Watering and Water Saving

building a irrigation system

freezers83 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:19:38 GMT

I am thinking of building an irrigation system i have the chance to aquire some large ex mango pulp containers

i have a shed with guttering at the top of a sloping allotment i was going to link the barrells in series have one outlet and a valve to isolate the barrels from a network of soaker hoses which would each have an isolating valve feeding my four rotatonal beds does anyone have any ideas on this do you think it will work or have you any thoughts on this ?

I may have to have a low voltage pump a car battery and a solar panel to top up th battery no power on the allotment

Kr freezers83

Garden without tap or downpipe

Vicki_S — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:43:55 GMT

Hi, anyone got any advice how I can have a well watered garden when I have neither an outdoor tap nor downpipe (to attach to a waterbutt)? I have a first floor flat so don't really want to be going up and down the stairs constantly to fill up my watering can...

Thanks all.

Smelly Water

debsinthegarden — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:20:34 GMT

Hi, we have a water butt which we regularly empty on a regular basis, however it has now started to become very smelly and frothy. Could someone tell me why this is happening and how to solve it

thanks

Pumping from culverted stream - is it legal?

bigsusan55 — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:39:56 GMT

At the back of our garden a small stream used to run, which apparently regularly flooded down onto the back of our house and a neighbour's. So, about 30 years ago the water board (I think) culverted it, but instead of doing this along the full course, just diverted it into the drains. Being old our drains serve for sewage and rainwater, so this water just goes off with the sewage, which seemed like an awful waste. We found that there was a man-hole over the culvert which had a large inspection hole, with water at the bottom, that was constantly replenished from the stream. It is high enough above the drain that it doesn't get contaminated.

So, about 10 years ago, we (I mean I researched and the OH did the work!) installed one of those old fashioned hand pumps, that are usually used as decorative features. And now we nearly always have water for the garden, which doesn't seem to have done it any harm. And it only runs out in severe drought conditions. Wonderful!

Does anyone know if it is legal though? I know that it you are not allowed to take water from streams, but this is just going to waste (literally!). Any thoughts?

Susan B

Are you a next big green gardener? Join in the talk!

furegnant — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:16:48 GMT

Follow the link below (on reply) to meet up with 10 intriguing(more or less) questions to reveal your potential to be a eco-gardner. This is a student project, your answer not only help one student's life but also future of Green Britain. Thanks a lot everyone. I may post a result for people interested in collected answers.

Water butts & stagnant water

Lesley W — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:48:46 GMT

Hi everybody, I am new to this site and could really do with some advise. I have two water butts that are working very well but there is just one problem - after a couple of days the water in the butts seems to stagnate and starts to smell. I would be very grateful if anybody has any ideas on of to sort this out please as it's getting that bad I don't want to use the water. I look forward to any replies. Regards Lesley W

Water Saving Tap Inserts

ericg — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:33:38 GMT

i bought a set of tap inserts from earth-essentials. they screw into the tap and give variable flow depending on how much you turn the tap - easy! i reckon they do reduce my water usage which is great because i use a meter too!

have a look, they're worth the investment to save water and cash in the long run.

Recycling

headfullofbees — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:14:49 GMT

About to have a brown bin delivered by the council, to add to the blue and green ones we already have, and the bin-bags for general rubbish.

This brown bin replaces the black plastic box we were given for our cans and glass bottles, but now also is for plastic bottles, and we have had advice and a collection calendar posted through the letter-box.

The advice?

This brown bin is for your empty cans, PLEASE RINSE, your empty glass bottles and jars, please remove lids and RINSE, and empty plastic bottles, PLEASE RINSE.

Furthermore, it's all going to have to be collected, and the sorting will probably create a labour shortage which will end EU unemployment at a stroke, the cost being met by Council Tax payers.

Call me an old cynic, but this ludicrous, pythonesque, malarkey seems to me to be PC targetism at it's best.

Wall Garden Ideas please

PeterGreenMan — Sun, 10 May 2009 07:44:42 GMT

I've got a south facing kitchen. The outside wall is sunny and hot in the summer. Any ideas how I could create one of those Wall Gardens with all the plants hanging down and a pump to circulate the water?

Garden Wells

Barada — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 09:51:17 GMT

We are lucky enough to have a well in our garden but the water appears to be stagnant - very smelly. Should we be trying to improve the quality (we only want to use it for watering the garden - not drinking) or is it OK to use as is? Would be grateful for any help or advice.

water shortage

Jackie Major — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:53:29 GMT

I would like to pass on my latest tip for saving water in pots and baskets etc. I have added large amounts of builders ROCKWOOL to the bottom of pots rather than using stones to help with draining, as it does drain, but slowly, and it keeps in the soils and foods. I have found my plants are really blooming, and with temps up to the high 20s already it's going to be a long summer. I would like to know if there are long term bad effects with this???

Septic tank to water for the garden!

Michael — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:10:48 GMT

I am currently thinking about converting my septic tank to a sewage treatment plant. This will mean (if you believe what the experts say) that I will not have to have a tanker squeezing up my drive every four/five weeks to take away our waste water. If all goes according to plan (don't hold your breath) the cost of conversion could be covered in two years. My question is does anyone have experience of these systems, and do they really work? So my question to the forum is does anyone know if I can se-cycle the water after treatment, and if so how. Very many thanks. Michael.

Growing Lettuce Without Soil

Penguin — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 16:32:31 GMT

I grow a variety of vegetables and fruit in my greenhouse but I have had a very interesting experience this year. I had heard talk about a method of growing called hydroponics. This essentially means growing without soil. Strange as it might seem but with the current problem with the water supply I felt I needed to look at something else and this methoid of growing can use 1/10 of the water used for traditonal gardening. I was growing these lettuces in an uunbelievable 30-35 days. Has anyone else ever heard of this before and I don't mean in a criminal way. Hydroponics can be associated with the cultivation of illegal plants but I want to hear from someone who has tried any salads or fruit. I bought my equipment from [url=http://www.aquaculture-hydroponics.co.uk]www.aquaculture-hydroponics.co.uk[/url] take a look.

Lack of space even for space saving water butts- Such thing as water wall storage container?

Gro-way — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:40:13 GMT

I have only been gardening seriously for about six months. Is there such thing as a wall storage water container that attachs to wall and can be linked to guttering above. My garden is to small for more space saver water butts of which I have one currently.The water soon runs out with this, hence my question. I thought of using the down pipe which drains away waste house water but it may be a better proposition to use a wall tank. Any suggestions welcome.Thanks all !!

Water at chelsea

anthemis — Sun, 21 May 2006 20:26:02 GMT

I'm puzzled by the fact that the RHS is restricting the use of hosepipes at Chelsea but has drilled a borehole. The waterboards have stated that the problem is not merely with the reservoirs but with the level in the aquifers below ground so why does it make a difference if the RHS takes the water directly from below ground?

Water Shortages

iandoug — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 19:39:15 GMT

As a gardener on a large business park, the water shortage restrictions will be a problem. My local water company have been unclear on the useage on commerical contractors, can someone clafiry this?.

real-time rain information

Bee — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:59:57 GMT

There's a new free website www.raintoday.co.uk showing real-time rainfall across the UK. You can search by postcode or location, and zoom in to street level.

Cast Iron downpipe

tomh — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:49:55 GMT

I was just about to buy a butt online when I noticed that it said the connector kit was not suitable for a cast iron downpipe. Looked around and they all said this.

So I went outside to check and sure enough all my downpipes are solid metal and rather old - and feel like iron.

I guess the problem is that you have to saw through them and that's not going to be very easy.

Sooo - does anyone know of an alternative OR has anyone had a crack at sawing through a metal downpipe.

Thanks,

Divvies

Paul-D-456 — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:31:28 GMT

No, I'm not being rude :-) The Subject title of this thread relates to share dividends paid out by our beloved privatised water companies. I'm sure I read somewhere ([i]admittedly I need to do more homework[/i]) that the number 1 cause of water loss is through leaking pipes and damage sustained by our archaic water systems. Isn't this whole debacle therefore a result of the water industry not investing enough in the current infrastructure? And if so, why are we sheepishly putting up with hosepipe bans? Rather than litter the land with more non-recyclable plastic, in the guise of water buts, why aren't the wholesale storage solutions and transport systems improved (ie. the reservoirs and pipes)... Surely that's the "greener" solution? What do you think? Cheers, Paul. [Edited on 21/01/2008]

Water butts too expensive!

JamesA — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 13:50:46 GMT

I've been looking into buying a water butt for my shed for months. I've bought some miniline guttering for the shed from B&Q, but I just cannot find a reasonably priced butt and stand. Its so expensive that its financially non-viable and I may never make the cost back in water savings. I think this is part of the problem. The so-called subsidised butts from the council are more than in the DIY stores. Its just not worth spending £30 or more. I think this is resulting in only middle class people who see it as fashionable buying water saving devices such as butts. I think the council should supply butts like they do wheelie bins with the council continuing to own them. It would be nice if all new house had to have rainwater harvesting systems by law as well.. Anyway, does anyone know of any reasonable water butt suppliers?

Home Dehumidifiers--Another Water Source

Foxnfirefly — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:48:42 GMT

I don't know about folks in the UK but here on the East Coast in the U.S., houses have damp, humid basements which require a dehumidifier during the summer months, which get really sticky and wet. Some days it is so humid down in the basement, that you have to empty the water tank twice a day. This is about 3-4 gallons of good water. I use it to water pots just outside the door, but am thinking of getting a big barrel for reservoir. This year, we are having "English" weather, lots of rain, so water is not a problem right now.

Tumble Dryer water

GardenGreensGrimsby — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:45:24 GMT

Hello everyone, I have a tumble dryer - condenser and I was just wondering if I used the collected water from the dryer on watering my plants - would it have any adverse effects? It just seems a lot of collected water wasted otherwise but not sure if the washing conditioners/powders that had been used would prove to be a problem in any way? Thanks, Garden Greens

Flexible piping

DavidN — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:53:17 GMT

I need some flexible plastic piping to link a separator on a downpipe to the water butt. Does anyone know where I might source it?

I'd hunt around myself, but live in Hungary where this particular item doesn't seem to exist apart from the perforated kind.

Mulch!

filippo lippi — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 12:23:39 GMT

One of the correspondents in The Garden advises me to mulch with mushroom compost or composted bark chips. Great, let's get to it. Er... hold on. Where do I get these things from? I know the garden centre sells bark chips, but I guess these have not been composted first. Haven't a clue about the mushroom stuff. Anyone have any ideas? If we're going to get specific, I'm in South Notts. Cheers

Severn trent water

Digger — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:40:24 GMT

I am delighted to read in the news that severn trent water are facing a fine of 35.8 million quid for deliberately falsifying customer service data and for providing a dodgy service. The fine sounds big but apparently it is only a tiny fraction of the companies annual turnover, but they have been caught lying, what a dodgy underhanded way of doing business