It seems we didn't have much of a summer and it's already time to be thinking of winter preparations. Let's just hope that this winter is not a repeat of last winter! I think it threw many of us for a loop.
I will say that even though we had a bad dry spell, my barrels got me through most of it nicely. I only had to water one of my flowerbeds and my blueberries twice with the hose. I was able to use the harvested water for everything else. No iron stains on my sidewalk, no cold water shock to the plants. I'm sure I could hear them calling out, "Thank you!"
I do want to give you rain barrel folks some tips on how to take care of your barrels in preparation for, and over the winter. You want to take the time to make sure you tend to a few things, and you will be surprised how few those are...
WINTER CARE SUGGESTIONS: These quality-built wine barrels were not intended for outdoor exposure and have been sheltered from harsh weather in wineries of California. Although they are built to last a lifetime, at the end of the season it is recommended that you cover your rain barrel to protect the beautiful wood from the elements of our drying winter winds and weather, regardless if you have had it water or weather sealed.
To prepare for the winter months, drain the barrel of as much water as possible so it doesn't freeze and expand, disconnect the downspout and open the spigot. Cover all openings to keep as much moisture inside as possible to prevent the barrels from drying out due to the dry winter air. Plastic packing tape will work for this purpose. Then, just cover your barrel with plastic or a tarp to help protect it from the harsher winter elements.
That's it--that simple. If you can't disconnect the downspout, not a big deal. Just make certain that you leave that spigot open so any thaw that drains into the barrel can run out.
If you are able and want to, you can hose out the barrel so that any stagnant water that remains under the level of the spigot gets cleaned out. That water can be nasty smelling, it might contain sludge (yuk) and a good idea to clean that out if you have the urge.
I would think the easiest way would be to take the barrel off the stand and lay it down to hose it off through the downspout collection site/hole. You can drain the excess water through that same hole. If any of you have a different way, please share your ideas on the website blog, Water Log, so that the rest of us can learn a new and better way, too.
I do want to give you rain barrel folks some tips on how to take care of your barrels in preparation for, and over the winter. You want to take the time to make sure you tend to a few things, and you will be surprised how few those are...
WINTER CARE SUGGESTIONS: These quality-built wine barrels were not intended for outdoor exposure and have been sheltered from harsh weather in wineries of California. Although they are built to last a lifetime, at the end of the season it is recommended that you cover your rain barrel to protect the beautiful wood from the elements of our drying winter winds and weather, regardless if you have had it water or weather sealed.
To prepare for the winter months, drain the barrel of as much water as possible so it doesn't freeze and expand, disconnect the downspout and open the spigot. Cover all openings to keep as much moisture inside as possible to prevent the barrels from drying out due to the dry winter air. Plastic packing tape will work for this purpose. Then, just cover your barrel with plastic or a tarp to help protect it from the harsher winter elements.
That's it--that simple. If you can't disconnect the downspout, not a big deal. Just make certain that you leave that spigot open so any thaw that drains into the barrel can run out.
If you are able and want to, you can hose out the barrel so that any stagnant water that remains under the level of the spigot gets cleaned out. That water can be nasty smelling, it might contain sludge (yuk) and a good idea to clean that out if you have the urge.
I would think the easiest way would be to take the barrel off the stand and lay it down to hose it off through the downspout collection site/hole. You can drain the excess water through that same hole. If any of you have a different way, please share your ideas on the website blog, Water Log, so that the rest of us can learn a new and better way, too.
Remember to save water for your indoor plants--they will benefit from it and thank you for it this winter.
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