Rain Barrel Update

Since we are nearing the end of our rain barrel use for the year, I thought I'd poll the group to see how things went with our barrels this year. I sent out an e-mail asking for input and received a number of responses. I'll summarize.

First, it was a wet, cool summer, so for most of us our rain barrel use was somewhat down. A couple of us did drain our barrels once or twice over the summer, but rain did seem to come at regular intervals, so that situation was amended quickly.

One trend I noticed was that - no surprise - rain barrel use accelerates if you have potted plants. Even in a rainy season like the one we just had, pots pretty much need to be watered every day. Same for vegetables. They require more water than most flowering plants - and double that for tomatoes. Erica used rain barrel water as fertilizer for her tomatoes.

Some people did attach soaker hoses to their barrels. The Bradleys report that their barrels drained quickly with soakers attached.

A few people expanded beyond plants with their rain barrel water. The Carters used it to wash their car and to clean their driveway after some work. I also used the water to wash our car and rinse out things like my compost bucket. We had some work done here over the summer, and I was able to direct workers to rinse their materials in the rain barrel water.

Regarding maintenance, the Bradleys report that they will be fixing the stand for their 55-gallon barrel this year. It's leaning and needs to be enlarged. Martha found that an old fashioned rag mop was great for cleaning it out.

This is our 3rd or 4th year with our barrel (can't remember), and I will say that each year I come to rely on it more. When it is dry, I somehow have found it inconvenient to have to use a hose, and besides, the water from the hose smells funny, like chlorine. And then there's the whole thing about unwinding and winding up the hose after a small use - I just don't want to do it. So I think I have entered the 'other side' and have become a full rain barrel convert. I don't want to speak for the others, but I would guess they have too.