Using stored rainwater for irrigation?

Hello!

First post here, and a question for you... Is it recommended (disease safe etc) to use stored rainwater for irrigating vegetable beds? I couldn't guarantee high turnover of the water in the butts, but that obviously depends on the weather.

We are just starting to transfer vegetables from seeding pots into raised beds, as our first attempt at growing our own and we are concious of wasting tap water.

Thanks a lot!

Jim

 

I don't use rainwater on young seedlings, because it picks up all sorts of muck from the roof etc on the way to the water butt, and seedlings don't have as strong an immune system as larger plants.

But rainwater is all I use to water more established plants (e.g. once they are planted out in the veg patch) - well ... until the rainwater runs out and I fill the water-butt from the hose that is!!

 

I think if you keep the butt free from dead leaves and it has a lid, there is not much of a problem, especially if your only growing normal kinds of veg etc.
Growing ferns or orchids from seed etc. and you might have a problem.

I usually get through about three water butts in a week in the summer so I also fill mine with a hose most of the time.
Its much better than direct tap water, first its warmer and it also loses some of the chlorine while it stands in a water butt.

 

I need to use rainwater for my blueberry bushes.

 

Thank you all!

Bought a rainwater diverter today (screwfix - £8) to fill from the roof when it starts raining again

 

The only thing that worries me with all this is after the Sea gulls have finished placing droppings all over the roof the rain water cleans that off nicely into the gutters and that is where the problem could occur, however after saying all that the soil must filter out all this stuff, i found a dead bird in one of the water butts up the allotment.

I have spikes on my roof as I grow salad crops at home and use water collected from the roof. I love wildlife in its right place.

Dave