Water is so very important that you should have at least two sources of this vital commodity.One backup source, rainwater, could even be the primary source of water for your vegetable garden, as it is here at Liberty Ridge.
Pictured is our setup, with a corner of a raised bed in the foreground, and the irrigation system, comprising the red "pickle barrel" perched on the bed and several 1,500 gallon storage tanks in the background, connected by a 2-inch flexible water line. To water the bed, just open the spigot on the pickle barrel, and 50 gallons of water drain into the bed through a 50-foot soaker hose.
(Incidentally, the picture was taken in mid-May. The tomatoes in the foreground are now almost four feet high, caged, and starting to produce fruit. Can't wait for the first taste!)
In this episode, I discuss the ins and outs of catching, storing, and using rainwater to irrigate a vegetable garden:
- How much water can you catch from a rainstorm?
- How much storage capacity is enough?
- How do you connect your storage container to your catchment source (your roof)?
- How do you prevent algae and mosquitoes from growing in the water?
- - - - - - - -Pete Ferron
