Anyone who collects rainwater is always liquid in two respects. The valuable water falls free of charge from the sky and fills the rain barrel. This means that neither hobby gardeners are left high and dry in terms of money nor are plants watered when the sky keeps its floodgates closed. This guide explains how to properly collect rainwater in the garden and on the balcony.
How to collect rainwater?
In Germany you are allowed to collect rainwater. This is environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Place cisterns and large water tanks in a convenient location in the garden. You can then use a downpipe to divert the water from the gutter, for example, and use it for watering.
- Best way to easily collect rainwater is a combination of downpipe, rain collector and water barrel.
- Balcony gardeners collect rainwater with a tarpaulin, funnel, downpipe flap or open rain barrel.
- Collecting rainwater is not forbidden in Germany, but encouraged and environmentally friendly. Collection techniques on a larger scale are subject to a permit requirement.
Collecting rainwater – where and how?
Rain makes gardeners' hearts beat faster. After all, rainwater waters thirsty plants and dry lawns for free. In hot summers, the longed-for rain becomes rare or comes as short-term heavy rain that drains away uselessly in no time. Anyone who turns on the tap for lush greenery has to pay for it with a hefty water bill. Smart hobby gardeners save money and catch the rain when it falls from the sky. The following table provides an overview of practical solutions for where and how you can collect rainwater:
| Garden | Balcony without roof | Balcony with roof |
|---|---|---|
| Downpipe | Plane | Downpipe flap |
| Rain Collector | Rain barrel | Funnel |
Have any of the options mentioned aroused your interest? Then read on. The following sections are peppered with practical tips and tricks on how you, as a beginner, can create an adequate supply of rainwater.
Tip
Collecting rainwater is not forbidden. On the contrary, experts from the Federal Environment Agency expressly recommend using rainwater for plants in the garden and on the balcony. However, large water tanks or cisterns are often subject to local building code requirements. In many communities, a separate permit is required if excess rainwater is to flow from collection containers into the sewer system. An informal request to the public order or building authority clears up any ambiguities before you start the rainwater collection project.
Collecting rainwater with a downpipe – this is how it works
Rain barrels can easily be connected to a downpipe
Garden owners with their own homes collect rainwater in the traditional way. For this purpose, an open water barrel is positioned on the wall of the house. Rain falls on the roof surface, runs into the gutter and into a connected downpipe that feeds the rain barrel. This is the simplest and cheapest version of collecting rainwater without much effort. The downside of this simple solution is regular flooding because the rain barrel regularly overflows when it pours out of buckets.
Problem Solver is a rain collector, also known as a rain thief. The ingenious overflow protection is installed between the downpipe and the rain barrel and directs the valuable water into the collection container. If continuous or heavy rain overwhelms the capacity of the container, the overflow stop takes effect. Excess rainwater now finds its way into the sewer system via the downpipe. Subsequent installation is possible without any problems. As a further advantage, the Rain Thief allows a lid for the collection container because the rain is fed in from the side. This circumstance optimizes safety in the family garden because curious children cannot fall into it. Furthermore, the water remains free of impurities and mosquito larvae.
The luxury version has a practical filter installed so that bird droppings and other impurities do not get into the collected water. The image below illustrates the beneficial functionality of a rain collector with overflow protection on the downpipe.
Collecting rainwater on the balcony – tips & tricks
Balcony gardeners don't have to forego the benefits of rainwater in plant care. Catching rain is easily possible on the balcony. The level of difficulty depends on the general conditions. Different solutions are required on the covered balcony than on a balcony without a roof. Is there access to a downspout or does it have to work without a downspout? The three most common ways to collect rainwater on the balcony are explained in more detail below:
Collecting rainwater without a roof
If you want to collect rainwater on a balcony without a roof and without a downpipe, you are on your own. So far, specialist retailers and trades have not been able to offer a convincing solution. Resourceful balcony gardeners are not deterred by this. With a tarpaulin and some craftsmanship, you can easily make a collecting container for rainwater.
- Put up the tarpaulin
- Caution: Measure the height so that the stretched tarpaulin with stone weight is above the rain barrel
- Eyelets connect to anchor points (railings, parasol stands, handles, wall hooks)
- punch a hole in the middle of the tarpaulin
- Put stone in it
- Place the collection vessel under the perforated stone hollow
Now the rain doesn't just fall on the balcony floor, but is caught by the tarpaulin and directed over the trough into the rain barrel. If it's not raining, let the tarp dry and store it out of sight in a box. Of course, you can simply place an open rain barrel on the balcony and catch the rain. With a stretched tarpaulin, the yield of rainwater increases many times over.
Covered balcony with downpipe
With a downpipe flap, rainwater can be directed into the barrel and stopped
If a downspout runs close to the balcony, balcony gardeners don't miss this opportunity. To ensure that valuable rainwater does not rush past unused, a built-in downpipe flap sets the direction. Similar to the rain collector from the garden, the rainwater flap is installed in the downpipe and connected to the rain barrel. Installation is possible later without dismantling the downpipe. Once the water barrel has filled, the downpipe flap is manually adjusted so that more rain flows into the sewer system.
It is important to note that you must consult the homeowner or property management before installation. Tenants are not permitted to intervene in the drainage devices on the house without consultation and permission.
Covered balcony without downpipe
Imagination and manual skills are required if you want to collect rainwater on a balcony with a roof and without a downpipe. The secret of success is a funnel to increase the collection area on the collection device. Furthermore, this collecting funnel must be placed outside the balcony roof. This basic concept offers scope for a variety of designs. The following ideas may inspire DIY enthusiasts:
- Funnel: Construction made of tubes, clotheslines and rainproof fabric or cut open 5 liter plastic canister
- Extension: Telescopic handle with ribbed hose
- Anchor point: wall hook, weighty parasol stand, window handle
The fruit picker telescopic handle from Gardena is well suited for aligning and extending the collecting funnel. At the end there is already a small collecting funnel, which in this case does not pick fruit from the treetop, but rather serves as a support for the large collecting funnel. Ideally, use a flexible ribbed hose that directs the rainwater from the funnel to the collection container. As a rain barrel, we recommend a wide-mouth barrel from Noorsk, which is available in numerous sizes and shapes on Amazon.
Excursus
Rainwater – good for soil and plants
Watering with rainwater doesn't just save your wallet. Other beneficiaries include garden soil, flowers, perennials and vegetable plants. Rainwater scores with minimal water hardness and does not contain any unwanted additives such as fluorine or chlorine. As a result, neither lime nor other harmful substances can accumulate in the garden soil. This means the pH value stays in balance without any complex improvement measures. When hobby gardeners water with soft rainwater, exotic plants such as camellias and azaleas bloom. Most of the flower beauties in the bed, on the balcony and on the windowsill cannot stand hard tap water. Collected rain also improves the vitality and taste of vegetable plants if the valuable water is used regularly as irrigation water.
Frequently asked questions
As an indoor gardener, how can I collect rainwater in my rented apartment?
Collecting rainwater in buckets is a good option for indoor gardeners
It is undoubtedly a challenge as an indoor gardener to water your plants with soft rainwater. There is no access to a downpipe from the rental apartment and there is no balcony to catch raindrops with a tarpaulin or funnel. The only option is to set up a collection container outside when it rains. During an average shower, around 5 liters of rainwater falls from the sky per hour. Experience has shown that this amount covers the watering needs of houseplants in a rented apartment.
Which collection containers are suitable for collecting rainwater on the balcony?
There is limited space on the balcony. The classic 1000 liter rain barrel for the garden is too big and too heavy for this purpose. Furthermore, due to the exposed location, the aesthetic aspect should not be neglected. A half wine barrel or the rustic wooden vat from the flea market create a rustic ambience. The rain barrel looks elegant in the style of a Greek amphora, complete with lid and tap. To save space, a weatherproof wall tank is useful as a rain barrel with a capacity of 300 liters.
We collect rainwater directly from the downpipe. However, the rain barrel is far from sufficient for watering flowers, perennials and lawns. What to do?
The capacity can be easily increased by placing several rain barrels next to each other and connecting them together. First, the rainwater runs through the gutter and downpipe into the first bin. From there, the neighboring rain barrels automatically fill up via the connecting hoses. For series connection, the containers must be at the same height. Special ribbed hoses, complete with screw connectors and seals, are well suited for the connection.
Tip
You no longer want to stand by and watch as valuable rain simply seeps away on your property? With drainage in the ground, you capture most of the rainwater, direct it via drainage pipes into a collecting pipe and from there into a pond, a biotope or a septic tank. The uncomplicated technology has not only proven itself to protect against waterlogging in clay soil. Rainwater can be collected on a very large scale using this route.
