USING YOUR RAIN BARREL - A BETTER WAY
Barbara Duno

Even in years with a good amount of rainfall in Santa Fe, we gardeners need to find ways to conserve and as we get older we need to find ways to be gentler to our bodies. I have recently found a simple way to do both.

Most of us already have rain barrels. If you don’t, nurseries and garden centers in town stock them, and if you live in Santa Fe you can apply for a rebate. We use one of our rain barrels under a canale and keep the other one in the house in the winter and in the courtyard for the growing season. This second one is fed by a hose from our washing machine. We use Trader Joes eco-friendly detergent.

However, I began to develop aches and pains from carrying so many buckets and watering cans. So I bought an aquarium pump and 55 feet of plastic aquarium hose. The pump must be strong enough to produce a good flow. Pete at Pete’s Pets tried a few out for me. I now drop the pump in the barrel and water with the pump/hose combination. A real time and back saver!

This technique can be used for fertilizing or super-thriving. Just add the right amount of fertilizer depending on the size of your barrel. If your barrel is too far from the location you need to fertilize you can fill a 30 gallon trash can on wheels and drop the pump in that. Just remember to keep the filter on the pump. Now you can use your extra time to enjoy the sunset!