• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Deep Roots at Home

  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Babies & Pregnancy
    • Beauty
    • Books & Booklists
    • Brain & Gut Health
    • Children At Home
    • COVID-19
    • Detoxing & TRS
    • DIY & Crafts
    • Education & Homeschool
    • Faith & Family
    • Feel-Good Stories
    • Flourishing Marriage
    • Flourishing Womanhood
    • Food & Recipes
    • Food Additives
    • Garden & Homestead
    • Healthy Living
    • Herbs & Remedies
    • Holidays
    • Homemaking
    • My Favorite Products
    • News & Alerts
    • Parental Rights
    • Pharma & Vaccines
    • Play, Toys, & Movies
    • Raising Daughters
    • Raising Sons
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Popular Blog Topics
  • Alternative Medicine
  • Babies & Pregnancy
  • Beauty
  • Books & Booklists
  • Brain & Gut Health
  • Children at Home
  • COVID-19
  • Detoxing & TRS
  • DIY & Crafts
  • Education & Homeschool
  • Faith & Family
  • Feel-Good Stories
  • Flourishing Marriage
  • Flourishing Womanhood
  • Food & Recipes
  • Food Additives
  • Garden & Homestead
  • Healthy Living
  • Herbs & Remedies
  • Holidays
  • Homemaking
  • My Favorite Products
  • News And Alerts
  • Parenting / Parental Rights
  • Pharmaceutical Warnings
  • Play / Toys
  • Raising Daughters
  • Raising Sons
  • Popular This Week
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Rain Barrel Ramblings: Clever Ways To Water the Garden & Be Prepared

    7.3KViews Modified: Jun 24, 2022 · Published: Jun 20, 2012
    By Jacqueline 11 Comments

    Share1.4K
    Telegram
    Pin424
    1.8K Shares

    Rain Barrel Ramblings: Clever Ways To Water the Garden & Save. rain collection barrels

    The rain barrel is making a comeback.

    Collecting rainwater with a rain barrel or two for your garden is a wise idea, no matter what your motivation. If you’re on a municipal water system, you stand to save a considerable amount of money. If drought is a problem where you live, collecting rainwater is a good way to deal with watering restrictions.

    We don’t know how much we depend on water until we don’t have it!

    Plants prefer rainwater to other sources of water; it’s naturally soft and free of chlorine and other chemicals. So you may find, as I do, that having a rain barrel is a handy alternative to the garden hose if placed close to your veggies.

    The use of a rain barrel is really a very old idea.

    There are as many ways to set up a water collection system as there are people with ideas, whether it is a single barrel or many connecting barrels – just peruse the internet.

    The Rain Barrel Helper

    A gravity drip irrigation system like the one below makes so much sense for veggies that appreciate consistent water such as cabbages, tomatoes, peppers, celery, lettuces, and most berry plants which need an inch/week when setting fruit.

    Or attach a hose for regular, deep watering:

    watering cabbages with rain water

    watering tomatoes from the bottom, tomato plant

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    To give you an idea: Just a half inch of rain falling on a 1,000-square-foot roof will yield 300 gallons of water. That’s pretty amazing!

    Here’s a nifty calculator to measure what you could collect.

    The Inter-Connected Rain Barrel System:

    You can collect by inter-connecting inexpensive food grade 55 gallon drums. This system was built following A Spouse’s Guide to Building the Perfect Rain Barrel System.

    irrigation system, rain collection barrels,(source)

    Having a rain barrel system is also a water supply back-up should we lose the electrical grid for any length of time for any reason. Without electricity our well pumps will not pump water. One way would be to use a portable Berkey system (which we now use to filter our everyday well water) and then filter rain barrel water for drinking.

    Last Thoughts:

    • Look locally for a rain-barrel that suits your need. Ordering online will have added freight costs.
    • Sometimes the bigger, the better (within reason) for rain collection. If you have frequent rainfall, you can get by with a smaller rain barrel. The bigger the garden, the more water you will go through, and because you don’t have lots of pressure with a smaller barrel, the more the gallons you have the better the pressure and the faster you can water.
    • You need to have the barrel elevated above your target watering area.
    • Anything over the capacity of the barrel will spill over and runoff.
    • Make sure your barrel has no way mosquitoes can get in and breed.

    Is it Illegal to Collect Rainwater?: A State by State Guide

    It is illegal in a growing number of states, so know your laws!

    rain collection barrels, water drip system, spigot, hose, shut off valve

    Happy rain barrel watering!!

    “He [the Living God] has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”  ~Acts 14: 17

    Rain Barrel Ramblings: Clever Ways To Water the Garden & Be Prepared. rain collection barrels
    Print Friendly, PDF & Email
    Share1.4K
    Telegram
    Pin424
    1.8K Shares
    « 3 Ingredient Bleach Alternative: Homemade, Non-Toxic and Frugal
    The Best Power Bars Ever: A Ketogenic Whole Food Snack »

    Related

    Hi! I’m Jacqueline!

    Thanks for being part of this journey with me.
    Welcome to my own little place on the internet! Home is where I love to be. I feel there is no greater place to incubate souls. These days you’ll find me using my experiences here to write about herbal remedies and natural health research — a big passion of mine. But being a wife and mother is not easy. It is challenging and potentially lonely. I get that. I wanted to create a place to connect with and support other moms for creating a natural, healthy, and fulfilling home life.
    Join the newsletter:

    Sent in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lori

      June 20, 2012 at 5:20 pm

      LOVE that verse…He fills our hearts with joy! I could meditate on that all day.

      Reply
    2. Petra

      June 20, 2012 at 5:28 pm

      I did see your comment, Miss J, about the berry ID. Thanks so much for trying–I do appreciate your help. Yes, do try the banana pop. Very refreshing. 😉

      Thank you also for posting about rain barrels. I’ll enjoy reading it here in a while when I’ve got a spare moment. God bless you richly and bring you joy!

      ~Petra

      Reply
    3. LindaG

      June 20, 2012 at 6:37 pm

      A lot of great information here. Thank you.

      Reply
    4. Working Kansas Homemaker

      June 20, 2012 at 9:18 pm

      I first heard about rain barrels not too long ago from a coworker. We are looking into getting our own! During the summer months in Kansas, it can get pretty dry. Usually we have a pretty wet spring. Although the weather has been very messed up so who knows! I love the idea of preserving what the Lord gives us through rainfall and just being less wasteful.

      Blessings, Nicole

      Reply
    5. JES

      June 21, 2012 at 4:42 am

      Hurray for rain barrels! We have two large ones with one being plumbed to our outdoor shower and washing machine. The other is for the outdoor farm stuff like watering, etc., They come in handy for so many reasons! And the use of water without electricity (and $) is priceless.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        June 21, 2012 at 9:25 am

        That water is priceless is an understatement!! Haha!! We are experiencing a rather advanced drought as I type…we never thought it would last this long 🙁
        Miss you, dear JES and can’t wait to see what you will be posting here in a few days 🙂

        Reply
    6. Amy Schaffner

      June 21, 2012 at 9:19 am

      You inspired me! It’s raining outside right now, so I went out and put out my water buckets and a big tub, a system may be in my near future….so thanks!!!!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        June 21, 2012 at 9:30 am

        Amy,
        That is so neat! Only thought is about mosquitoes. Do cover with a screen or gauzy fabric, etc. Sorry to sound so bossy…I would hate to unwittingly bring you and yours disease. Many blessings to you, and I am so thankful you are getting rain. How much we take it for granted.

        Reply
    7. Kimberley

      May 20, 2013 at 9:23 pm

      We would also hook up our rain barrel to our washing machine during drought season when there was no rain. We used the “gray” water and a natural detergent Country Save on our garden for plants like raspberries, cucumbers, squash, green beans, etc. It worked out great!

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        May 20, 2013 at 11:07 pm

        Kimberley, That is so clever! I never thought about using it for a washer! I will have to ask my husband about that one :0 You are far ahead of us!
        Blessings!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Footer

    About Deep Roots at Home

    What is Deep Roots at Home?
    Jacqueline’s Story
    Article Archives
    Contact
    Stay Updated

    Weekly updates on the topics that matter the most to you!

    Sent in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

    Popular Posts This Week
    • “Awareful Prayerful” Videos Part #2
    • Facts About Chemotherapy – Toxic Poison or Cancer Cure?
    • Italian Olive Oil Scam: See the Olive Oil Brands That Failed the Tests
    • Joe Tippins’s Fenbendazole Protocol For Cancer

    Affiliate Disclosure  •  Medical Disclosure  •  Privacy Policy  •  Cookie Policy

    The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. By accessing or using this website, you agree to abide by the Terms of Service, Full Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosure, and Comment Policy. Content may not be reproduced in any form. Website by Imperative Co.



    © 2006–2023 Deep Roots at Home • All Rights Reserved

    Many people don’t see me on the Deep Roots at Home Facebook page these days due to censorship.

    Come straight to Deeprootsathome.com instead and find out what you’re missing!

    You can even make DRAH your browser homepage.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “5 Easy, Homemade Remedies to Beat Coughs & Colds” printable PDF.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “5 Easy + Healthy Lifestyle Drinks” printable PDF.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Make Your Own Elderberry Syrup — with Easy Recipes!” printable PDF.

    Subscribe to Email Updates

    By adding your email address below, you agree to receive email updates from Deep Roots at Home. You’ll get 2-6 emails per month with info that we can’t share on social media and important updates. We may send occasional marketing / sales emails.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Treasured Old Books” printable guide.

    Get the printable ebook!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Dyslexia Tips” ebook from Sarah J. Brown.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Starving Brains & Poor Attention Spans in Boys: 30 Tips for Parents” printable PDF.

    Get your free ebook!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “Vital Vaccine Info” printable e-book.

    Get your free printable guide!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “31 Days of Praying Scripture for Newlyweds” printable guide.

    Get the freebie of the season!

    Fill in your email address to receive the free “100 Wholehearted Books to Take Back the Culture” printable guide.

    Praying for newlyweds is perhaps the best gift we can give them! Receive this printable PDF: “31 Days of Praying Scripture for Newlyweds.” 

    Prayers for Husbands

    View our privacy policy.

    The PDF will arrive in your inbox! You’ll also get about 1-2 emails a month (including the seasonal freebies!) and can unsubscribe at any time.

    ¡Nos gustaría mantener en contacto! Y usted recibirá un obsequio importante de la temporada: “Cerebros Ambrientes y Escasa Atención En Los Niños” PDF imprimible.

    Spanish Boys Attention Spans

    Ver nuestra política de privacidad.


    ¡El PDF llegará a su buzón de entrada! ¡Usted recibirá 1 – 2 correos electrónicos al mes (incluyendo los regalos de temporada!) y puede cancelar su suscripción en cualquier momento.