I'm trying to come up with some better techniques for retaining water in my containers. Basically, I want to know how to better irrigate, so that water doesn't just wet the middle of the pot, and run through. I try not to let my media dry out and become too hydrophobic, but that just doesn't work all of the time.

I have 2 55 gallon rain barrels. They are just minimally raised, so I don't have a lot of pressure. (less than 1 lb) It works fine for getting delivery, but it limits me in the use of such things as drip tape.

Has anyone got any clever (preferrably cheap and/or diy) methods of getting better saturation? Don't want to waste my precious rain water!

Thank you.