Action Items to Take to Set Up a Rainwater Irrigation System with Rain Barrels for Your Albuquerque Garden

A rainwater irrigation system for gardens is an excellent method to save water while still having a lovely garden. Collecting rainwater is a simple and cheap way of helping plants thrive. Since plants can’t do without water, irrigating with rainwater is a fantastic idea.  Rainwater does not contain minerals, salts, and compounds present in other treated or untreated water sources since it falls from the sky. Rainwater also contains the ideal pH balance and nitrate supply to preserve the quality of soils and plants! Reduce your water bill by turning off the faucets. It’s not difficult to irrigate your garden with rainwater.  There is probably no need to increase your water cost for a green and blooming garden if you use rainwater to irrigate instead of groundwater.

Here are three actions to take to set up an efficient irrigation system.  

1. Gutters and downspouts. 

To collect rainwater, you will need downspouts and gutters. When rain falls on your house’s roof or probably the roof of your garage, shed, barn, tiny house, or other structure, it enters the gutter, which flows down to a downspout. 

To keep trash out of your barrels or tanks, install a screen or filter at the downspout’s end.

• Rain Barrels 

Make a hole in the spout of the gutter to install a spigot to use a rain barrel. Rainwater will flow straight into the container. To drive mosquitoes away from the spout, cap the spout if feasible.

Since a 55-gallon drum can fill up very fast, you will want to have many big containers on standby. Consider the following when choosing the best rain containers to use:

1. A mesh screen above to prevent debris, shingle grit, leaves, and mosquitoes out.
2. A spigot that drains unwanted water in the event of an overflow.
3. Putting the barrel on some sort of pedestal to allow gravity to let it drain.
4. Hoses that can be used to empty a full barrel into your garden.

• Irrigating with rainwater that has been collected

You can utilize a watering can or a hose to irrigate your garden with the rainwater that has been stored in the barrel. If you’re using a can, simply open the cover and dip it in.  If you’re going to use a hose, make sure the barrel is higher than the area you’re watering so gravity can carry the water. You can also connect your rain barrel to a drip irrigation system, in which all you have to do is turn a valve to irrigate your garden. Sprinkler systems necessitate a higher level of pressure. If you wish to use sprinklers, you may have to connect your rain barrel to a pump.

To irrigate using rainwater, how much rainfall is required?

 There are about 12 inches of rain per year, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and 10 inches of snow per year on average. Collecting rainwater in dry areas can be beneficial. You will collect rainwater from your roof, and the volume of water you can collect is determined by the size of your roof and the amount of rain that falls on it. This implies that 2 inches of rainwater on a 1,000 square foot roof may provide 1,200 gallons of water. There’s probably enough rainwater where you are to irrigate your garden. Depending on the size of your roof and regular rainfall, use this easy rainwater calculator to figure out the quantity of rainwater you can collect.

Why do you need to irrigate using rainwater?

When flowers and plants are irrigated with oxygenated rainwater, they flourish. Using a rain bucket to collect this valuable resource is ecologically friendly. When you collect water from the sky, you don’t need to utilize any source of energy to pump it. Rainwater also needs a place to flow to, making use of it for irrigation can help to prevent mud, erosion, and drainage problems. Finally, using rainwater instead of groundwater to irrigate retains the water table’s integrity.

Note: Rainwater from the surfaces of a roof can be contaminated with bacteria from bird dung and some other sources, and also chemicals from metal roofing. When watering vegetables and fruit, particularly low-growing fruits, herbs, and lettuce, keep this in mind. Do not drink your rainwater, even if it is good for the garden. It will be contaminated with far too many microorganisms for human consumption. To keep people and animals safe, keep the lids closed.

Rainwater Collection for Gardening

Most of our potable water is utilized outside during the summer. Pools are filled, automobiles are washed, and lawns and gardens are watered during this season. To make it safe to drink, this water must be chemically processed, which is fantastic for you but not so much for your plants. Most of these chemicals can be removed from your soil through the collection of rainwater for gardening.

During the summer gardening season, most home gardeners witness an increase in their water bills. The collection of rainwater can assist balance your costs during the dry seasons while also reducing your bills during the rainy season.

Rain barrels are the most straightforward way to collect rainwater. Rain barrels do not require any extra plumbing. You can buy them or make your own.

In Conclusion

Basic rainwater irrigation can be built for gardens in a week, especially if the rain barrel is simply connected to your old building’s gutter and downspout. It doesn’t take long to create modest collection zones around your garden, and the results are generally quick.  Consider installing a rainwater irrigation system in your garden this year; you’ll be glad you did when the next drought hits.

Plants can be watered without the expense of pumping water or a public water supply by conserving or collecting rainwater. Since rainwater does not have chlorine, it is great for your plants.