I'm not sure if everyone else knew this but me but........Did you know you can collect up to 500 gallons of water per 1 inch of rain on only a 1,000 square foot roof? Wow, i have been continually using my public (hard) water for plants, bushes, shrubs for years, not realizing i was losing this precious resource every time it rains. So, I went looking for quick inexpensive options and decided on a simple - single system with downspout rainwater diverter to my rain barrel.
Again, maybe everyone is already doing this, but i wasn't, and now very glad I did. Cheap, effective, & Green. The only problem now - Too Much Water! It overflows - So now it's time to connect another barrel - or two!!

I have several barrels at each place.
I much prefer wooden ones to the plastic ones though they must be cared for or they go pfffft.
Grandparents had a wooden one for many years but if get careless they can go bad in just two years.
Now Sharon uses those no good for water for plants and she gets near a decade out of them.
Last ones actually fell apart.

Good going @gardenhappy! Your garden will be happy...

I harvest rainwater using three 250 gallon containers. The plants definitely have a preference for rainwater.

I also live in a rural area and am on a well. If the power goes off, I lose the use of my well so the rainwater comes in handy then also.

And

Thanks for all the Reassurances - I knew i was on the right track when i decided to add rain barrels for rainwater collection at home! It is SO easy once you know how. Hopefully, everyone else can realize how simple it really is. Happy Gardening!

👍 Good for you, gardenhappy. Your rain barrel is beautiful and your garden will be happy as Kristi said. Hope your rain barrel collection grows exponentially.

I have found a kindred spirit.
It pains me to see rain water go down the drain. I became even more careful with water usage after traveling in India and Africa where people have to go through so much trouble gaining access to any water.

I began with 2 rain barrels made from pickled barrels that cracked the first winter. After several trials and errors, currently I have 33 in my garden and several planters & containers made of cracked/leaky barrels.
I also collect grey water from kitchen sink and washing machine.

I don't collect water from my roof. The various roof coverings on my structures are all variants of tar and asphalt which impart pollutants into the water. I dream of one day getting a metal roof and collecting water from it. That said, I did source two 265 gallon containers. I was excited as I had just the space for them. Then I got online and saw people digging out putting foundations sure to the weight. I can't have that sorry if weight up next to my structures so they still sit unused while I try to figure out a plan b. We have been harvesting roof water with regular rain barrels at my folks' house for around 20 years though.

For the moment, I muster all the buckets, tubs, and handy containers in preparation for coming storms. It isn't enough but you'd be surprised how much you can collect

What about a metal-roofed shelter (basically posts with a slanted roof and gutter) for the containers? Wouldn't collect enough rain water as a larger roof but better than nothing. Have also seen plastic flexible cones to fit into barrel top to catch rain water out in the open.

Shadegardener said:What about a metal-roofed shelter (basically posts with a slanted roof and gutter) for the containers? Wouldn't collect enough rain water as a larger roof but better than nothing. Have also seen plastic flexible cones to fit into barrel top to catch rain water out in the open.

The Master Gardeners in a nearby town have done this in their experimental gardens. It is a viable solution to rainwater collection.

I toyed around with the idea of a full on top but still haven't figured out where to put all that weight yet. The yard has a utility life of carrots sorts running parallel every 8 feet or so. Can't even have trees because of it.

I collect rainwater and it is handy, and I like not 'processing' water to pour on the dirt. I agree, I think plants do better- I have never tested the pH of my rain water.
I've worked hard today trying to use what I have before I grow a batch of mosquitoes.

@UrbanWild wrote: "The various roof coverings on my structures are all variants of tar and asphalt which impart pollutants into the water."

UGH I did not know this! I have 5 rain barrels collecting from my rain gutters. Though my plants do not act as if I am poisoning them, I suppose there is no way around this? I have regular shingles.

Fresh rain water only has about 17 ppm and a pH of about 5.5! Regular tap water has between 150 to 500 ppm with a pH between 7.9 to 9. Once rain hits the ground it changes in a big way. One time, I tested the rain water that hit the ground, and the same rain water that I collected in a container right next to it. Big difference between the same rain water. The ppm changed from 17 to 1900 and the pH went as high as 8.4 in just 15 minutes! My soil is very alkaline and using tap water locks out iron and other trace elements. I've been using rain water for years with super results.. In the warm months I have to add mosquito dunks in my barrels.

I have one free standing rain barrel. It is almost full. But just 35 gal. I think I will use a hand truck and spill it over my new sod to give it a great start.

4 rain barrels here + when we know it is going to rain, the hubs puts a few buckets out as well. We have been thankful for this water when we have a hot (90+ degrees) summer & no/very little rain.

ShadyGreenThumb said:@UrbanWild wrote: "The various roof coverings on my structures are all variants of tar and asphalt which impart pollutants into the water."

UGH I did not know this! I have 5 rain barrels collecting from my rain gutters. Though my plants do not act as if I am poisoning them, I suppose there is no way around this? I have regular shingles.

You can set up a very simple filter. My parents did this for years before they ran city water to were they lived. All they had was 1000 gallon
cistern.

All it is, is gravel, sand and charcoal. Just put the sand and gravel in whatever container will work for you first and then the charcoal on top. You can pick up the charcoal any where, same kind you use for grilling, just don't get the self lighting stuff.

I don't know how it would affect the ph of the water.

Hope this helps.

We have a huge roof water collecting system. there are so many ways to do it it isn't funny. a plain old 250 gallon septic tank set in the ground and wuse a pump powered by the wind to distribute the water where needed and when needed.
I would not worry much about the ashphalt shingles either. If your were to worried you could always use a diverter and the first bit drain into a tube away from the house to clear the gutters.

there has to be at least 100 you tubes on the net about collecting rain water and useing screens to keep skeeters from breeding in the barrels. there are companines that sell big rubber rain water blatters to save the water in also.
prices range from about $400.00 to $12,000 depending on the size you buy.

My self I would just pay 20.00 for a food grade barrel you know the blue or clear ones rather than buying a fance one for $100.00.

this year our barrels runith over and the gro0und is down right soggy.

Al

Should we be concerned with using pladtic rain barrels with all the news of plastic micro beeds???

Vanessa999 said:Should we be concerned with using pladtic rain barrels with all the news of plastic micro beeds???

How do you plan to avoid plastic when it is found everywhere every time you turn around?
For years, I have tried to avoid plastic. I reuse and recycle everything in sight. But the amount of plastic is increasing exponentially as the years go by. It is overwhelming.

In that case, if we are concerned with plastic rain barrel, we should be concerned with garden hose as well. What about water filters? Drinking cups? Food wraps? Drinking water? For that matters.

pitimpinai said:
How do you plan to avoid plastic when it is found everywhere every time you turn around?
For years, I have tried to avoid plastic. I reuse and recycle everything in sight. But the amount of plastic is increasing exponentially as the years go by. It is overwhelming.
In that case, if we are concerned with plastic rain barrel, we should be concerned with garden hose as well. What about water filters? Drinking cups? Food wraps? Drinking water? For that matters.

While I agree with you that it is everywhere, it doesn't mean that limiting it anywhere you can, especially with respect to potables, edibles, and garden isn't worthwhile. I haven't mastered it, but I do reduce anywhere I can. That said, I did get two 275 gallon IBCs that I plan on using to store rainwater. I know they make stainless steel IBCs but I'm pretty sure that isn't in my budget. If I do land stainless, I'll do the happy garden dance though! 😍

I have a huge plastic rain barrel that I haven't used yet. While I have had concern about chemicals from the roof, it totally escaped me that the plastic has chemicals too! Duh! That's crazy because I am always concerned about plastic in other items.

But I plan on using the rainwater for my other plantings and not for the edibles, so I still think it's worthwhile. Just need to figure out how to connect it!