Rain Barrels

Finally got my rain barrel hooked up to the downspout, I had to put plumbers putty around the spigot to stop a leak and needed to get some concrete blocks to raise it up off the ground as high as possible. I placed it in my side yard, up against the backyard fence. The spigot will be accessed through a hole in the fence because the water will be used in the backyard which has no sprinkler system. The higher I can get the barrel off the ground the more pressure there will be. I would like to have a drip system run off of the barrel but don't think I'll get enough 'head' from stacked cement blocks.

Mom is going to visit Aunt Dottie in NC later this month, she is putting in a long raised bed for growing vegetables so we're going to put together a rain barrel or two for her - mom is on it as we speak.

Still have some points to work out for Dottie's set up:

Will need to address disconnecting and storing for winter so the barrels don't freeze and crack (not a problem we have here in FL)

Need a way to strain out acorns and leaves. A colander was a good idea, you can cut an opening to fit and just lift it out to empty when the leaves and debris fill it up.

If she is able to set up a barrel at Jeans house she will have more push for irrigation- a soaker hose with the pressure ring removed might be the perfect way to keep the garden watered without having to fill and carry a watering can.

I just read somewhere that you can solve the mosquito issue with dunks or a small amount of vegetable oil on the waters surface to keep the mosquitos from either laying eggs or the larvae from hatching (not sure which).