I've been asked about the reason for getting a rain barrel when we've had such a dry spell.
Well, that's one of the best reasons you want to get a rain barrel. When it rains, you get the benefit of the rain on the gardens as well as the benefit of collecting the rain in your rain barrel. When it doesn't rain, you've got the benefit of using that collected rain to water your gardens and plants.
When we have the dry spells, we will sometimes pick up a quarter-inch of rain. Not much you say. Wait. Do the math.
A x R x (600 gallons/1000 sq ft) = T
(Area of roof (in sq ft draining into your rain barrel) x Rainfall (in inches) x (600gal/1000sq ft)= Total water harvested in your rain barrel.
If your home is 24 x 40 and is a standard "A" pitched roof, with gutters on each side going to one side of the house, each side will have 480 sq ft of roof to collect rain...so, 480 x 1/4 inch rain x (600gal/1000sq ft) = 72 gallons. You would have collected more than your barrel full of water with a mere 1/4-inch of rain fall. Enough to water many a garden plant and flower.
So, don't get discouraged when there is no rain. Smile sweetly, because you prepared and got yourself a rain barrel to "prepare for a not-so-rainy-day". Out of my 4 rain barrels that I have set up, I still have water in 3 of them from the last little drizzle that we had.
Be like a good Scout and Be Prepared. Your plants and your water bills will thank you.
Well, that's one of the best reasons you want to get a rain barrel. When it rains, you get the benefit of the rain on the gardens as well as the benefit of collecting the rain in your rain barrel. When it doesn't rain, you've got the benefit of using that collected rain to water your gardens and plants.
When we have the dry spells, we will sometimes pick up a quarter-inch of rain. Not much you say. Wait. Do the math.
A x R x (600 gallons/1000 sq ft) = T
(Area of roof (in sq ft draining into your rain barrel) x Rainfall (in inches) x (600gal/1000sq ft)= Total water harvested in your rain barrel.
If your home is 24 x 40 and is a standard "A" pitched roof, with gutters on each side going to one side of the house, each side will have 480 sq ft of roof to collect rain...so, 480 x 1/4 inch rain x (600gal/1000sq ft) = 72 gallons. You would have collected more than your barrel full of water with a mere 1/4-inch of rain fall. Enough to water many a garden plant and flower.
So, don't get discouraged when there is no rain. Smile sweetly, because you prepared and got yourself a rain barrel to "prepare for a not-so-rainy-day". Out of my 4 rain barrels that I have set up, I still have water in 3 of them from the last little drizzle that we had.
Be like a good Scout and Be Prepared. Your plants and your water bills will thank you.
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