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What to do during hosepipe ban?

Cyrus

Perhaps a stupid qn but is there anything that can be done to try help a garden when the hosepipe ban is in force and you can’t water ?

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Wheety

LirW wrote: »

I do! because it's mounted and I'm a bit too small to actually dip in it when it's not full to the rim.

I use the tap. I don't want to keep taking the lid off. It fills up quicker than the mains tap when it's full because of the pressure and when it gets low, it's too much of an effort to try and reach into it anyway.

theyoungchap

my3cents wrote: »

The dirt isn't too difficult a problem, google first flush diverter for how to keep the majority of the crap out of your rainwater tank.

Not worth bothering with for a water butt which you can give a yearly wash out to and will be dipping watering cans into. No one uses the stupid tap at the bottom of a watering can I hope

Best watering can btw is this Haws one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haws-Deluxe-7-Litre-Outdoor-Watering/dp/B002PHRKXQ/ (yeah I know they are expensive but last a life time and the brass rose is perfect for watering seedings) they are designed to be filled quickly by dipping them in a water tank. Hold the spout where the support joins it and just dunk it to fill it takes seconds as opposed to the age that using a tap on a water butt takes. Other watering cans can be filled in the same way.

Shouldn't I just put the water butt at a level where I can put my standard watering can in under?

my3cents

LirW wrote: »

I do! because it's mounted and I'm a bit too small to actually dip in it when it's not full to the rim.

But if you didn't have the water butt on blocks or a base so you could use the tap then you would be able to reach over the butt as the level went down.

The long spout on the watering can I mentioned also makes it easy to reach down into a water butt.

LirW

Not worth bothering with for a water butt which you can give a yearly wash out to and will be dipping watering cans into. No one uses the stupid tap at the bottom of a watering can I hope

I do! because it's mounted and I'm a bit too small to actually dip in it when it's not full to the rim.

my3cents

theyoungchap wrote: »

I would love to make a few modifications to my house. My number 1 issue being I want to put in a water butt (easy enough) for watering the garden.
Another thing that really galls me is flushing 10 litres of treated water down the toilet every time I have a pee (I haven't been flushing it at all of late though unless its brown flush it down.....).
Water charges etc might be gone for another generation thanks to Paul Murphy and his element, but I for one want to conserve water and keep it solely for drinking where possible.
Is it difficult or expensive to install a tank, etc for rainwater and plumbing it for flushing toilets? My guess is it is difficult enough to stop dirt etc getting into the tank and cleaning a filter would be a constant issue?

The dirt isn't too difficult a problem, google first flush diverter for how to keep the majority of the crap out of your rainwater tank.

Not worth bothering with for a water butt which you can give a yearly wash out to and will be dipping watering cans into. No one uses the stupid tap at the bottom of a watering can I hope

Best watering can btw is this Haws one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haws-Deluxe-7-Litre-Outdoor-Watering/dp/B002PHRKXQ/ (yeah I know they are expensive but last a life time and the brass rose is perfect for watering seedings) they are designed to be filled quickly by dipping them in a water tank. Hold the spout where the support joins it and just dunk it to fill it takes seconds as opposed to the age that using a tap on a water butt takes. Other watering cans can be filled in the same way.

magicbastarder

theyoungchap wrote: »

Another thing that really galls me is flushing 10 litres of treated water down the toilet every time I have a pee

you can pee in the garden.

scarepanda

Zzippy, do you mind me asking what kind of system and set up you have? I'd love to set something up, and had planned on doing it this spring when I was filling the veg beds, but impatience got the better of me and I just wanted to get to a stage of being able to sow stuff. My husband is into gadgets and IOT stuff so he's going to set up some meters for me before next spring.

theyoungchap

I would love to make a few modifications to my house. My number 1 issue being I want to put in a water butt (easy enough) for watering the garden.
Another thing that really galls me is flushing 10 litres of treated water down the toilet every time I have a pee (I haven't been flushing it at all of late though unless its brown flush it down.....).
Water charges etc might be gone for another generation thanks to Paul Murphy and his element, but I for one want to conserve water and keep it solely for drinking where possible.
Is it difficult or expensive to install a tank, etc for rainwater and plumbing it for flushing toilets? My guess is it is difficult enough to stop dirt etc getting into the tank and cleaning a filter would be a constant issue?

Zzippy

TomOnBoard wrote: »

I fully agree. You probably use a fraction of the water per day compared to someone just watering a few pots from a hose.

Ive use hydroponics in my tunnel (not this year) and used collected rainwater. I am always amazed by how little water you can use so long as you manage rate of irrigation and most important in this kind of weather in a tunnel is rate of evaporation. And that's where all the cardboard comes in. One of the best insulating mulches known to man....

Only problem with cardboard is the slugs love to hide under it. I find the irrigation pipe just soaks the soil immediately adjacent to it, not the whole bed, so I plant what I want to grow beside the pipes and the rest of the soil surface remains dry. Helps with weed control too.

garv123

Massive queue outside lidl this morning when I was passing for work, I wonder is it all for the swimpool? didnt see anything special on the website for today

TomOnBoard

Zzippy wrote: »

I haven't got a meter on the setup to measure litres used, but it is well set up and every drop is delivered to the soil above the roots, nothing wasted. I use a moisture meter to make sure the soil is moist but not wet,. As far as I'm concerned it's a permanent fixture. I think a hosepipe ban refers to waving a hose around and spraying water that results in waste, not a fixed setup that just happens to incorporate a length of hose and which I don't touch from one week to the next.

I fully agree. You probably use a fraction of the water per day compared to someone just watering a few pots from a hose.

Ive use hydroponics in my tunnel (not this year) and used collected rainwater. I am always amazed by how little water you can use so long as you manage rate of irrigation and most important in this kind of weather in a tunnel is rate of evaporation. And that's where all the cardboard comes in. One of the best insulating mulches known to man....

Zzippy

TomOnBoard wrote: »

How much water are you using is the issue.

To my mind, you're using a length of hosepipe within a plumbed well-managed irrigation system. An uncontrolled open- ended 1/2" hose pipe delivering water at mains pressure is the issue that Irish Water are trying to deal with.

If you have your drippers properly regulated, I don't see the issue, assuming your system is properly set up.

I haven't got a meter on the setup to measure litres used, but it is well set up and every drop is delivered to the soil above the roots, nothing wasted. I use a moisture meter to make sure the soil is moist but not wet,. As far as I'm concerned it's a permanent fixture. I think a hosepipe ban refers to waving a hose around and spraying water that results in waste, not a fixed setup that just happens to incorporate a length of hose and which I don't touch from one week to the next.

TomOnBoard

Zzippy wrote: »

So, they've extended it nationwide, which now affects us. I've a drip irrigation system in the polytunnel, which is fed by hose from the mains tap. Technically I shouldn't be using it, but there's no way I'm going to start using watering cans from the tap, which would be far more wasteful, far more time consuming, and far less beneficial to the plants. Currently they get exactly the right amount of water delivered straight to the roots, with zero waste.

How much water are you using is the issue.

To my mind, you're using a length of hosepipe within a plumbed well-managed irrigation system. An uncontrolled open- ended 1/2" hose pipe delivering water at mains pressure is the issue that Irish Water are trying to deal with.

If you have your drippers properly regulated, I don't see the issue, assuming your system is properly set up.

Zzippy

my3cents wrote: »

From Friday morning a 8am so still more than a full day the hoses are still legal in many areas.

Yes, sorry, I meant we're included from Friday on.

my3cents wrote: »

So how about doing what I plan to do. Change the hose over to proper water pipe so its plumbed it then bury the pipe.

In my case I'm going to add at least two more outside taps so I don't have as far to carry watering cans.

The hose is already pretty much buried, the only exposed bit is a couple of feet from the tap to where it enters the polytunnel underground. For the sake of a short-term ban it's not worth the hassle of plumbing it in. Also I have a timer connected to the tap and onto the hose, which would be awkward to fit into a plumbed pipe. The timer also ensures water is not wasted and the plants get only what they need.

my3cents

Zzippy wrote: »

So, they've extended it nationwide, which now affects us. I've a drip irrigation system in the polytunnel, which is fed by hose from the mains tap. Technically I shouldn't be using it, but there's no way I'm going to start using watering cans from the tap, which would be far more wasteful, far more time consuming, and far less beneficial to the plants. Currently they get exactly the right amount of water delivered straight to the roots, with zero waste.

So how about doing what I plan to do. Change the hose over to proper water pipe so its plumbed it then bury the pipe.

In my case I'm going to add at least two more outside taps so I don't have as far to carry watering cans.

LirW

I'm continuing watering my plants with the can and for the baskets I got a small bucket in Dealz that I fill with water, soak each basket in it for 30 minutes and use the water then for other plants. They're doing pretty well.

Neighbour is washing their dog kennel every evening with the hose to wash all the p1ss and poop out :rolleyes: Not sure if they'll stop that during the hose ban but they could think of bringing their dog out a bit more. Anyway, not my business.

I'm growing all my stuff in the greenhouse in pots so they'll just get watered efficiently enough to get them through the heat.

my3cents

Zzippy wrote: »

So, they've extended it nationwide, which now affects us. I've a drip irrigation system in the polytunnel, which is fed by hose from the mains tap. Technically I shouldn't be using it, but there's no way I'm going to start using watering cans from the tap, which would be far more wasteful, far more time consuming, and far less beneficial to the plants. Currently they get exactly the right amount of water delivered straight to the roots, with zero waste.

From Friday morning a 8am so still more than a full day the hoses are still legal in many areas.

magicbastarder

i live in a suburban semi-d with a garage on the side - a probably 4 inch thick flat concrete roof on the garage. a friend was telling me his neighbour, living in a similar build, has a 500l IBC tank on the garage roof collecting from the downpipe. i've considered similar myself but as they're translucent, was wondering about algal growth.
you'd get a decent pressure from one that's 8 foot higher than the garden too.

i like to think you could get 5 or 6 people standing in one spot on the roof without it collapsing, whether that's a load you'd be able to leave there permanently is another matter.

Zzippy

So, they've extended it nationwide, which now affects us. I've a drip irrigation system in the polytunnel, which is fed by hose from the mains tap. Technically I shouldn't be using it, but there's no way I'm going to start using watering cans from the tap, which would be far more wasteful, far more time consuming, and far less beneficial to the plants. Currently they get exactly the right amount of water delivered straight to the roots, with zero waste.

theyoungchap

garv123 wrote: »

Have nothing to use the water on outside anyway
Havent cut the grass in 2 weeks and its looking healthier than ever, the weeds are struggling tho

Lucky you, our weeds are thriving and our grass is non-existant!!

garv123

theyoungchap wrote: »

No, but you'd probably be well advised to adhere to it unless you want to end up with no water....

Have nothing to use the water on outside anyway

Havent cut the grass in 2 weeks and its looking healthier than ever, the weeds are struggling tho

theyoungchap

garv123 wrote: »

Does the hosepipe plan apply to a private well?

No, but you'd probably be well advised to adhere to it unless you want to end up with no water....

garv123

Does the hosepipe plan apply to a private well?

NickNickleby

I'm assuming there's some gardeners on here:pac:

After washing the veggies in water. When doing the cabbage I always add some salt to the water, to help clean it of anything I don't want to eat - occasionally I'll get a creepy crawley or flies out.

So today, being the dutiful citizen I recovered the water from the sink instead of pulling the plug, then poured it onto : Hebe (spelling?) Lavender and Fuschia. Went back for the dregs using a glass, and thought "why not drink it? Ah wait, sure there's salt in it. Arrghhh, there's SALT in it ".

Given that only yesterday the real gardener of the house ie. She Who Must Be Obeyed, said how lovely the lavender and hebes are, I'm just a little concerned. should I start packing now? It was about half a sink of water (say 1 gallon) and less than 1 tablespoon of salt. How much less I can't say.

Wheety

cbreeze wrote: »

There is one glorious green garden in my street and all the others are yellow. Hmmm!

Is it fake grass?

iguana

theyoungchap wrote: »

If I seen my neighbour filling a paddling pool I would have no problem ringing IW. Just like if I thought he was a dole cheat I would have no problem ringing DEASP.

I have two paddling pools. A larger 10ft one that I haven't used this year and a small one that is the lid off the sand box, that I have used this year. The small one holds less water than my bath and I fill it about a third of the way up for my son to use to cool during the day. He uses the water in that for about 4 days using a lot less water than the baths or showers he'd be having every evening as he's hot and filthy by the end of every day. Once the water needs to be replaced I leave it uncovered on the lawn so my neighbours ducks can come in for a splash about (which is the most insanely cute thing ever). Then I use the water for my plants and fruit trees. I wash out the pool with a basin of used wash-up water and empty that too into my plants. In the meantime any plants I have in smaller pots with holes in the bottom are sitting permanently in the bath which is keeping them alive on minimal water.

The same water gets used repeatedly and it's a lot easier for me to use the paddling pool water for my plants than it is to use bathwater. No matter how hard I try I'm not going to be able to get all the water from the bath to the garden, whereas it's simple to ensure every last drop gets used efficiently from the pool. And the plants in the bath aren't going to be able to stay there when I go back to needing the bath for my son. And no, they won't come close to fitting in the paddling pool to use that instead, I've checked. So in the coming days, when my area is likely included in the hosepipe ban, I will inevitably use more water rather than less and the poor ducks won't get a chance to cool down. 3 watering cans will be enough for the paddling pool but I don't want Irish Water to come knocking on my door because some eejit who likely uses more water in a day than I do in a week reports me.

harr

theyoungchap wrote: »

Why didn't you do it tonight when it was getting dark/cooler? Of course it'll evaporate at 11am.......

Wasn’t really emptied out to water garden I was just tidying up the garden...just surprised at the lack of soakage..

theyoungchap

harr wrote: »

I just emptied out the paddle pool and no I won’t be refilling with a hose.. but the ground was so hard the water barely penetrated it , it kind of just sat on top and evaporated. 10 minutes later lawn done dry. It going to take more than a few showers of rain to bring everything back to life again..

Why didn't you do it tonight when it was getting dark/cooler? Of course it'll evaporate at 11am.......

harr

I just emptied out the paddle pool and no I won’t be refilling with a hose.. but the ground was so hard the water barely penetrated it , it kind of just sat on top and evaporated. 10 minutes later lawn done dry. It going to take more than a few showers of rain to bring everything back to life again..

theyoungchap

xboxdad wrote: »

Thank you! Is it just a regular hose with no end piece attached that I should lay on the grass or I should get one of those soaker hoses for the job?

What bit of the current hose pipe ban don't you understand? Your grass will be fine once it rains. Stop wasting water on it.