Water & minibog

[buckeye]

Hi all!! I'm new here and i just had a question. We have a dehumidifier in our basement and i have been using the water that it makes. Is this safe to do? I've been using water from it for 2-3 years without any problems. My plants have grown great, but i was wondering if this water could eventually harm them. I don't think it will since it's basically distilled water, but i'm not sure.

Another question. Instead of the water tray method i decided to try a minibog. I bought a 14 in. plastic pot and caulked the holes in the bottom shut. I filled it with peat and perlite with a layer of sphagnum at the bottom. (I picked it up after I got the peat wetted down to move it and it weighed a ton! My bathroom scale said it weighed 33 lbs.&#33

I have 6-7 VFTs and 4 medium sarrs. in it. Right now it’s under a grow light stand I made. When it finally gets warm enough out I will move the pot and plants outside. What I am wondering is how often should I water while it’s under the lights and how often when it’s outside? Our summers in Ohio are usually in the 80s and 90s with 50-70 % humidity. Any help will be greatly appreciated!!


Thanks,

buckeye

 

[RamPuppy]

HI BUckeye, I would keep it to the normal amounts of wetness, adding a little or ignoring it as need be.

You want to be able to push your finger in and not feel water pooling around it, then, your probably to wet for traps...

I just finished building a 30 gallon mini-bog of sars on my deck... 8 gallons of water... sheesh.. something tells me I am going to go broke with it this summer!

As far as your de-humidifier water... some have argued against it in the past, saying it, and airconditioner water can contain high amounts of micro-organisms... I say, go with what works. If the water was bad you would not be asking questions at 3 years and running! The ONLY modification I might personally make is to nuke it or boil it somehow, incase it has fungal spores or what not in it... if that hasn't been a problem, continue to enjoy as is.

Welcome to the forums.

 

[PlantAKiss]

Hi Buckeye

I don't really have anything to add to Ram's reply...I just wanted to say hello and welcome. Hope you stick around and join in.

Suzanne