Grow Your Own Magazine

First of all hello all this is my first serious post 'ahem'

I'd like some advice on several water-buts I fortunately inherited from the previous lotty owner
As I have had to clean up the plot as it was neglected I've just left the buts to fill etc and now they have green weed/algae and mozzie lava in them. Plus no lids.

I know I cant use the water for seedlings but will it be ok to use generally to keep any veg going etc. Plus any ideas of how to cover them to stop evaporation?

oooh so many questions

Water will be fine to use generally. What sort of butts are they, and how do they fill (e.g. from general rainfall, or from guttering?) As for covering them, you will probably have to do a DIY job - find some dustbin lids in skips, or construct something from wood found in skips?

They are plastic drums and three of them collect water of the shed via guttering, the other is free standing at the end of the plot. Never thought of dustbin lids, thanks for that idea.

I cut a couple of circles out of thick plywood, cut a small hole in the middle for the pipe, house brick on top. Jobs a gudun.

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good Diggin, Chuffa.

I have goldfish in mine to eat the mozzie larva. I also link my butts together so that they keep each other topped up and constantly 'flowing' as they are emptied and topped up.St Margaret's site - a set on Flickr

With the water that you do have, I would use it on established plants and on your compost heap. Then scrub out the butts and start afresh.

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I came, I saw, I planted

Dare I say clean the butts out and occaisionally put a small quantity of bleach in it to kill the algae - or will I be jumped on again.
Personally find the use of algae infested water a pain in the greenhouse but on plot should be ok.
Despite liking the idea of harvesting rainwater I have come to be a bit sceptical as so far I have failed to collect much over the last 3 years on my tap free allotment. More often than not I have to lug a 45 tank up there in the car. Hence my reluctance to go all out for a costly butt costing £35 or more and just use an old bin (including lid) connected to the downpipe of my greenhouse.

Great advice from all, many thanks.
I'm loving the idea of goldfish such a clever idea. I've since found a bin lid and will scrounge around at work for some more. I've had people mention using Jeyes fluid in them, just a small amount but I'm sure that can't be good especially if the smell of it is anything to go by..... ugh .

Thanks again 'All'

Two Sheds.....what do you do with the goldfish in the winter? I read about doing this in a Bob Flowerdew but wasn't sure if it was ethical.

I would think that the fish would be OK in winter, I would be more concerned about oxygen in the water in hot weather but it looks as if there are some plants in the tubs so oxygen should be OK. Just make sure that the water doesn't evaporate away leaving the critters toasted.

Two Sheds - Have the fish bred?

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Digger-07

"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right" Henry Ford.