Rainwater reserves

With rainfall becoming increasingly erratic, due to climate change and shifts in the jet stream, the risk of wetter winters and drought during the summer months is increasing. We can no-longer rely on the good old British weather to give us water when our gardens most need it. As with any erratic or seasonal resource, a little bit of planning can help us ride out the highs and lows.

Gardeners have been harvesting rainwater for thousands of years and most of us have at least one water butt in our gardens. As the threat of drought and hosepipe bans become more tangible, more and more gardeners are thinking about how they can put their rainwater reserves to best use.

Garden water use

There are lots of uses for water in the garden, for example:

• Regular and ad-hoc watering using: soaker hoses, drippers, sprinklers, hosepipes and watering cans.
• Topping up ponds or providing water for wildlife.
• Cleaning cars, patios etc.
• Emptying paddling pools etc. into empty water butt to de-chlorinate before re-use on the garden.

There are a few key pieces of equipment to help you make the most of your stored rainwater e.g. the traditional watering can, automatic watering systems and submersible water butt pumps. Which ones you choose will depend on your needs. We’ve set out a few pros and cons here to help you decide what systems would be best for you.

Traditional watering can

Pros

• Total control over when you water and which plants you target.
• Can add in liquid plant feed for individual plants.
• Low cost.

Cons

• Hard work carrying heavy cans back and forth.
• Time consuming.
• Few of us are able to water at dawn - when is best for minimising water loss and optimising plant hydration.
• Spray tends to splash leaves, which can cause scorching.
• Watering relies on a committed schedule from you for consistency.
• Risk of overwatering plants and wasting water reserves as the amount of water you apply is not measured or responsive to soil moisture.
• You cannot water when on holiday / away from home.

Automatic watering system

Pros

• Great for small areas which need regular watering.
• Can be attached to a water butt via submersible filter or in some cases, a tap adapter.
• Timer-controlled systems can automate and save time.
• Waters consistently and can use less water than manual watering.
• Choice of irrigation types: soaker hose, drippers etc.
• Targeted, efficient watering encourages optimum plant growth.

Cons

• Gravity fed systems are low pressure, limiting length of irrigation hose which can be used and requiring downhill watering location.
• Most domestic, self-install pump systems are not powerful enough for larger watering tasks like sprinklers or long runs of soaker hose, due to size of the pump and limited electrical power.
• Larger systems need mains connection or battery (expensive or need frequent replacement/recharge).
• Solar powered systems are low power and can only operate when sun is high.
• Seasonal changes in day length mean timers quickly get out of sync with sunrise.
• Water to schedule, even if it has rained or the ground is frozen, wasting precious reserves and risking overwatering or damage to plants and irrigation systems.
• Often restrict you to their supplied irrigation system or impose tight limits on types or length of irrigation hose you can use.
• Can be fiddly to set up timer and may require a mobile app and Wi-Fi connection to work effectively.
• Small pumps struggle to prime themselves with longer irrigation lines, particularly those which run uphill from the water source.
• Irrigation systems can become blocked with detritus from the water butt if there is insufficient pre-filter.

Submersible water butt pumps

Pros

• Versatile: Use water for more than just irrigation, anywhere you’d use a hosepipe e.g. watering borders; washing a car etc.
• Particulate filter prevents detritus from getting into the hose.
• Pressurises water enabling use with long hoses, sprinklers etc. as well as watering areas uphill from water source.
• Simple connection. Just lower the submersible filter into the top of the container.

Cons

• Mains powered units require proximity to a plug so cannot be used in remote locations.
• Battery powered units have a limited length of operation (c.30 mins) and require batteries to be frequently replaced / recharged.
• They are designed for on-demand watering tasks rather than scheduled ones, so do not have any automatic timer function.
• Submersible impeller pumps cannot run dry, as this causes overheating or damage to the pump. They must always be submerged in water, so check water levels before and during use.
• Submersible impeller pumps can struggle to create sufficient pressure as, unlike a diaphragm pump, the impeller can allow some water to flow backwards when under strain.

Groundskeeper - Hybrid system

Our Groundskeeper system has been designed to include the benefits and versatility of the previously mentions systems, and much more.

Pros

• Precise control: Irrigation duration and frequency settings combined with moisture sensing give you control, help conserve water reserves and prevent overwatering.
• Consistent watering, at optimal times: Automatic watering mode waters at dawn / dusk for optimal plant care.
• Universal fit: Connects to water butt via top or optional tap and uses quality brass quick-connect hose fittings for easy set up. It's compatible with most domestic irrigation systems and powerful enough to handle soaker hose, sprinklers etc. so you can use whichever system works best for you and your plants.
• Powerful solar array and built in battery: Use it anywhere you have sunshine and a water source.
• Large capacity system: Providing up to 40 minutes of scheduled watering a day with energy left over to use “Hose” mode or “Water now” during the day. The solar panel keeps the battery topped up so you don’t have to worry about charging it either.
• Hero "Hose" mode: In full sun this will operate for an impressive 7 hours, enabling you to tackle larger tasks like emptying pools or transferring water between storage tanks, effortlessly.
• Powerful diaphragm pump: The powerful self-priming, run-dry, anti-syphon pump provides near mains pressure water (1-3 bar) and has a flow rate of up to 12 litres / min. This makes it suitable for larger irrigation systems, multiple areas, uphill locations as well as use for other garden tasks.
• No fiddly timers, screens or apps: It has physical switches you can operate wearing gardening gloves, and it automatically senses dawn and dusk so you don't have to worry about seasonal changes in hours of daylight.
• Advanced particulate and UV-C filtration: For clearer, cleaner water.
• Set and forget hose use: Using “Hose” and “Water now” modes together gives you the versatility of a water butt pump, plus the ability to automatically shut off after selected time - ideal for watering in new shrubs etc. without having to stand over them.

Cons

• Cares for multiple plants and areas: So if you want to target a specific plant (e.g. with feed) you need to dose this individually, e.g. by using slow release feeding granules, mulches etc.