Watering your Crop

[Smiffy]

Related to Scythes thread on crop protection is the problem of keeping your growing crop watered. No matter how much food you have prepped sooner or later you will need to grow your own food, sooner preferably as it will make your stored food last longer

At this time of year lots of the seeds that I have germinated over the last few weeks/months are getting transplanted into bigger pots of put into the ground, and they require a lot of water especially in the early stages. This time last week I started to use the water from a full to the brim 220ltr water butt, today the butt is empty. That is in just one week without any substantial rain

Even in areas with plenty of annual rainfall it is not unusual to go a month or sometimes even 2 without a substantial amount of rain to replenish your supplies.

The ideal situation is to have a river running through your back garden but most of us aren't that lucky. Or if we are that lucky we might also run the risk of being flooded as well. Small streams and brooks may also dry up in prolonged dry periods.

So 2 questions:-

1. Bearing in mind the water I collect in the butts will be filtered and used for drinking as well as for the crops (and remembering I have just used 220 ltrs in one week just watering some young plants) - how much water storage capacity do you think a couple or family will need ? and more importantly, do you have enough capacity ?

2. If anyone is planning to supplement their collected water from a stream or river, how far away is the river and how do you plan on transporting it ?

[TOF]

I think you've hit on one of the perennial problems(excuse the pun!) Like you, I have a greenhouse full to bursting with plants growing on to plant out and this is just the first go around, I haven't started sowing the more tender summer veg yet and they require even more water.
From past experience, in cases of drought, I saved all the grey water (washing up water, etc) and used that to water the plants. Not ideal, but it's wet and it worked. One year I even diverted water from the washing machine straight to the garden and ran the machine late in the evening.
I have some barrels, but they wouldn't last long without replenishing, and to be honest, I would use them for people first and then recycle what I could for the plants. As to how much, while I was camping last year, I made myself manage on one gallon a day, for everything. So I think you could probably double that at home not including clothes washing.
I have a stream about 10mins walk away, and would use a couple of water carriers and my shopping trolley

[bigpaul]

we have the opposite problem if anything too much water, we have so much rain in the south west we can fill up a 220litre rain barrel with rainfall alone in just one night.

[Binnie]

Another quality reply........

BP, you don't have to reply to EVERY post in EVERY thread buddy, if you do have something to contribute you gotta keep it on topic!

(15 April 2014, 15:35)bigpaul Wrote: we have the opposite problem if anything too much water, we have so much rain in the south west we can fill up a 220litre rain barrel with rainfall alone in just one night.

Personally, I've got a stream within 10 mins walk, or a river 15 mins in the opposite direction. the river is currently one of the cleanest in the country, (after tshtf that could change obviously)

I don't keep a lot of water, but have a bath which can be used in an emergency.

I don't have a lot of plants, but am planting herbs and other edibles as decoration as a "just incase" and with the rain recently i've only used about 6 litres in the last month watering.

[SecretPrepper]

Have you tried to record how much water you use on an average week?
Unfortunately for me i do not live near any natural water sources so i plan to increase the amount i can get from rain by adding buts to my green house and shed to supplement the one on the house.
If you use grey water it is always better to use environmentally friendly soaps to not hurt your plants

[Scythe13]

SP, I know it doesn't really answer your question, but if you add another waterbutt inside your greenhouse, it will act as a thermal mass heater throughout the night. As long as you can get your windows open in the day.

Personally, we have around 1500 litres in the garden, and we're putting in some major planters. So I'll be paying close attention to my water useage this year too mate.

If you can get the plants into the ground, you can usually enjoy the benefits of their deep roots finding water that way. Not loads, obviously, but every bit helps.

If you can stop evaporation, you'll get even more 'bang for your buck' with watering. But it's not easy to do.

To prolong the time water stays in the soil, you can get hydrating crystals, or you can just bury a small bowl or saucer, that will hold water for a while. This is really best used for large pots.

---

Sorry, I meant to address that to Smiffy, not SP.

[Skean Dhude]

I've got 8 big butts now. Although my water is not metered so I use that rather than the butts. Take advantage while I can.

However, I intend to get a couple more butts from next door when the event happens and spread my growing load so I think I'm covered for after an event.

Stream about a mile away with some ponds plus a river about 2 miles away. I don't intend to use either.

[Rush2112]

We have a couple 55 gallon plastic trash bins we bought new. Positioned under the gutter downspout, they fill fast. That provides the garden water during the dry spells. is also a breeding ground for mosquitos, so even if i dont need the water, i'll skim some off the top to grab most of the larvae and dump on one of the trees.

[bigpaul]

have any of you ever considered setting up some sort of irrigation system? you need an old hose pipe which you make lots of holes in, lay it between the rows of your plants, block off one end and connect the other one either to your outside tap or to the tap on your water butt, turn on the tap(slowly), no more back breaking filling and lifting of watering cans!! just an idea!

[Smiffy]

Some good info there, thanks

I am not near a water source that I would trust enough (unless very desperate) even after putting it through the berkey, but I have enough butts to supply drinking water unless there is a very prolonged dry spell. It was just how much water the crops needed that was brought home to me when I realised the butt was empty today

Something else that I need to work on a bit more i think