Watering

[hplants03]

Hello all,
I was wondering are there any side effects when you water your VFT with faucet water? Just wondering because I recently got a VFT and I put it in a tray filled with faucet water.

 

[Dyflam]

There are some possible side effects... DEATH!!. It's not a sure thing because some tap water is actually ok. You need to flush your plant with distilled or rain water to remove possible contaminants and continue to water with distilled or rain water.

 

[John Milford CT]

Tap water is a definate no-no. It`s ok we`ve all done it. You can get a gallon of distilled water at any pharmacy or supermarket for about a dollar.

 

[BigCarnivourKid]

Whoa!!!

Tap water is what I whacked my first flytraps with

. Use distilled water (I can get it for about 60 cents a gallon) or Reverse Osmosis (RO) water. RO water is more expensive and I have trouble finding any that hasn't had minerals or something added to it to make it taste better. Just rinse your flytrap real well with distilled water and change the water in the tray and it should be alright

. Just make sure the water you use hasn't had stuff added to it to improve its flavor or "healthfulness".

 

[veggita2099]

I have been useing tap water that was run through a brita water filter. Only had the plants about a week so I can't say for sure if its ok or not.

What about spring water? I can get that stuff free at work?

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Brita filters I believe are small deionizing cartridges.. if so they would work fine as long as they are changed regularly. .. veeeeeery expensive though if you ask me.

Spring water is not necessarily ok. Often they add sodium to it so it doesn't taste flat. And it is not required to be on the label. If it says sodium free or some such information then it is probably ok but there still could be other dissolved solids.

Tony

 

[Shauntell]

Hey, I gave my vft tap water for about a month before I foud out it wan't ok. It's doing really well and I didn't flush it at all. I don't know though, do you live in Arizona? If you do then I'd advise to just put the plant out of it's misery.

 

[Guest]

some tap waters aren't as harmful, but it still isn't recommeded to use.

Distilled, rain or water from a reverse osmosis filter are the best for the plant.

As Tony said, some things don't have to be put on the label, and it will eventually catch up with the plant.

 

[hplants03]

Alright thanks for the info, guys and gals.

 

[RaW$VENUS.FLY.TRAP.beginner]

if you ask me ( or any scientist) sodium would kill a plant with the tiniest amounts, it would also kill people, very dangerous,
salt is actually sodium chloride

 

[RamPuppy]

guys,

I can't say for sure, but I think that Brita filters exchange disolved solids for salts...

There was a huge debate about them on gw a long time ago, and I think the general consensus was they were not worth the risk.

No matter how you cut it, for a modest colleciton, a 50 cent gallon jug of Distilled water is the absolute cheapest way to go.


If you used tap, and your worried about it's effects, then hold your pot over a sink, and slowly pour a gallon of distilled water through the pot and let it drain. it's a waste of water in that you can't use it again, but it should help flush the media out.

 

[WayCool]

RawFlytrap,

Sodium (NaCl : table salt) is not dangerous to people and will not kill you or anyone else (unless they have morbid hypertension) ...ask any scientist.