Collecting rainwater is something that’s been done for centuries, and for a good reason. Having a store of H2O makes watering your lawn and garden that much easier—and the less often you turn on a tap, the more money you save! Rainwater is free to use and free of chlorine, which is much gentler on your plants. There’s no downside to adding a rain barrel to your landscape; however, they require proper care and regular maintenance to stay functional and fall is the perfect time to do it.
Rain barrels are containers placed at the bottom of a downspout on your house and are used to collect and store water. With various styles available, it’s easy to add a rain barrel to your landscape and have it look like it’s always belonged.
We recommend using a barrel made of food-grade plastic, has UV protection, and has a secure screen lid to filter particles in the water and keep animals out. Because rainwater runs over the roof of your house, it may pick up contaminants, so don’t use this water on any edible plants.
The first step to installing your rain barrel is to determine its height so you can mark off how much of your downspout to remove. For better water pressure, elevate the barrel a foot or two off the ground; this is helpful when you attach a hose and saves your back a little, but it needs to be considered before you remove the downspout.
Step two is securing the downspout. If you purchased a rain barrel kit, a connector piece would be included; otherwise, it can be bought from a hardware store. The connector piece should fit snugly onto the new end of your downspout and into the rain barrel, so there are no leaks.
To protect the foundation of your house, your rain barrel must have an overflow hose. In the event of a heavy rainstorm, you want to ensure excess water is diverted away from your home, ideally downhill or towards a storm drain.
For the most part, rain barrels are pretty low maintenance. The most maintenance you’ll need to do is making sure all the parts are clean and undamaged, especially if you’ve experienced lots of rain. To keep the barrel clean and the plumbing components working well, you should clean your rain barrel at least once a year. The fall is an ideal time for rain barrel maintenance as you’ll need to empty it and prepare it for winter anyways.
While not completely unavoidable, regular rain barrel maintenance will also help combat algae buildup. Excessive algae can clog the spigot and cause other issues in your rain barrel, so it’s best to stay on top of it. Check the mesh screen on top of the lid of your rain barrel. Over time the mesh will weaken and need to be replaced. If the mesh still looks sturdy and serviceable, make sure it’s cleaned and allowed to dry as a routine part of maintenance.
For further maintenance tips or rain barrel questions, stop into a Greenstreet Gardens location in Alexandria, Belle Haven, and Lothian.
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