We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Gardening in a drought

Options
13567

Comments

  • TheBanker
    TheBanker Posts: 2,217 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    The forecast has changed and is now showing some rain on Wednesday where I live. It doesn't look like much but at least it will give the grass a drink. I'll put a few buckets out to see how much I can catch. 

    One thing I noticed last year is that the design of my patio table means the rain water all runs off through the umbrella hole, so sticking a bucket under there should collect a bit, as well as avoiding a dirty patch on the patio. 

    In prior years I've not had much of a problem with water, and when I have I've just reached for the hosepipe or filled the watering can from the tap. Like eveyone my water bill has gone up this year so I am interested to see how much I can reduce consumption. 

    What do you folks do with the surplus water during winter/wet periods when the garden doesn't need it and the water butts are filling up from the rain? Do you bother trying to collect it or revert to letting it go down the drain? Apart from my few houseplants I can't really see a practical way of using the water when the garden's not thirsty, and I'm not sure that there's an easy way to store it. 
  • subjecttocontract
    subjecttocontract Posts: 2,702 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    We use it for cleaning & flushing the toilet in the stable, you could do the same if you have any outside buildings. It's possible to install a large collection tank with a pump to service any facility.
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,999 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    TheBanker said:
    The forecast has changed and is now showing some rain on Wednesday where I live.

    <SNIP>

    Apart from my few houseplants I can't really see a practical way of using the water when the garden's not thirsty, and I'm not sure that there's an easy way to store it. 

    We had a little burst here down in southern Hampshire, enough to put some in the butt from my side of the outhouse roof. Plus the pesky pigeons and doves underneath my solar panels have obviously filled up the gutter again after a couple of months (at most) and there was a steady overflow which gave 20 or so litres into a tub I shoved under it.

    If you don't want to go full large underground tank maybe with a grey water system you might find a cheaper compromise in a 1000l IBC, which is about 5 water butts worth, if you have the place for it.

    International Bulk Container..
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 7,497 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Interesting Section 62. Back in the 50s and 60s I used to stay with my great aunt who didn't have running water but a well.
    She had a big galvanised tank outside the door collecting rain water from the roof. 
    It was used to flush the toilet and washing.
    Rainwater is supposed to be good for hair washing making it soft.

    Guess there's nothing new 🙂

    I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!

    viral kindness .....kindness is contageous pass it on

    The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well


  • TheBanker
    TheBanker Posts: 2,217 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    We were supposed to get rain yesterday but it didn't materialise. My lawn is brown now. This usually happens in the height of summer but I've not known it in spring before. It's not just mine, most of my neighbours are the same, apart from the ones who use sprinkelers. 

    I even forked over the lawn a couple of days ago, in the hope of helping the promised rain get down into the ground. Ah well, at least I'm not having to mow it at the moment!

    So I've set up a system in my bathroom. I keep a jug next to the sink to catch water from the hot tap while it's warming up. I empty the jug into a bucket which sits in the bath, and when the bucket's full it goes outside into the watering can. If the watering can's full it stays in the bucket which is replaced. It isn't too much hassle but my partner and her son think I have lost the plot! 
  • subjecttocontract
    subjecttocontract Posts: 2,702 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    A couple of years ago during a long hot summer I used a sprinkler virtually every other day on my lawns front & back. The result was lovely green grass all through summer. The additional cost to my water bill was a very respectable £13. 
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 22,372 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    My grandmother’s remedy for greenfly on plants was to douse with washing up water. 
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,999 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The issues are that now prices are higher and it may be more than £13, there may be a hose pipe ban, and in my case from an environmental point of view I'd rather have a healthier flow in the local stream than a green lawn which will recover quickly following rain.
  • subjecttocontract
    subjecttocontract Posts: 2,702 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Some people think hose pipe bans only apply to daylight hours. Middle of the night when it's pitch black it's virtually impossible to know who is watering what !
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 7,497 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Banker, you could tell your family that you're not so bad 😁

    I have 2 buckets outside the back door, 2 big jugs to fill from running any hot tap and small amounts from warming the teapot, mug and if I have a bath I decant the water for garden or washing the car.
    Even use epsom salts in the bath for both me and the plants.

    What I use the watering can for they really couldn't cope with. But it's free, saves flushing the loo and litres and my grass is the greenest kin the close 😀
    You pay for it turned into granules.

    I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!

    viral kindness .....kindness is contageous pass it on

    The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well


Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.8K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.8K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 257.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.