Algae will not bother the plants at all and they would likely prefer it to tap water that's been chemically treated. It may even provide a small amount of nitrogen. If the look of the algae bothers you, hydrogen peroxide will kill it, but it turns the algae brown as it dies. I like green better :-)

It's great to catch rain water for your plants. Pam is right. The algae won't hurt anything. But even with the lids on garbage cans, or buckets, mosquitos can sneak in and lay eggs so the use mosquito dunks is recommended.. Just a crumb of one dunk will be enough for one can. Or a little squirt of soap will do them in. A friend thought her covered cans were safe from mosquitos, but when I looked there were probably millions of wiggle tails (mosquito larvae) in each can.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mosquito Dunks ....

You might think about making "window screens" for the tops of the trash cans to keep mosquitoes out...

Haha I like green better too! And I will definitely be getting some mosquito dunks. Golf ball size hail put holes in my screen door the other day so I'll try out the leftover from fixing it on the top of a can too :)

Thanks so much for the help!

I use the cheap feeder fish (around .39 each) from the pet store to put in my barrels. It keeps the mosquitoes down and adds nutrients.

I have some that I bought...or their descendents!...last year that are still doing fine. I dip my water rather than using a hose spigot. Guess that would need some sort of screen to keep the fish in the bucket.

Lauren,

If you have to plant replacements of anything, be sure they are Drought Tolerant. That should be the only plants sold at nurseries in Texas.

I bet your trees responded to the water.
Xtal

Lauren, if you don't mind, what area are you in - generally, you don't have to give your specific city. I haven't heard of water restrictions yet this year but I haven't been looking at the water dept website either. The town where my mom lives should be under water restrictions (their water used to come from Lake Meredith) but she says they are not and she is still watering her yard.

Sorry this is so late, it's my first chance to check back.

That is so cool that you use fish! Haha I never would have thought of that. Probably because I would forget to feed them in the absence of any larvae for them to eat. I dip my water too at the moment, at least it's a good work out :) It's a good thing since I'm home from college for the summer and away from my school's gym.

Everything I've got was here when my parents bought the house in the 60's or came from the nursery that's been here forever and propagated everything they sold. They just closed for the summer because they won't be able to water everything :( Fingers crossed they get to open back up in the fall. They're the best!

@marti8a I'm in Wichita Falls. If I'm remembering right, our water comes from Lake Arrowhead and Kickapoo. Right now we're in stage 3 which means we have "watering days" dividing up the town into like 10 zones or so and you get to water outside from a hose as long as it's not between 10 AM and 6 PM and you don't use a sprinkler or wash your car. BUT they let all the golf courses water ad nauseum and leave the city water park open etc. The news keeps saying we'll be to stage 4 by August unless we get tons of rain because the lake levels will be to 30% by then. Personally, I think we'd be doing at least a little better if things hadn't been so. . . . mismanaged. Glad your mom's town is still doing good though! It's good to hear someplaces will stay green a while longer :D

Then again a few drops of dish liquid in the water and those mosquito larvae will not be able to use the water surface tension to hatch and will drown.