Plants Flourish with Rain Water

Plants quenched with rainwater thrive more than those doused with tap water. Rain barrels are a great way to capture rainwater, and there are many options on the market today, from functional to artsy, folksy to plain. We have both, wooden rain barrels and plastic rain barrels, so in this article we’ll cover the pros and cons of each type.

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life.”
~John Updike, American novelist, poet, short-story writer, 1932-2009

Waters of Life

As the rains diminish and the daily heat intensifies, our garden focus transitions to keeping plants properly watered. There are many methods and combinations of methods available.

Conservation

• Mulching
• Berming and trenching
• Shading
• Automatic water timers
• Cultivating to loosen the soil

Watering

• Hose or watering can
• Sprinklers
• Soaker hoses
• Ollas
• Irrigation (drip or spray)

Water Resources and Collection

• Natural rain
• Public water systems
• Private wells/springs/ponds
• Cisterns
• Rain barrels

Just today, we used conservation (shade cloth and mulching), sprinklers, hoses, watering cans, and even a 55 gallon drum to haul water to a remote location.

Most of the water came from a private well, but some came from a rain barrel.

Benefits of Rain Barrels for Collecting Rainwater

Q. Why use rain barrels?

A. One inch of rain on a 1000 square feet roof yields 623 gallons of water.

We’re using two types of rain barrels– two re-purposed 60-gallon oak wine barrels and four 50 gallon poly barrels that resemble wood. There are pros and cons to both types.

“Real” Wooden Rain Barrels

PROS:

• Up to 60 gallons capacity
• Look great (natural/rustic) especially in combination with rain chains
• Can be stained with preservative
• Very substantial (won’t get blown over)
• Hold water quite well

CONS

• Expensive price range $125 to $200 per barrel (used).
• Heavy-require substantial support (blocks, bricks or stone)
• Completely round shape may extended downspout modification
• Custom carpentry for top hole, hose valve, and bottom support
• Mosquito control (Use Mosquito Dunks)
• Needs wood preservative to last extra years* Our untreated oak barrels looked shabby after 7 years.

Plastic Rain Barrels

PROS:

• Capacity @ 50-55 gallons
• Less expensive ($100 or less)
• Will last longer than wood if maintained
• Available on-line
• Comes with hose fixture (spigot)
• Variety of colors and finishes
• Some types are semi-round with flat side to fit closer to exterior wall
• Much easier setup
• Lightweight (when empty)
• Can buy used food grade barrels from local food processors
• Easier to drain and store for winter
• Those with screens block out mosquitoes and other creatures
• Some can be linked to other barrels to maximize collection
• Some have front side overflow port

CONS:

• Plastic barrels aren’t as attractive as natural wood (though the fake wood rain barrels tend to look nice)
• May fade in sunlight
• May be difficult to integrate with rain-chains
• Hard to achieve a “rustic” look with plastic materials
• Can be blown over by strong winds if mostly empty
• All in all, the plastic rain barrels come out on top with a longer pros list
• Plastic isn’t environmentally friendly

Contributions from the Community

“Hi, we’re getting ready to set up rain barrels at our community bike shop here in Missoula Montana. We aim for natural materials. I liked your article and info.  I’d add a ‘con’ for plastic: made of petroleum, which is often toxic and not good for the environment.  
[EDITOR’S NOTE: We have since added that to the Plastic Cons list].

Granted, there are different levels of plastic, and we are a plastic society, however, we feel we should move away from petroleum plastic for overall health and vitality.

Hemp plastic is a different story, a story that will likely unfold over the next several years.

Thanks!  Bob Giordano, director, Free Cycles, Missoula

RELATED: You an find more on hemp and hemp products here.

Rain Barrel Maintenance and Care

• Requires periodic maintenance to drain and clear debris that can clog the hose spigot
• Can benefit from occasional hosing of the exterior

Rain Barrel Tips and Benefits

• Can be used to divert water from foundations
• With use of gravity or a small pump can water garden and landscape plants
• Set rain barrel higher above grade for more gravity fueled water flow
• Set barrel high enough to fill a watering can, (or get a barrel with two spigots – a higher and a lower one).
• Remember to make any supporting structure stout enough to withstand 50 gallons. At 8.33 lbs per gallon of water that’d be 416.5 pounds per full barrel.

Attaching Soaker Hoses to Rain Barrels

We’ve attached soaker hoses to our rain barrels. One proviso on soaker hose is that they do wear out over a season or two.

We’ve moved to drip irrigation for our gardens, however, those don’t work so well for rain barrel watering as compared to soaker hose. These could work with a hefty filtration system and a solar pump, which we’ll be looking into.

Check the hoses occasionally for blockages. Some debris, including roof grit, vegetative matter, and pollen can build up at the bottom and block the hose spigot or part of the hose. Or, better yet, install a good rain barrel filter.

NOTE: remove the plastic washer inside the coupling.

More to Know!

For more on the topic of rain collection, you may enjoy this article on water storage rain barrels.

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