We want to use the water in rain barrels for irrigating our shrubs. What is a good hose to use for this?
Answer
We checked in with our Rain Check program manager, who routinely tells people about the benefits of rain barrels and other stormwater management tools. Here is his response:
The rain barrels we install have standard size drains that should accommodate a standard size garden hose, but because the only force causing the rain barrels to drain is the force of gravity, the length of the hose and any elevation change might impact whether a hose will be functional. In other words, if the hose is too long or if the hose doesn't have enough downward pitch you might not get a good flow going. You can also apply some suction to the end of the hose to encourage a siphon effect.
If the shrubs can't be watered because of the things I mentioned, filling a bucket or watering can is the way to go.
So -- be sure your rain barrel can accommodate a standard size garden hose and is a suitable length. Hope this helps.