How to convince partner an IBC is required

[CDT]

Hi all.

My partner is very reluctant and dismissive to the idea of any kind of 'prepping'. A year or 2 ago I disguised growing food as a fun little project we could do together and she went along with it, oblivious to the reasoning behind it. We've gone from a few little plants to 2 large raised beds (2m long x 1m wide) and loads of growing bags and pots. We have tonnes of potatos, onions, carrots, and also tomatos, leeks, rhubarb, strawberries and few other various bits on the go.

Last year (again it took some convincing) but I managed to convince her to let me fit a waterbutt for some rainwater collection. She's gone along with it but now with the garden growing to the size it has the waterbutt just isn't big enough especially with the dry weather currently, so I want to trade the waterbutt up for an IBC but once again she's not convinced by it.

Long story short, any tips on how to convince her or should I just do it while she's out one day

[Yorkshire Andy]

IBC'S probably are not the best option

If they are on a wooden / plastic pallet they rot / go brittle in the sun light

The opaque clear plastic let's everything green grow inside

If you put one on a few pallets to get them high enough ensure the pallets don't rot / decay as when full it's 1000+kg perched up there

If second hand be cautious about what was in it originally chemical wise



Ideally you want a clean one on a metal pallet frame with a black plastic tank. .
https://www.kingfisherdirect.co.uk/1000 ... SwQAvD_BwE

Or a bespoke manufactured 1000l water butt but they come at a price .

Show her the expensive ones and you can have a IBC tomorrow

http://www.ecosure.co.uk/acatalog/Water ... Black.html

[CDT]

IBC'S probably are not the best option

If they are on a wooden / plastic pallet they rot / go brittle in the sun light

The opaque clear plastic let's everything green grow inside

If you put one on a few pallets to get them high enough ensure the pallets don't rot / decay as when full it's 1000+kg perched up there

If second hand be cautious about what was in it originally chemical wise



Ideally you want a clean one on a metal pallet frame with a black plastic tank. .
https://www.kingfisherdirect.co.uk/1000 ... SwQAvD_BwE

Or a bespoke manufactured 1000l water butt but they come at a price .

Show her the expensive ones and you can have a IBC tomorrow

http://www.ecosure.co.uk/acatalog/Water ... Black.html

Haha yeah I have a farmer friend who has a couple unused ones he's had stored and never needed, so don't need to worry about chemicals etc and can also have one for free :] These are the black ones with the metal cage base. She just thinks it's going to be an "eyesore" in the garden despite the fact it'll be covered up and doesn't see the practical reasons for having 1000l storage instead of 90l. Trying to convince her to see things is like pushing water uphill with a fork sometimes.

I'm predicting a dry summer this year so to me it just makes sense to capitalise the capacity when it does rain and to use less water from the grid that we actually have to pay for when rainwater is free!

[Nurseandy]

Are you on a water meter? Presumably not as that'd be a no brainer. Maybe say you've heard the local water company are planning on installing water meters in the near future........

[jennyjj01]

Hi all.

My partner is very reluctant and dismissive to the idea of any kind of 'prepping'. A year or 2 ago I disguised growing food as a fun little project we could do together and she went along with it, oblivious to the reasoning behind it. We've gone from a few little plants to 2 large raised beds (2m long x 1m wide) and loads of growing bags and pots. We have tonnes of potatos, onions, carrots, and also tomatos, leeks, rhubarb, strawberries and few other various bits on the go.

Last year (again it took some convincing) but I managed to convince her to let me fit a waterbutt for some rainwater collection. She's gone along with it but now with the garden growing to the size it has the waterbutt just isn't big enough especially with the dry weather currently, so I want to trade the waterbutt up for an IBC but once again she's not convinced by it.

Long story short, any tips on how to convince her or should I just do it while she's out one day

Hi Craig,
I did jokingly think that you could explain to her that it will be for watering the chickens and pigs that are coming next week.
Don't JFDI. Seriously. You could end up sleeping in, or buried under one of those raised beds.

Having read your posting history, I suspect the issue is not the IBC, but with difference in attitude which still needs working on. My heart goes out to you if you are still struggling to get the partner on board after the last few years. She needs to see the real benefits, and it can be a hard one to sell. You need to be reasonable and ask yourself if you are not being.

How much has she really bought in to the food growing / Good Life aspect. Is it still with embarrassed reluctance, or does she take joy in it and in helping to get rid of all that precious food? How do you justify and manage the massive glut of perishable food? Or hasn't that been a problem yet? If there's even a hint that she thinks you are wasting time, energy and money growing food that you cannot use, then investing in an ugly IBC might be the last straw. It would be the same sin as if you spent all your free time at an allotment and all she got to show for it was a glut of parsnips and rhubarb.

Have you considered getting an allotment? You can be king of the castle there? But that comes with its own relationship risks.

4 square metres of beds and as much again as grow bags doesn't seem enough to justify the IBC for growing, so are you thinking it will be your potable water reserve? And as someone asked, are you on a water meter? That might help the discussion. But even metered water is very cheap. A cubic meter of water costs £3.08 So there's very little financial justification for one.

As to actually getting an IBC. There are members here with big smallholdings who use them, but if you are thinking of having one in a modest suburban garden, that's a big ask of the OH. It's the sort of prep I'd only consider at an allotment. Can't you just expand your row of water butts? Swap the 90L one for 300L and then daisychain the 90L one, which you later upgrade again and daisychain again. ? Grow the array slowly?

Oh.... And Green Algae might be a problem with white IBC. You really don't want that in your drinking water stash.

Anyway, Craig.... How goes your other prep ideas? Did you get acceptance of a massive reserve pantry or does your OH get miffed at the tins of beans behind the sofa, or wherever ? Did solar get off the ground?

[Roger92]

My partner has put those leaf and flower screens you get from wilkos and the range. The ones people put on fences to make it look like ivy growing on them. She has a few potted plants on top as well to break the look of it up.
I feel like the plants we use it on prefer rainwater to mains and I think with it absorbing the heat in the morning it’s less of a shock to plants in a greenhouse as you can just fill a can and water otherwise you end up having to fill multiple cans up night before to make sure the water is a suitable temperature to water the plants.

[jansman]

She would freak out if she saw my garden/ yard! Let’s just say that it’s a practical space! However, even amongst the piles of bricks, logs, timber etc. I wouldn’t want an ibc. What does ibc mean by the way? A series of Water butts IS neater , and they are easier to clean. I would say that though, as I have two sets of 5x50 gallon butts!

[jennyjj01]

I wouldn’t want an ibc. What does ibc mean by the way?

If Jansman doesn't want one, you don't need one

It's
Intermediate Bulk Container by the way

[jansman]

I wouldn’t want an ibc. What does ibc mean by the way?

If Jansman doesn't want one, you don't need one

It's
Intermediate Bulk Container by the way

Thank you for explanation.

Just ‘cos I don’t want one, should not put everyone else off. I was trying to put in a compromise.

[jennyjj01]

I wouldn’t want an ibc. What does ibc mean by the way?

If Jansman doesn't want one, you don't need one

It's
Intermediate Bulk Container by the way

Thank you for explanation.

Just ‘cos I don’t want one, should not put everyone else off. I was trying to put in a compromise.

LOL. I was being silly. If I was discouraging the OP from buying one, it was based on interpreting what he said about his OH not being on board, yet.
Those IBC's are big ugly brutes, better suited to a big 'practical ' garden of the sort that would make his partner freak out

I hope Yorkshire Andy hasn't got one, 'cos if he does, I'll end up having to order one off amazon with free prime delivery. I've lost track of the things I ordered after his recommendation.

We can only guess at what's suitable for CDT: one cubic metre IBC or 10 big water butts.

CDT was saying that he had a 90L butt. I think he might get away with upgrading that to a 250L or 270L one, and then, because he can't sell it, daisy chain his 90L one back to it.... and then later on, upgrade that 90L one again.... and connect it back again. Sneakily growing his row around the house till he's no longer able to get through the door ( Having been locked out by his beloved )