Watering too often can keep roots shallow and weaken plants; wait for signs that the plant is suffering before watering Water butts come in a range of sizes. Naturally, having a small water butt is better than none, so even a 100 L model can be useful, especially in small gardens. Capture all’ filters come by many names, including downpipe filters, downpipe guards, downpipe leaf catchers, downpipe leaf traps, and downpipe leaf filters. These all capture coarse debris, leaves etc. In all of these maintenance of the filter is required to remove the debris.

Basic diverters, also known as water butt connectors. These offer no filtering capability. This type of diverter can often throttle the flow of water and does not offer a high capture efficiency. However, the basic diverters we offer do not suffer from these problems.If you’re eco-conscious, consider what the water butt is made from. Designs produced in the UK from high-density recycled plastic tend to feel stronger and more robust , while also being kinder to the environment. First, work out how often you’ll be using your water butt. If you plan on filling a watering can a few times a week, then a 100 litre water butt would probably suffice, considering that the average watering can holds 10 litres. These water butts also usually have slimmer designs that take up less space. After initially setting up this plastic water butt, it felt a little wobbly. Mine was standing on rough ground, and even though I had levelled this out before setting the water butt up, the legs didn’t quite seem as though they would hold up to the job. If you’ve set the water butt up in a very windy location, you could potentially tie a strap around it to keep it sturdy – the indents in the design should make this easy. With a capacity of 227 litres , this was the largest of the water butts that I tested. It’s pretty chunky in design, but the fact that it’s green means that it would blend well into a garden. The recycled plastic construction feels strong and sturdy . In fact, all of the connections that come with this water butt are noticeably tougher, more robust, and higher quality than those supplied with the other water butts I reviewed.

The morning and evening are the best times to water your plants as the water doesn’t evaporate in the heat of the day before it can reach the roots Water butts are not the only way you can collect the rain. You can get an estimate of how much mains water could be savedin a typical garden by following this link and pledging to make the switch from mains to rains. If the water butt does not come with pre-cut holes for the diverter, you will have to make these yourself. Measure approx. 10 cm down from the top of the water butt, on the side facing the downpipe, and mark where the hole will go. Use a hole saw with the correct size bit (as per the water butt instructions) to create the hole. If you have a traditional cottage garden and don’t want a big plastic barrel to spoil the look, then you can buy genuine oak whiskey barrels. Plastic butts in the style of terracotta pots, stone containers and wooden barrels are also available. If you have a large roof and need to store a lot of water, you can connect two or more butts up together or invest in a really large storage tank. The best water butts have a good capacity without being overbearing in the garden. Certain things can be useful to look out for:If space isn’t too much of an issue, water butts of between 250 – 300 litres are standard size. They’re the best water butts for most domestic small/medium gardens. Fit the rubberised splash seal to the top section of pipe, then connect the diverter between the two sections. Make sure that the outlet hole is at the bottom. Then pull the splash seal down over the join.

After attaching the tap, you’ll need to fit the filler kit to your drain pipe and water butt. Don’t panic if it doesn’t fit – it has been designed to work with a range of drainpipe sizes , so you may need to use a knife to expand the top piece, but there are guidelines in place to show you where to cut. The two main benefits of a water butt are that they keep your water bill down by making use of recycled water, and they benefit plants because the water is free from chemicals like chlorine. In rainwater harvesting systems water flows from the roof down a downpipe (drainpipe) to the water butt , where it is stored. Diverters are the pipes used to connect the downpipe to the water butt. The most basic are used to divert water only only, whilst others also filter the water they divert.However, this plastic water butt does come with the necessary indents that show you where to drill new holes if you would like to connect multiple water butts together. It also comes with four plastic legs that raise the water butt up off the ground.