FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

It hasn't been an extended drought, but it's been about three weeks since our last rain. The temperature has gotten into the low-90Fs and the sun has been shining. Not to mention that I have more plants than I had this time last year. Needless to say, I've gone through some water. I've got a pile of milk jugs ready to be refilled. It was mighty good to see these filling up. One of these days I'll set up a nicely orderly rainwater gathering system, but until then...

You should check Craig's List for plastic, food-grade barrels in your area. 20 bucks will get you a 50- or 60-gallon rain barrel.

I've actually got a couple of 50-gallon barrels. I just haven't figured out yet how to use them....getting the water in and out of them...and no gutter system. I've just gotta get off my dear-rear and figure it out!

I collected nearly 5 gallons of rain water last night using a setup not that different from yours.

What plant is that in the buckets...some type of bladderwort? ...or?

Intheswamp wrote:What plant is that in the buckets...some type of bladderwort? ...or?

water hyacinth

Ok. I was thinking you'd have a carnivorous plant to help with mosquitoes. The town I leave near uses hyacinths in it's water treatment system, I think the hyacinth pool is roughly 4 acres. They have greenhouses for growing and keeping young plants.

Well, the rains stopped for about a week. They've been back strong now for a couple of weeks. My storage is maxed out somewhere between 110-120 gallons. The forecast looks like...more rain. I'm just afraid that when the faucet is turned off we'll go back to watching the stored water start dwindling down again. I've found that a problem you run into with having more plants and being in the summer (when you usually acquire more plants) is...you need more water. <duh> Anyhow, for now I think I can hold out for probably 30 days with what I've got. I just hate to watch all this water flow by...

Well you could use gal milk jugs (after cleaning them out, of course) or other such containers. Use your current water supply to fill them. That way, when you get more rain you can take advantage of it.

DragonsEye wrote: ↑Sat Jul 08, 2023 2:40 am Well you could use gal milk jugs (after cleaning them out, of course) or other such containers. Use your current water supply to fill them. That way, when you get more rain you can take advantage of it.

Not a bad idea...
There's roughly 20 jugs in the picture. Four more in the old trailer. Four waiting to be refilled.
I've also got seven 5/6-gallon buckets and two 32-gallon rubbermaid garbage cans plus the five or so gallons sitting in the plaster planters waiting to be used or put in jugs.

I guess I'm just a bit greedy wanting to catch all the water I can...I hear they have counselors for this condition.

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Sat Jul 08, 2023 3:46 pm I guess I'm just a bit greedy wanting to catch all the water I can...I hear they have counselors for this condition.

It's called "being prudent". Stash a supply of rain water while you can get it. All too often, rainfall is feast or famine.

FYI - Plastic jugs like these are excellent for storing rainwater: Very sturdy, lasts for years. Also, because they didn't contain milk, they're much easier to clean before use: just a quick rinse and they're good to go.

I agree. It seems just as you said about the rain…it’s either feast or famine.

Those jugs are definitely more durable than milk jugs. We just don’t drink apple juice and we make our own sweet tea. I need to figure out how to set up a 55 gallon…if my plants keep increasing I’ll need the storage capacity.