Can't think how to make this work (automatic watering of raised beds in poly)

[gardening_gal]

Yes, it's a house.

It's a parking area at the back of the house that is covered by tarmac and this is where the poly will need to go (hence the need for raised beds). The poly is 6m x 3m and the front doorway end of it will be closest to the house, the house and the poly will make an 'L' shape but with a space between them obviously. Walkway access to the house door is at this space.

The butts will be at the rear end of the poly farthest away from the house.

If you were to stand in front of the poly door looking in, the left side would be lower than the right side due to the slope.

The problem is that because it's still a working parking area too, that really limits my choices.

Also the property is rented (and old), all the gutter down pipes bar one are the old cast iron type and cannot be touched. There is one plastic down pipe on an added on bit and this already has a butt linked to it. Not in an area suitable to link to my butts at the polytunnel end.

[Kristen]

If you have electricity available you could pump any water you harvest off the polly up into your butts.

Or a solar-powered pump perhaps? Wouldn't need to be very efficient - lifting 100L in a day would be enough I reckon - so say 10L-20L per hour when the sun is out, which I reckon even the most pathetic solar pump should manage (provide that the lifting height doesn't exceed its capabilities - that would need checking before buying )

Yes, it's a house.

Also the property is rented (and old), all the gutter down pipes bar one are the old cast iron type and cannot be touched

Landlord wouldn't agree to have a Butt there? I've got two water butts at the front of my house which are a nice stone colour and don't look out of place - I have cast iron downpipes too. I have a hose from the tap on those discretely tucked along the edge of the house, dug-in in places across the garden (thus it goes down, and back up, in places) , and eventually it gets to the water butt by the greenhouse (which is lower than the one by the house).

In winter I disconnect the hose, and replace it with a short length of hose tucked under the waterbutt into the original drain and leave the tap open - so that the waterbutt drains as it rains (and if it rains heavily it may fill, but the overflow [back into the original drain] then takes care of that). The idea is that in Winter, if the weather is below zero the Butt doesn't contain enough water to burst from ice.

All a bit moot if Landlord wouldn't allow it.

[Bill HH]

Thats a bloody shame, whichever way you turn you're up the creek without a water butt. I am sure there is a solution but its hard without being there. worst case scenario is you will have to reel a hose out to fill the butts with mains water every so often. If you have to do that consider bigger butts so they last longer, you may not want to spend out for bigger butts but you could at least make the stand bigger for when you do. Also if you still hope to catch some rain water make sure you have a strong grid over the top to stop kids falling in. if you could persuade the landlord to let you lay a pipe across you only need to scrape out a couple of inches to bury the pipe but use hard plastic mains pipe that wont get flattend by cars parked on it. I almost want to come round and help (almost )

[Kristen]

If you have to do that consider bigger butts so they last longer, you may not want to spend out for bigger butts but you could at least make the stand bigger for when you do.

An IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container) maybe?



I paid about £30 for mine - helps if you have a local supply, otherwise carriage is most of the cost. My garden now smells of Soy Sauce

[MarkHackwell]

I thought that was a fire just then with that glow in your picture Kristen :L

I think the trick to get it to work is to have the water container to be quite high so gravity pulls the water down but I have tried it before with not much success Good Luck though

[Kristen]

I thought that was a fire just then with that glow in your picture Kristen

Wouldn't want to put cold water on my poor little dears

[Bill HH]

I thought that was a fire just then with that glow in your picture Kristen :L

)

Yes i thought that at the first glance, perhaps it a large batch of Chiken Fu Yung.

I wish I could get a couple if IBC's for that price, wouldnt it be nice if the water board bought surplus water off us like the electricity companys do.

[gardening_gal]

I almost want to come round and help (almost )

Bless you!

To answer a few points: No young kids anywhere near so that's not an issue.

Landlord would absolutely not allow me to do things to property or grounds. (Been there previously.)

An IBC is a step too far for this situation I'm afraid. I'll save that idea for when I eventually move to my own place and have no need to be as concerned about other people round about.

I think I'll just accept I will have to use mains water and will just haul out the hose when needed.

Anyway, appreciate all your thoughts, thanks.