Hello all,
This is my first non-introductory post. We're planning out a 3'6"x10' vegetable garden along the south side of our house, next to the driveway. Today I would like to build a raised box for it out of some 2x10s I swiped from a construction site dumpster. I have a problem, though, and that's the gutter. It drains into right where the garden would go. We have a fairly beat up drain extender that would instead have it draining into the driveway. I'm just not sure of the best way to build around that, as it seems there might be problems either with roots digging into the extender, or it taking up precious space. I would like to do nothing, let the rainwater leach into the ground and water the plants in that area, but I think that could end up drowning them.
Your thoughts?
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malenkylizards
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- Location: Baltimore
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malenkylizards
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Thanks, Marlin, and I totally thought I mentioned this in the post but didn't, but a barrel of that size would take up a quarter of the garden space we have here. I would like to do so, but we can't really put the garden anywhere else for sunlight reasons.
Another solution that occurred to me was digging a hole of a foot deep or so and filling it with gravel underneath, so it could drain. Any reason that would or wouldn't work? It looks like other than that, using the extender and making a notch through the box walls would be the best solution.
Another solution that occurred to me was digging a hole of a foot deep or so and filling it with gravel underneath, so it could drain. Any reason that would or wouldn't work? It looks like other than that, using the extender and making a notch through the box walls would be the best solution.
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rainbowgardener
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The rain barrel is really a good idea (I have two 75 gallon rain barrels). I can't quite picture your set up, but can you not put an elbow into your down spout and turn it the other direction from your garden plot, so the barrel doesn't have to sit in the garden plot? Use an elbow and extender piece to put your rainbarrel where ever you want it.
But if doing that you will also need to make some provision for over flow from the rainbarrel. I have commercial ones with a diverter so that once the barrel is full the water goes back in the regular down spout system.
The diverter idea is another way to put your barrel where you want it, see picture:
[url=https://www.rainbarrelsource.com/rain-barrel-&-compost-equipment/rain-barrel-diverters/basicrainreservedivertersystem.cfm]rain barrel diverters[/url]
But if doing that you will also need to make some provision for over flow from the rainbarrel. I have commercial ones with a diverter so that once the barrel is full the water goes back in the regular down spout system.
The diverter idea is another way to put your barrel where you want it, see picture:
[url=https://www.rainbarrelsource.com/rain-barrel-&-compost-equipment/rain-barrel-diverters/basicrainreservedivertersystem.cfm]rain barrel diverters[/url]
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malenkylizards
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Hmm...The rain barrel would be easier that way, but I still have to put that project off. I want to get a vegetable garden going on a shoestring budget and during full-time college, so for this particular problem I need the simplest and cheapest solution. Plus, the landlady pays water. 
Water capturing, as well as irrigation, are some projects I'd love to do later, perhaps over the summer.
Water capturing, as well as irrigation, are some projects I'd love to do later, perhaps over the summer.-
applestar
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You may not have to cut the gutter drain pipe -- DH didn't want me to cut ours so I simply unscrewed the bottom section with the attached elbow, then screwed on a extra piece of pleated metal dryer exhaust pipe we had lying around in the garage, using the existing screw holes. The dryer exhaust pipe is flexible and I was able to lay it on the rain barrel lid which has a screened opening -- this rain barrel, incidentally, had to be positioned a just a step away from the base of the gutter drain pipe because there was a fence blocking it.
My neighbor uses a flexible pleated plastic rain gutter pipe extender which was available in the same color as his house siding for his rain barrel. It's practically invisible.
Personally, I think any kind of simple rain barrel beats letting the precious water go down the driveway. Also, there may be other plants along the existing drain field that are depending on that water. I doubt that my Cherry tree in the front yard would survive if I took away the water which comes down the rain gutter on the nearest corner of the house.
If you have no way to set up a rain barrel, I think I would use one of those flexible rain gutter extenders with holes along its length, dig a moat round the perimeter of the raised bed and lay the extender in it, then, place the exit of the extender in such a way that the majority of the rainwater will drain away from the house and supply the plants that have always been used to getting the moisture from this source.
My neighbor uses a flexible pleated plastic rain gutter pipe extender which was available in the same color as his house siding for his rain barrel. It's practically invisible.
Personally, I think any kind of simple rain barrel beats letting the precious water go down the driveway. Also, there may be other plants along the existing drain field that are depending on that water. I doubt that my Cherry tree in the front yard would survive if I took away the water which comes down the rain gutter on the nearest corner of the house.
If you have no way to set up a rain barrel, I think I would use one of those flexible rain gutter extenders with holes along its length, dig a moat round the perimeter of the raised bed and lay the extender in it, then, place the exit of the extender in such a way that the majority of the rainwater will drain away from the house and supply the plants that have always been used to getting the moisture from this source.