Thanks everyone. I knew I could count on my fellow gardeners at the Vegetable forum to provide an answer! And it's the perfect answer! I happen to have three 55 gallon barrels already, and your calculations tell me I need 155 gallons for a week's watering. To taz and fruitnut: If it doesn't rain enough, I can water from my well. I'm trying not to use the well as much, so three 55 gallon barrels should give me enough water for a lot of the summer's watering. Upstate NY doesn't often get long stretches without rain, but if we do hit a dry spell, I can go back to using the well water. My main garden is at a community garden where the water is supplied. It's just at home that I need to worry about where the water is coming from. Thanks.

I think is may be to long to fit, butI will try anyway. I just got this emailed to me for I'm doing a rain barrel for the City of Lafayettte Indiana. Over the years they have done Frogs,dogs & pigs. Here are the instructions they sent me. I will keep you posted on my project. Recommended steps to follow: 1. All rain barrels are shipped with a few layers of UV protection. Thoroughly clean the exterior surface of the barrel by wiping away excess dirt and grime with a clean rag soaked in a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water. Some individuals claim that generic window surface cleaner works also. 2. Use a fine- to medium-grade sandpaper (220 grit or finer) to lightly âÂÂrough upâ the surface which will help the paint adhere to the plastic barrel. Be sure to use sand paper that does not leave scratches. 3. Wipe the barrel again with a dry cloth to get rid of any fine plastic shavings. Cover the spigot and overflow valve with masking tape and complete all of your painting in a well-ventilated area. 4. The barrel must be primed so that the paint adheres properly to the surface. Krylon Fusion spray paint or RustOleum Spray Paint for Plastic both make a spray primer that are great for a base coat (primer). Allow the primer to dry according to the directions on the container. Flat or semi-gloss acrylic paint, Krylon Fusion and RustOleam products can usually be found in local hardware and craft stores. 5. The barrel can be painted any way you like with ordinary flat or semi-gloss acrylic paint (spray or liquid). The design is completely up to you. Some people use stencils, a pattern, or freehand with a brush. You can also finger paint the barrel. a. For those of you only interested in painting the barrel a solid color, spray paint is perfect. You probably will be able to cover a rain barrel with one can of paint. These plastic barrels by nature need to be painted at a slower rate than most âÂÂstandardâ surfaces because of the surface tension characteristics of the polymer, as well as the waxy surface features. Allow the primer to dry according to the directions on the container. b. If you are using spray paint, but you need to paint small details, spray some paint into a small cup, making a liquid puddle, then use a brush to apply the paint. Allow all the paint to dry completely. 6. Apply at least two coats of flat or satin polyurethane spray to help protect the painted barrel. Krylon Triple Thick Crystal Glaze or other polyurethane sprays or brush-on products can be used as long as they are plasticappropriate. Be sure to allow the polyurethane to dry between coats.

Congrats on getting the rain barrels! I've had mine since way before it was fashionable - got them from a company right here in town which marketed their product thru the City. Accessibilty now is much wider. In other words, these days, one doesn't have to go too far to find ready-made or great instructions for diy.

yes... I searched many of the old threads. However, I did manage to locate a number of excellent barrels by using the Minnesota Material Exchange web site. There are a number of business that list drums (as well as other materials such as pallets) that they want to get rid of. I would highly recommend anyone looking to find cheap or throwaway materials for a project to check there. I had to make a road trip out of it, as the barrels were in Central MN... but it was worth the drive! I got 9 barrels that are white, somewhat translucent, with markings on the side for how many gallons are in each. They used to hold vanilla, so no cleaning will be needed. I paid $5/each for them. For anyone interested, I found the following link which has inspired me on this project. (http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/adams/audrey/water_barrel.htm) Thanks for the help! Here is a link that might be useful: elevated rain barrel idea