Water On! – Rainwater for Thirsty Plants

Plants need regular water, that much is certain. But tap water is often hard and can lead to diseases in some plants. Rainwater, on the other hand, is plants' favorite kind of water.

Plants love rainwater and are always happy to get a healthy portion of it. But what if it doesn't rain often enough, or some plants simply don't get much of the rain?

If you really want to make your plants happy, water them regularly with rainwater. Many people aren't aware of it, but the tap water from your home faucet contains many ingredients that aren't beneficial for healthy plant growth. Chlorine, ozone, and fluorine don't just harm humans, but plants too. On top of that, there's often a high lime content, which hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and azaleas absolutely don't like. Rainwater, on the other hand, is very soft water that is not only especially good for garden plants but also saves you money if collected. What could be better?

Since garden plants can never really get enough rainwater, and it can become scarce in summer when they need it most, you can easily collect rainwater. The best way to do this is directly from roof surfaces, where a large amount of rainwater naturally collects during rain. The downspout of the gutter then channels this healthy rainwater exactly where you want it.

While simply placing a rain barrel under the downspout often suffices, there are also specialized components for downspouts that directly filter coarse impurities from the rainwater and then direct it into a rainwater collection tank. Once the tank is full, a mechanism ensures that excess water simply flows away through the downspout. This prevents the tank from overflowing and avoids flooding in the garden. Since the tank is sealed, mosquitoes have no nesting place, and algae have no chance to grow.

If you want to keep collecting rainwater as simple as possible, you can opt for the good old rain barrel. Nowadays, they come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Garden centers practically invite you to shop when it comes to rain barrels.

However, to optimally collect rainwater, you can also have an underground tank installed in your garden. These can hold up to 4000 liters, and a submersible pump easily brings the rainwater to the surface, ready for watering. The classic rain barrel, on the other hand, can be placed in the garden to save space and used directly. A tap just above the bottom of the barrel makes watering with rainwater easier.

With an open rain barrel, however, you should definitely watch out for mosquitoes and other insects. They particularly enjoy open rain barrels in the summer. Therefore, a closed rain barrel is the best option. This way, rainwater can be optimally collected and utilized. Water on!