in the water tank. Many are baffled to reduce the movement of water and add extra strength.
These water harvesting tanks can be fitted with a bib tap which is a brass fitting that is primarily used for outside garden taps. These bib taps have a 1/2' inch, 3/4 inch or 1" male thread, which connects the outlet on water tanks to fit a water pipe. The water flow is adjusted by turning the handle open or shut.
All our tanks come with a 10-year guarantee, and we are always pleased to discuss your specific needs or rainwater for watering. Please call us on 01778 562810.
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