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MycOhunter
Registered: 03/05/09
Posts: 649
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What do you water with?
#11344877 - 10/29/09 12:13 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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I recently switched from using tap water to using distilled water, and ive noticed a huge difference with the rate of my cacti growth.
They seem to like it better, but I was wondering would it be bad to water with spring water because of all the minerals in it?
Would it cause any type of buildup that would harm the root systems nutrient uptake?
I was also wondering about fluoride in regular tap water, can it buildup in plant tissue?
What do you water with?
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True Community: The process of deep respect and true listening for the needs of the other people in this community.
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kadakuda
The Great"Green".......East
Registered: 05/21/04
Posts: 7,048
Loc: Asia
Last seen: 6 years, 2 months
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: MycOhunter]
#11345033 - 10/29/09 12:42 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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ground water. there is build up (usually that white shit on pots) but it hasnt slowed anything down that i can tell.
-------------------- The seeds you won't sow are the plants you dont grow.
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nexus470
Stranger
Registered: 10/22/09
Posts: 167
Last seen: 14 years, 3 months
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: kadakuda]
#11345056 - 10/29/09 12:45 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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mostly tap water for plants that can stand it. otherwise, tap water that I lit sit for a day or two and stir thereafter.
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satyr
אתה בעצמך יודע
Registered: 11/13/07
Posts: 3,396
Loc: Alpha Canis Majoris
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: MycOhunter]
#11345057 - 10/29/09 12:45 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Most of the time I use collected rainwater, as nothing is as beneficial to the plants as good ole' rain. Tap water is full of junk that harms plants; chlorine, bicarbonates, and other substances that alter the pH of the soil. Plants can live off of it, but they will thrive with rain, distilled or spring water. If the mineral content of spring water concerns you, then check the info on the label or online about the concentration and of what minerals there are in the water. I wouldn't expect it to be a concern, but it couldn't hurt to check.
-------------------- Looking for Astrophytum asterias specimens; have cacti for trade
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Cactusdan
Patecatl
Registered: 10/11/07
Posts: 7,024
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: satyr]
#11345349 - 10/29/09 01:30 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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My plants definitely seem to benefit from rainwater far more than any tampered water source.
In saying that, when at school I use tap water and havent seen any noticeable positives or negatives.
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drift
Registered: 01/29/09
Posts: 1,274
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: Cactusdan]
#11345423 - 10/29/09 01:43 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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I use tap water for my inside plants and rain for the outside ones without noticing a difference, but perhaps the tap in my area is just decent or something.
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Big L
In tall buildings
Registered: 02/11/09
Posts: 3,532
Loc: Luxury
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: MycOhunter]
#11345669 - 10/29/09 02:22 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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The only plant I have ever had that was negetively affected by tap water was a spider plant. We have a lot of chlorine in my towns water, and they don't like it or the salt build ups.
Plants like purer water (rain) the best. I use collected as much as possible.
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satyr
אתה בעצמך יודע
Registered: 11/13/07
Posts: 3,396
Loc: Alpha Canis Majoris
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: drift]
#11345681 - 10/29/09 02:24 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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For most plants there really is no major difference. The only thing that I've noticed is that plants grow faster and just seem more vigorous when using rainwater. Then some plants, like Salvia Divinorum for example, are sensitive to tap water, at least in the area where I grew them. Though its really chlorine that does the most damage, and this is easily amended by letting the chlorine evaporate out of the water, which doesn't take long as chlorine is very volatile.
-------------------- Looking for Astrophytum asterias specimens; have cacti for trade
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MycOhunter
Registered: 03/05/09
Posts: 649
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: satyr]
#11346933 - 10/29/09 05:47 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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What about rainwater that is collected close to a city or a highly populated area? I would think there would be some pollutants in the water from the crap in the air these days.
The reason I made this thread about water, because if people are consuming what they are growing I was wondering if there were any adverse effects, things that would build up in the plants tissues that the grower would consume that were bad.
Is that even possible, I know many mushroom species concentrate heavy metals as well as other dangerous chemicals.
Just curious that's all.
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True Community: The process of deep respect and true listening for the needs of the other people in this community.
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PoC
Relax
Registered: 03/10/04
Posts: 2,142
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: MycOhunter]
#11347877 - 10/29/09 07:59 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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I use mostly rainwater, sometimes distilled if there hasn't been rain, and when I'm desperate or lazy sometimes use tap water for my more typical plants. I feel better about using rainwater that would otherwise just get funneled into the storm runoff than using tap water. It puts my mind to ease knowing that my plants are getting the best water I can provide them and I've noticed better results over tap water with several plants.
For instance I do some landscaping work and in the summer some houses have irrigation that keeps their lawns green. It looks fine, but when there's even a little rain, the rate of growth and vigor of the grass can be astounding.
Catching enough rainwater has been as easy as finding a spot where the gutters leak a little and putting 5 gallon buckets under there. Saves me a little money, and I waste less water, but more importantly it's great for my plants. The whole reason I even started to use distilled and rainwater was to cultivate carnivorous plants, but since it's so easy to catch my own water, now all of my plants get the good stuff.
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karode13
Tāne Mahuta
Registered: 05/19/05
Posts: 15,290
Loc: LV-426
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: MycOhunter]
#11348214 - 10/29/09 08:49 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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I use rainwater when I can but seeing as I live in a drought area that is not always the case. We also have water restrictions so haven't got the luxury of using tap water when I want without feeling guilty or being paranoid about neighbors alerting the water police! I do try to water my cacti with tap water that is left out to disperse the chlorine though.
I try and recycle as much water as I can like utilizing old dish water with biodegradable soaps that I dilute and use on vegetables/ornamentals and I see no adverse affects. I sometimes even shower with a bucket in the Summer months to catch any run off and use that also. I know it sounds ridiculous but in the climate I live drought is a reality and water is a precious commodity that must not be wasted, especially if you are a gardener.
They are going to open a desalination plant on the coast here and once that gets fed into the water supply I fear that our plants will suffer as a consequence.
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kadakuda
The Great"Green".......East
Registered: 05/21/04
Posts: 7,048
Loc: Asia
Last seen: 6 years, 2 months
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Re: What do you water with? [Re: MycOhunter]
#11349608 - 10/30/09 12:01 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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rainwater is only good in clean places. dirty cities have pretty polluted air and acid rain *does* damage cacti and other plants
careful if your in a big ol dirty concrete jungle.
-------------------- The seeds you won't sow are the plants you dont grow.
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