Water quality

[wolf9striker]

I have so far only used distilled water for my CP's. But I am getting tired of buying it. I live on a lake and was wondering if the lake water would be ok for the plants.

 

[Jon H]

Distill your own water, just put it in a big bowl,
with a smaller bowl in the middle. Then put platic over
the top, and a rock in middle for a drip point into
the smaller empty bowl.

Fresh lake water is full of bacteria and other germs.

 

[wolf9striker]

If I use your drip-bowl method I can put regular tap water into the big bowl?

 

[Jon H]

Yes, you can. Of course it might take a long while
to collect enough water unless it's very hot and the sun
is strong.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Wouldn't it be easier to collect rain water?

 

[BobZ]

Quote[/b] ]I live on a lake and was wondering if the lake water would be ok for the plants.

Maybe yes. Maybe no. After all, many CPs grow near lakes and springs.

The quality of your lake water may be fine for some CPs but not for others. You could take a sample to a lab and have them do a water quality analysis for dissolved minerals. In some areas, stores that sell water softeners will do a free analysis on a water sample to help you decide which softener to buy.

Also, call your municipal water company and ask them for a copy of their analysis of the water that they put into the systen that ultimately comes out of the tap. I think there is a law that requires municipal agencies to keep such records (at least they do in California). If you are lucky, your lake water or municipal tap water will be low in dissolved minerals and be just fine. Then again ...

As an alternative, follow Tamlin's advice and collect rain water.

 

[Jon H]

Some places don't rain a lot or at all. Take Arizona or parts of Texas.

But like they said, if it does rain, use that.

 

[PlantAKiss]

Check some of your local grocery stores including maybe natural food stores. Around here, it has become fairly popular for food stores to have pure (RO filtered) water machines so you can bottle your own water. If you use the gallon-jugs provided by the store, its about $1.19 per gallon, but if you bring your own jug, like I do, its only 39-cents a gallon. Much cheaper than buying distilled.

I also collect rain water but for some of my plants I prefer the totally clean filtered water.

The pure water machines have been a god-send for me! Cheap, pure water.