Drip irrigation is an efficient form of low-pressure, high-efficiency irrigation that drips water into garden soil at a slow rate. Set up a drip-irrigation system to catch and use rainwater, and make it out of common supplies to keep costs low. Does this Spark an idea?
Soda Bottle Drip Irrigation
The simplest and cheapest rainwater-collecting, drip-irrigation system is made entirely out of one 2-liter soda bottle. Drill two small 1/8-inch holes in the caps of each bottle, and cut off the bottoms of the bottles. Stick the caps in the ground near the plants, and let the open tops catch rainwater. The bottles store the water and slowly drip it into the soil.
50-Gallon System
A more robust system requires a large container, such as a 50-gallon trashcan, to collect the rainwater. Set up a line running out of it into drip tubes that snake through your garden.
A Compromise
An intermediate between the two involves the use of a common 5-gallon bucket to collect the rainwater, with several tubes coming out of the bottom. Instead of the more expensive drip tubes, these can be ordinary vinyl tubing with ends glued to bottle caps with holes drilled in them. Each bucket could water several plants.
Tags: catch rainwater, collect rainwater, Drip Irrigation, drip tubes, drip-irrigation system