Water from Snow

[cnycharles]

I think someone pointed out here that they use an aquarium water filter; you might be able to just aerate it with an aquarium airstone to keep it from getting funky

another chemical approach I think is to use a tiny amount of physan (use as according the label) to keep the water 'clean'

 

[Corbin]

Dot, Do you know about how much you use per gallon or some other unit?

Charles, Trying to keep poisons out of my house but thanks.

 

[NYEric]

Is your tap water chlorinated!!?

 

[SlipperFan]

Dot, Do you know about how much you use per gallon or some other unit?

Ed, I have a 57 gallon rain barrel. I pour about 1 cup of bleach in it whenever I think it needs freshening (after I've cleaned it out with Chlorox Clean-Up).

Actually, about once every 2 or 3 months in the winter, I water my plants with a 1% bleach solution. That's 3.84 oz of bleach per gallon of water, nearly 1/2 C. per 3 gallon bucket of water. Seems to help keep soil-borne insects down, like fungus gnats. I haven't done that in awhile, and I'm seeing fungus gnats, so I guess it's time for the bleach treatment.

Is your tap water chlorinated!!?

Eric, if that question is for me, no -- I use either rain water or my well water.

 

[Corbin]

Is your tap water chlorinated!!?

Eric,

I have retired a moved back to my home in Texas. We have a well but the water is very hard ( the major component is lime ). We have a water softer for the in house use so neither was a good option.

We have a large metal roof which washes clean after just a few minutes of rain and even with just a light drizzle I can get 5 gallons in 15 minutes. It is however going to be tough if we get into a dry summer like we have had in the past several years. Hince the question about how to store large amounts.

Dot,

Thanks for the info. :rollhappy:

 

[Corbin]

Ed, I have a 57 gallon rain barrel. I pour about 1 cup of bleach in it whenever I think it needs freshening (after I've cleaned it out with Chlorox Clean-Up).

Actually, about once every 2 or 3 months in the winter, I water my plants with a 1% bleach solution. That's 3.84 oz of bleach per gallon of water, nearly 1/2 C. per 3 gallon bucket of water. Seems to help keep soil-borne insects down, like fungus gnats. I haven't done that in awhile, and I'm seeing fungus gnats, so I guess it's time for the bleach treatment.

My reluctance to use Chlorox stemed from a caution in one of the "orchid books" about using Chlorox in the water placed in the gravel bed below orchids.

Does this mean that I can add Chlorox in the water I put in the humidifiers? Even with changing out the water daily they soon develop "scum."

 

[phrag_girl_WI]

Well after 8 days of warm temps and 2 days of rain, the water from snow is gone but I have many gallons of rainwater YAY!

Is it my imagination or am I actually seeing the plants look better with just 2 or 3 waterings with clean water?

 

[Clark]

The only time my lawn is growing, is after it rains. I swear, even the color looks better.
Irrigation with city water just seems to keep it hydrated, not growing.

 

[SlipperFan]

My reluctance to use Chlorox stemed from a caution in one of the "orchid books" about using Chlorox in the water placed in the gravel bed below orchids.

Does this mean that I can add Chlorox in the water I put in the humidifiers? Even with changing out the water daily they soon develop "scum."

I know what you mean about cautions about Chlorox. I've heard that you should let your chlorinated city water set out overnight to let the chlorine dissipate. Yet I've read from several orchid growers about using the 1% bleach to water plants with. I wonder what harm the Chlorox is supposed to do in the gravel bed???

The only problem I know of with putting a little Chlorox in your humidifier is that it will stink up the place until it's all evaporated (I've done that). I think a better solution is to clean out the humidifier with a bleach solution and then rinse it well before filling and starting it up again.

 

[cnycharles]

if you have an ultrasonic humidifier, the instructions point out that no chemicals should be put in the water to be broadcast. if you're using another kind, then it's up to you. I think if you put bleach in the wet gravel and then somehow set your plants on top so that the air doesn't move very much, it's possible that the dissipating chlorine gas could build up around the pots/plants and burn things(?); if you set your plants on top of the gravel (a no-no) then it's possible that chlorine water could get pulled up into the pot, burning the roots

 

[SlipperFan]

I would think it has to be a pretty strong solution to do that. At the greenhouse, we use a strong bleach solution to clean the walkways of algae a couple times a year, and then wash it into the sand under the benches. It's never had any ill effects on the plants, but then, we don't set any plants on the floor or under the benches.