Using Gutters to Water Your Landscaping or Garden

Municipal water feeds your yard chlorine, which really isn’t good for plant health. Not willing to put your garden through it? Consider tapping into nature’s bounty cascading off your roof. Using gutters to water your landscaping or garden conserves this resource and gives your plants the best, purest water they can get.

We’re talking about rainwater harvesting – an effective and easy way to collect and reuse rainwater for plants. Rain gutters unload tons of water from the roof and can actually make an excellent irrigation system for your landscape. Let’s see how you can use rainy days to harvest water for your garden. 

Why Rainwater is Better

Besides just hydrating your plants, collecting water from your gutters has numerous benefits. After all, rainwater is one of the most vital natural resources. 

Here’s why it’s better:

• Reduces water bills significantly because you are using free water that would otherwise go to waste. 
• Controls excess runoff and flooding because excess water is utilized by landscape plants before it can run off or pool up. 
• Useful during droughts. All that water you store up during rainy periods can be put to use during dry times. This helps to keep the reservoirs and aquifers full and prevents the need for water rationing in such occurrences. 
• Makes your plants happier because rainwater is healthier for your plants. It’s untreated, meaning there is no chlorine or salt added to it. Both salt and chlorine dehydrate plants. 
• Lowers your carbon footprint by promoting sustainability.
• Solves drainage issues on your property, which many homeowners struggle with, and makes an excellent backup source of water for emergencies. 
• You have complete control over your water supply, which is ideal for you if your city has water restrictions. It also reduces your dependence on dams, wells, and other water systems.

Things to Consider Before You Start

Before you set up your rainwater irrigation system, there are some important things to consider and decisions to be made, such as: 

Your Garden’s Water Needs

First question: How much water does your garden need? This data will help you decide the size of rain barrels you need and any modifications that the gutter system or roof needs so you can capture the necessary amount of rainwater.

Second question: How do you calculate your water needs? The number of plants you have, their sizes, types, ages, and how closely they are planted to each other will determine their water requirements. 

Here’s how: 

Calculate the size of your garden by multiplying the length by width to get the total square footage. One inch of rain or water in a yard is 62 gallons for every 100 square-foot area. 

So, for instance, if your garden is 20 feet by 40 feet, or 800 square feet, it would need 496 (62 x 8) gallons of water to irrigate the garden to a depth of one inch. 

Note: You can use native plants to reduce water usage since they have evolved to thrive in the natural conditions of your area. 

Construction and Condition of Your Roof

You need to make sure that your roofing system is up to date. In that, check that the pitch of your roof, material, and design is appropriate for rainy weather and your guttering system. The most important of all considerations is the roof material. 

Most roofing materials work just fine, but beware of asphalt shingles. This material can leach toxins and can potentially harm vegetation and plants. Terra-cotta tile, slate, copper, concrete, untreated wood shingles, and epoxy-painted metal are generally safe for collecting water. 

The Health of Your Gutters

The performance of your gutters greatly depends on how they are maintained. Periodically clean your gutters. How often you need to clean your gutters depends upon where you live, the number of trees on your property and other factors. But, generally, gutters should be inspected and cleaned twice a year. 

Clean, unclogged gutters ensure the delivery of pure and healthy water for your plants. Make sure that the gutters are sloped correctly to allow continuous water flow. Because otherwise, low spots can collect puddles and debris and contaminate the water. 

How to Collect Rainwater From Gutters

Once you know the amount of water you need to store and that your gutters and roof are in their best condition, you can set up your harvesting system. The catchment area is where the rainwater collects, which is typically the roof. Roofs made of concrete, metal, or asphalt yield a higher collection rate. 

You can collect rainwater through several different methods. The easiest way is to utilize your home’s gutter system. Rain cascades off the roof into the gutters, then streams down to a downspout along a slight slope. Typically, the downspouts lead into a storm sewer or out into the street or yard. 

To collect rainwater, however, you need to feed the water into a container or holding tank. You can then store the water and direct it to your garden or landscape later.

Storage Systems

There are three ways to store rainwater from your gutters. All the methods work on the same principle but differ in water conservation efficiency and the scale of the rainwater harvesting system. 

Rain Barrel 

This is the most common and affordable way to collect rainwater. Just place a barrel or water tank below the downspout of your gutter. You can get a pre-made barrel from any home improvement store or make one yourself from trash cans. These rain barrels generally hold 50 to 100 gallons of water.

You might have to trim or cut the downspout so the opening rests just above the barrel. It’s an easy DIY project, even if you’re not so handy. Also, barrels don’t take up a lot of space or look unsightly. 

Dry System

This collection method works just like a rain barrel setup but uses a larger storage container. It’s a great option for climates with frequent rainfall and storms. The gutter system needs to be slightly redesigned to channel water directly from the rain gutters to the top of the large storage tank. 

It’s called a dry system because your pipes essentially remain “dry” between rainfall events by completely draining all water into the tank. The system is easy to maintain and perfect for storing large volumes of water but stores water a few meters away from your property. 

Wet System

The wet method involves attaching collection pipes to multiple downspouts and burying them underground. In one setup, rainwater fills up the underground pipes and spills into a storage tank buried underground. In another, your underground pipes lead to an above-ground tank set some distance away from the house.  

It’s a lengthy and more expensive process, but a wet system gives you the ability to capture and store a larger volume of rainwater from multiple gutters and downspouts. Just make sure that all the underground collection piping is water-tight. 

IMPORTANT: Regardless of the method you choose, debris will likely enter the system. Install a leaf screen on top of your downspouts and use a first flush diverter and sediment filter. 

How to Distribute Rainwater From Gutters 

The last step is to set up an efficient water distribution system to transport water to different parts of your landscape from the storage tank. You can choose from the two primary types of water delivery systems: Pump fed and gravity fed. So, it can be as basic as a built-in spigot or as detailed as a proper, piped irrigation system. 

Gravity-fed systems work when the storage tank is placed higher than the garden. When the spigot is opened, the stored water flows out into the garden. 

• Attach a hose to the spigot at the base of the tank and a drip/soaker hose, sprinkler, or other attachment to the other end to water your garden.
• Or, connect the tank with a pipe for drip irrigation.
• Or, fill a watering can directly from the barrel to water plants.
• If your home has a piping irrigation system in the garden, you can also extend the hose from the rain barrel to it. 
• You can also attach a timer to automate lawn watering. 

Pump-fed systems are best if your storage tank is lower than the garden site. They use a motor to draw water up from the tank and to a pipe that goes into the garden. 

Can you direct rainwater directly from your gutters to your landscape or lawn? Yes. But first observe what happens to rainfall as it enters your landscape. Notice all the low spots, ground slopes, and places where water may pool. 

This will help you plan where the channels will go to guide water around from the catchment area. You can then:

• Dig channels alongside your plants to direct rainwater to them, or
• Create a berm around the perimeter of your landscape or garden to hold water longer in the garden, or
• Construct a French drain to hold water for your garden plants, or
• Build a rain garden.

FAQs

Need Help Setting Up?

Utilizing your gutters to irrigate a lawn or garden makes a nice and fun weekend project, especially if you’re just adding a rain barrel below the downspouts. To get the most out of your rainwater irrigation system, your gutters must be in excellent condition.

Make sure you’re cleaning your gutters regularly, fixing any leaks, and taking care of the downspouts too. You can surely use a professional’s help and expertise in doing so. Good news! MyGutterGnome can connect you with local pros who are just a click away.

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