Make the most of your rainwater with water butt accessories.
There are liquids that enhance the quality of your harvested water, and simple irrigation systems that will use your water to its full potential.
Quality can be a problem with rainwater. Rainwater is generally free of harmful minerals and in most cases chemicals, but can be adversely affected by air pollutants and/or contaminated by animals in the catchment area.
The rain collects many other things on its decent from your rooftop and through your down pipe. You may experience some of the following in your harvested water:
1. Green water/algae blooms
This can be caused by leaving the cover off your water butt, which then increases photosynthesis in the water.
2. Unpleasant aromas
If rain is left over long periods of time, it is likely that bad smells will appear.
3. Bird faeces, flies and insects
Whilst the water butt lid will protect the water from the worst, bugs and droppings will inevitably find their way in.
Natural occurrences like this should not be worried about as they are easily tackled.
There are certain fluids that you can buy to treat the water that you have collected in your water butt. You can use a water butt biological treatment that uses natural plant extract to keep your stored water fresh.
There are also water butt fresheners that will take away those bad smells. A small 500ml bottle can treat a vast amount of water – up to 6400 litres.
Once your harvested rainwater is treated, it’s ready to be used on the garden. Now to the big job of watering all of your vegetable patches and numerous plant pots.
There are accessories available to save you time and effort while completing both of these tasks. A simple water butt border kit will connect directly to the tap on your water butt and enable you to water your beloved rose beds and prize marrows.
Water butt border irrigation kits work on a gravity fed system using a length of porous hose, which slowly releases the water in the required places.
These are easily installed and can be combined with a pump if more pressure is needed, making watering the borders a simple matter of turning a tap on.
In the height of summer some pot plants and containers may need watering twice a day. But with the right water butt accessories your job will be made simple.
With micro irrigation drippers in each container, enough water can be dispensed in rapid time, leaving you to enjoy the beauty of your garden. Water butt irrigation systems are a also a great way to beat a hosepipe ban.
Water butt accessories save you time and money, that can be better spent lounging in the garden with a well deserved drink.
