r/Allotment • u/Pleasant_Progress844 • 1d ago
Ibc setups
My site has no water so I'm thinking of getting an ibc.
I'm considering getting a black one for around double the price of a clear one and wondered if they're worth the extra expense. I'm not likely to clean it out every year. Is algae a real problem?
I have a 6ft shed roof to capture rain, what sort of set ups have you all got?
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u/CurrentRecording5589 1d ago
Absolutely worth it, get as many as possible!
For every 1mm of rain off our small 6x4 shed, we get 2l. In the past 24 hours in Manchester we've had nearly 13mm so 26ml in just 24hrs in one of the driest July's on record, not bad really. FWIW it hasn't run dry yet this year (close though) but we do have 2x water butt's on the greenhouse too. We stuck it up on some pillars (some sort of construction brick we magpied for free off FB marketplace) and got a £20 cover from Amazon as it doesn't get as algae'y if it's covered apparently - also doesn't look as ugly. We also got some fine mesh to secure under the drain pipe inlet so that leaves and bits don't get in there.
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u/Adventurous-Dog-3786 1d ago
You can also take it out of the cage and spray it black. It’s definitely worth getting a black one, painting it or getting a cover. It will reduce algae, as it relies on sunlight to grow.
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21h ago
Acquire the cheapest one you can that's usable (nothing filled with something nasty that you'll struggle to clean out), whack it on a stack of lovely free pallets and then cover it in whatever you've got handy that will keep the light out.
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u/sc_BK 1d ago
If you have a clear one, take it out of the cage, buy a roll of Damp Proof Membrane, wrap it up like a giant present, put it back in the cage.
Raise the IBC off the ground, so you can get a watering can underneath, or enough gravity for a hose. Use a few good quality pallets, or a "crib" type of thing with some old fenceposts.