A gardener’s second best friend

Oct 20, 2011

by Dale Odorizzi, Lanark County Master Gardeners

A Rain Barrel is a gardener’s second best friend. It is an extremely easy, low tech, low cost way to collect water that is so vital to your plants.

If you live on a town water supply, you have to pay for every ounce of water that comes from your tap. In drought conditions, many towns will impose a watering ban that prevents you from keeping your plants hydrated, often when they need it the most. Towns often put additives such as chlorine or fluoride in their water supply that your plants do not like. In the country, your well pump burns a lot of electricity, usually not at the off-peak hourly rate. Lanark County well water is normally very hard and when it comes directly from deep in the ground, it is very cold, something else your tender plants do not like.

On the other hand, a rain barrel will lower your water bills and save you money. It helps reduce the demand on the local water supply and reduce water runoff. In fact, during the peak summer months a rain barrel can collect about 1,300 gallons of water, depending on where you live. Rain barrels capture and keep water that can be used later. It is an efficient way to use a free resource. They help reduce erosion, storm water flow, pollution and flooding. Rainwater is naturally soft, oxygenated and more acidic than tap water. It doesn't have any chlorine, calcium or lime.

Oh yes, in case you’re wondering - I still believe that a Gardener’s best friend is compost.

 All your gardening questions can be submitted and answered on our website atwww.lanarkmastergardeners.mgoi.ca