Water Butts. A good thing?

[LovelyGirlCompetition]

Hi. Would love to hear opinions from people who have a water butt. Thinking of getting one. Is it wonderful, easy and a good useful garden addition or a stagnant, fly ridden waste of time? Thanks

@Aprilinspringtimeshower

The thing that’s always puzzled me....when the water butt is full it’s because it’s rained, and therefore your plants don’t need additional water. When they do, it’s because it’s not rained in awhile and the water buttes will be empty soon too. Surely it only gets you an extra 1 or 2 weeks worth of watering. No good in a drought. What am I missing Here?

It's attached to your drainpipes so it fills a lot quicker tha just a bucket on the floor. It fills up when it rains and then yoy leave it until there's a drought and use it to water the garden.

OP, you won't be able to put it by your shed, it needs to attach to a drainpipe on your house.

You're all so helpful, thank you. I will definitely get one now. @Stealhsquirrelnutkin your set up sounds fantastic. I am picturing something like Monty Don's garden!

Why would there be stagnant water issues? They have a lid on.

We have one and it's fine.

If your shed has a drainage gutter (as mine does) that would work. But yes, they do need to be attached to a drainpipe.

OP, you won't be able to put it by your shed, it needs to attach to a drainpipe on your house.
Ah, I am going to get some guttering and a downpipe.

What is "stagnant water" -- how would you know if your water butt had it? Genuine question. I have No idea yet all you gals seem go know exactly what you are talking about.

@lljkk

What is "stagnant water" -- how would you know if your water butt had it? Genuine question. I have No idea yet all you gals seem go know exactly what you are talking about.

The water will be murky green/brown and stinky if it stagnates.

you won't be able to put it by your shed, it needs to attach to a drainpipe on your house

I've got guttering and down pipes on 2 small sheds and a garage which fill the IBCs very quickly. My greenhouse is also guttered but I really don't need more water!

It doesn't need to be on your house. Mine are fed from the garage roof.

If you have a waterbutt with its lid off in the middle of your lawn, and there's an inch of rain, the water butt will have an inch of rain in the bottom. If you can collect the rainwater from one side of a 6ft x 8ft shed, which is perhaps 12 times the area of the water butt (which I've assumes to have an opening 18in in diameter), then instead of one inch in the water butt, you'll get 12 inches. Both sides of a 6ft x 8ft greenhouse might get you 24 inches of water depth for every inch of rain.

And who says "I don't need maths in everyday life"

@MereDintofPandiculation

It doesn't need to be on your house. Mine are fed from the garage roof.

If you have a waterbutt with its lid off in the middle of your lawn, and there's an inch of rain, the water butt will have an inch of rain in the bottom. If you can collect the rainwater from one side of a 6ft x 8ft shed, which is perhaps 12 times the area of the water butt (which I've assumes to have an opening 18in in diameter), then instead of one inch in the water butt, you'll get 12 inches. Both sides of a 6ft x 8ft greenhouse might get you 24 inches of water depth for every inch of rain.

And who says "I don't need maths in everyday life"

Brilliant

I have three. One coming off the guttering each side of the house and a smaller one coming off a down pipe tucked into a corner at the front of the house.
The water doesn’t get a chance to stagnant as I have a large garden and lots of pots so during a hot spell they don’t last a week but will fill up quickly again as soon as we get rain again.
I used to have a moveable pump fitted with a hose so I could just lift the lid and throw it in and use like a normal hose contracted to an outside tap but alas it died last year and I haven’t got around to replacing it yet.
All my butts are off the ground with enough clearance for a large watering can so I am just watering manually at the moment.
I also add some liquid plant food to my butts so that I can feed and water at the same time.

I have a few big water butts. They are use ful in summer. A spoonful of oil on the top of the water stops mozzies breeding.

• I also add some liquid plant food to my butts so that I can feed and water at the same time

-A spoonful of oil on the top of the water stops mozzies breeding

You are all geniuses. Would never have thought of these!

@SnoopsCaliforniaRoll

Apologies in advance for the stupid question but how do you actually get the water out to water the whole garden/lawn (larger areas)?

Is it possible to run a hosepipe from a water butt, especially the larger ones, or is it a watering can situation?

You can hook up a hose you to a pump like this, and then even use a sprinkler. www.amazon.co.uk/Hozelock-7612-0000-Waterbutt-Pump/dp/B078ZSVDD7?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 But unless you've got a big butt (speak for yourself duckie) it will soon drain it.

@Aprilinspringtimeshower

The thing that’s always puzzled me....when the water butt is full it’s because it’s rained, and therefore your plants don’t need additional water. When they do, it’s because it’s not rained in awhile and the water buttes will be empty soon too. Surely it only gets you an extra 1 or 2 weeks worth of watering. No good in a drought. What am I missing Here?

Watering in a poly tunnel

@SnoopsCaliforniaRoll

Apologies in advance for the stupid question but how do you actually get the water out to water the whole garden/lawn (larger areas)?

Is it possible to run a hosepipe from a water butt, especially the larger ones, or is it a watering can situation?

Unless freshly laid, lawns don't need to be watered. I use mine with a watering can for the greenhouse and container plants, as well as topping up the pond in very dry spells (one of my IBCs is higher up than the pond so I run a hose down).

Aldi regularly have a 100L one, with stand, for c £20, though not right now apparently.
The lid keeps the water clean, although I put some in a pale bucket recently and it’s a bit yellow; I suppose coming off the roof and through the gutters probably picks up some colour?
I’ll have to empty it soon though, as we’re having our back yard dug up & it’ll have to be moved, so I can give it a scrub then.

www.aldi.co.uk/gardenline-100-litre-water-butt-set/p/709373448638400

@ViperAtTheGatesOfDawn
Unless freshly laid, lawns don't need to be watered.

Depends if you like the brown look!

[quote NanaNorasNaughtyKnickers]@ViperAtTheGatesOfDawn
Unless freshly laid, lawns don't need to be watered.

Depends if you like the brown look![/quote]
It greens up again though.

This thread is so informative. I absolutely love the idea of putting a bit of liquid plant food in - genius!

I have a question if you don't mind a mini hi-jack LovelyGirl. My water butt has twice now got bunged up so that I only get a drizzle even though there's plenty of water in it. What am I doing wrong and is there an easy way to solve this without taking the tap off? I'm worried that the seal will eventually be compromised if I keep unscrewing it.

I love water butts 😁 I favour the slimline ones for higher traffic areas as they're not too obtrusive and you can very easily link them up so that they overflow into each other.

I've yet to have any issues with stagnant water as the lids are snug and they're constantly in use.

I have a small wildlife pond so it's useful to be able to top it up throughout the summer.

Apologies if it's already been mentioned but Aldi have their water butt pump available (online only) this Sunday. It comes with a 3yr warranty. I haven't used one but I've heard good things:

water butt pump

Also a 20m retractable hose with 3yr warranty for about half the price of the Hozelock one, for those that hate trailing hoses! Also available from Sunday, online only:

retractable hose

I promise I don't work for Aldi ☺️

@ViperAtTheGatesOfDawn
It greens up again though.

True, but there is something particularly lovely about lush green grass when the weather is scorching. (And if you manage to achieve it via a water butt you don't need to feel guilty )

I’ve got two water butts. The one in the front garden is fed with rainwater and works brilliantly (except in prolonged dry spells, when I have to refill it with the hosepipe, but even then it’s saving me lugging watering cans about). The much bigger water butt in the back garden has worked less well, because the downpipe gathers rainwater and bathwater, and the mixture does smell odd after a while. I water the patio pots with it and nothing yet has died or succumbed to disease, but I wouldn’t use it on seedlings or edibles.

I have a question if you don't mind a mini hi-jack LovelyGirl. My water butt has twice now got bunged up so that I only get a drizzle even though there's plenty of water in it. Is it being bunged up with debris, dead leaves, etc? If so, fit a filter over the water inlet. Pair of old tights plus the tape that sticks under water should do it..

My lovely DH has just spent 3 days or so building a brick platform for 3 water butts, all connected by siphons so that they fill and empty as one. And he's fashioned filters out of olive tubs with small holes which he's fastened on to the inlet and to both ends of each siphon. I just wanted my water butts back in place, but he's given me the delux model.

I never have problems with te taps blocking because I usually take the lid off and dip a can into the top.