- Water Supply, Usually Rainfall. I wrote about how you can compute how much water you can collect in an earlier article, which you can reach through this link: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/5234...
- Water Requirements of the Plants, or how much water is needed. The water drops and xed-out water drops give you some idea of how much water is needed for each plant. What we really need is number of inches of water per year a plant needs, but that information isn't widely available.
- Water Collection and Distribution Systems. These are the nitty gritty of any rainwater harvesting plan and can be divided into Simple and Complex Systems. Simple systems move the water directly to the plants when it rains. Complex Systems store the water for use later. This article describes simple and complex systems which you can put together inexpensively.
Simple Rainwater Collection and Distribution Systems
SIMPLE SYSTEMS
As the graphic illustrates, there are two types of simple systems:
1. The simplest systems distribute the water directly to the plants. Usually this means planting around water spouts and gutters, or at the bottom of a slope. It can also mean sloping your driveway, sidewalk, and porches, and planting at the bottom of the slopes. You'll also want to add some compost to the soil to increase its moisture retention. Put a good mulch on top of that and you've got a good system established. The bushes in the graphic represent plants which receive water from the simplest systems.
2. Slightly more developed systems involve moving the water from where it falls or naturally drains to another area, such as the planted landscape holding area under the tree in the foreground of the graphic. The trees in the background also benefit from water in holding areas built into a slight slope. These systems can be as simple as putting in a plastic or metal border guard that diverts water flowing near the surface. You can also put in brick or concrete borders, especially if they begin below the surface. More elaborate systems might involve using clay, cement or plastic beneath the organic matter or mulch to move the water where you want it.
3. Can you find the area in the graphic that collects water but hasn't been mentioned yet?
One area that isn't planted in the graphic but is probably a good place for plants is on the northern side of the porch and sidewalk. Although the cement drains to the south, the concrete below the ground blocks water from moving down the slope as quickly as it normally would and plants along the northern side would probably benefit from the additional water.
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