How to choose a rain barrel

If you want to water your plants and conserve water, consider an old-fashioned rain barrel. Rain barrels catch the water that runs down from your roof, storing it for later use in the garden. You can either make a rain barrel or buy one. Because of renewed interest in this old-fashioned technology, you can choose from many types of barrels.

The style of rain barrel that is best for your home depends on where you want to put it and how much water you need for your garden. You have to place the rain barrel so rainwater from the roof will flow into it. This means it has to go either under a downspout, under the edge of the roof, or below a roof trough. It’s best to catch water from a downspout, but if you don’t have gutters and downspouts, a trough or roof edge will do.

Ideally your barrel will sit as close as possible to where you plan to use the water. The closer the barrel is to your plants the less water you will have to carry. If you decide to place your rain barrel in the front of the house, you may want to choose one that is attractive, so it becomes a design feature rather than an eyesore. If it will be hidden from view, appearance may not matter as much and you might want to go with one of those ugly blue or orange recycled food barrels.

The size you choose depends on how much watering you plan to do and how much space you have for the barrels. You can make or buy a rain barrel in sizes ranging from 35 gallons to 200 gallons. Rain barrels that hold less than 50 gallons are considered small scale; they hold enough water for patio plants. With rain barrels over 50 gallons you can water larger areas, including trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds. If you have the space you can link rain barrels together like a daisy chain for even greater capacity.

The most basic rain barrel is a simple barrel with a secure lid with a small opening in the top. To keep children and animals safe your rain barrel must have a securely latched or tight-fitting lid. Most barrel buyers opt for add-ons such as a screen filter to keep leaves, mosquitoes, and debris out of the barrels; an overflow hose to keep excess water from reaching the foundation; and a spigot for easy dispensing. Traditional rain barrels are round, but you can find octagonal, rectangular, and square “barrels.” Flat-sided barrels fit snug against the house. Some designs include a planter that fits on top of the barrel.

Give some thought to the type of rain barrel that’s best for your situation. Garden centers and online stores like the one where I work, Clean Air Gardening, sell rain barrels of all sizes, shapes, and materials. Some municipalities and cooperative extension services can direct you to lower-cost rain barrels as well as rain barrel-making instructions and workshops.

Just don’t take too long to decide because for every inch of rain that falls on 1,000 square feet of roof surface, 623 gallons of water run off the roof. And that’s no drop in the bucket! All of that rainwater is just running down the street gutters, wasted, unless you begin to collect it.