I’ve noted some outdoor SIPpers,
@Melville Hobbes contending with wet weather, and I think rightly concerned about extended exposure, over-wet soil and h2O reservoir accumulation. Our scenarios all differ greatly, but I thought to offer my approach given I've paid more careful attention this year.
By using 35ish-gallon plastic trash cans and popular concentric ring training/supports, an easy, ready-made solution is available. There is adjustability here, but obviously, tall, fully mature plants cannot be easily accommodated here. With this caveat in mind, after some accumulated experience from last year and this, and my more careful monitoring of rain collection in the reservoirs this year, I recommend the setup under rain events absent of strong (25kn+) winds.
I measured both the normal, unprotected precipitation levels during 3, 2-day rain events, and the amounts my SIP reservoirs were filled by this rain and found the SIPs reservoirs were collecting only 4-7% of the amount collected in nearby unprotected collectors. Soil moisture levels were impacted somewhat, but by sight and feel (non-empirical), it seems to me that it offers effective protection even against spring deluges.
It doesn’t do much against the ‘sideways rain’ we can experience here on the west coast of Canada - those frequent, powerful storms generated by energetic, approaching depressions, but against normal, growing season weather, these spring/summer showers were readily deflected. With the ability to sample reservoirs and by taking more careful measurements this year this year, I am confident, and surprised, that I took on so little rainwater aboard the Good-Ship-Rubbermaid set up this way. You may feel differently looking at it, and I must confess that as an old sailor, the setup did not instill great confidence initially. It will not work in strong winds, as I said, but otherwise, it does the job well enough.
Still, for weed (which I’m not doing outdoors this year), I’d rather have a computer-controlled, 4-wheel dolly with solar panels and precip sensors that moves around ‘Roomba’ style, following the sun and escaping the rain. Unfortunately, that particular joyride is not in the budget, nor, likely, should it ever be, but a boy can dream (and design virtually). I hope everyone has enjoyed July's holidays where applicable, and that you are all safe, content, and that hope still grows green and eternal in your hearts. Best - RD
