31
My neighbor laughed at my rain barrel idea, then the drought hit
Last summer my neighbor Bob told me collecting rainwater was a waste of time for our small yard. After 6 weeks with no rain in July-August, my garden survived on stored water while his tomatoes shriveled up. Has anyone else had luck with rain barrels in drier seasons?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
carr.james18h ago
Man, Bob probably felt pretty silly watching those tomatoes turn to dust. People underestimate how much a simple barrel setup can save you when the hose gets shut off or the sky goes dry. Rain barrels aren't magic, but they give you a nice buffer for the garden beds that need water the most. You don't need a huge system either, just one or two barrels under a downspout does the job for a small yard like yours.
3
wendy_park7611h ago
Gotta push back here though. Rain barrels can turn into mosquito breeding grounds if you're not careful, and that stagnant water can actually mess with your plants if you don't use it quick enough. Plus Bob's tomatoes probably just needed better soil and mulching to handle the dry spell, not a whole barrel setup.
3