What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Water

Well, in the first year of growing CPs my collection has grown quite a bit. In regards to Neps, I currently have 5 plants with 3 on the way. As such, watering all of these plants is starting to become somewhat of a concern. With my other CPs that must have pure water (such as sundews etc) I find myself buying lots and lots of water. Right now my main water consumers are my neps, as the other plants are generally small and sit in saucers that don't require that much water to fill. My question is, what ppm is considered ok for neps? I see different answers all over the web, from some claiming that anything up to 200 ppm is probably ok, and some saying you shouldn't go over 100 ppm, and others saying 0ppm is critical. Anyhow, I went to the aquarium store and bought a water tester. According to it, the GH of the water coming out of by bathroom is something around 75 ppm. Can I use this water for my neps, and possibly my mexi-pings and not have an issue? That will save me tons in water.
 
What is a general rule of thumb is below 100ppm is safe for everything with yearly repotting, Nepenthes can take up to 150ppm. Your water should be fine for use. However, if the water district adds Chlorine to your supply, you MUST let it evaporate before you use it.
 
Ok. Then what I'll do the next time I empty a gallon jug of water instead of recycling it I'll fill it with tap and let it gas out. Then I could every few months or so flush the pot completely with distilled water.

Thanks for the input.
 
I collect rainwater for all my plants.
 
i use half tap water and half distilled. then i wait a day or 2 to use the water.
seems to work fine
 
That sounds good.

Rainwater, well by far the most natural method may be impractical for some people. I'd hate to collect rainwater for a collect the size of Peter D'amato's! Or even for my fair collection....RO is the way to go!
 
I'd get an RO unit if they weren't so darn expensive.
 
I serve my Neps ONLY distilled water.
biggrin.gif
 
I switched over to R/O water. I get it for only 39 cents a gallon.
 
  • #10
Unless I'm getting my GH and KH confused, GH is only magnesium and calcium (the bulk of which is calcium). Your 75 ppm level does not include all the other disolved elements like iron, phosphate, nitrogen, potassium, etc.

In other words, your GH might be 75 ppm but your TDS could be 200. I use RO water. An RO filter is an investment that will pay for its self in the long run.
 
  • #11
I use RO-demineralized water. I check the pH of drainage water regularly. I adjust the pH using phosphoric acid to the pH of 4.5-5.5 if needed.
 
  • #12
Thanks for all the replies. I'd like to know where I could get R/O water at that cheap. I'm stuck buying water at the grocery store and it's over a $1 per gallon jug.

As for the "other solids", would a Britta help on that front with its charcoal filter?

I do have a nep I am willing to experiment on, it is a plant from Lowe's which I can always run back over and grab another for a few bucks. How long would it take to show signs of distress from the water?
 
  • #13
Walmart has distilled and other waters for 50 cents a gallon.

I have been using my tap water for my nepenthes straight out the hose when I water my orchids. So far everything is growing and everything is pitchering. I have been using it for almost a year now. I will be switching back to rain water once I put up more collection barrels and get a pump to run a hose with it, but at the moment it is too time consuming to take down all the nepenthes off the hanging bars to water unless I am just watering one or two plants that are drying. I have not seen any ill effect from the chlorine on the live sphag or nepenthes yet. Now I hope I did not just shoot myself in the foot by claiming this, but so far so good. I think the biggest thing is to run copious amounts of water through the pot to leach it of any mineral buildup.

As far as the Brita filter goes. I have been told that just removes the chlorine and makes it taste better. I don;t think it remove the iron and stuff.
 
  • #14
Hey CP,

The great thing about Atlanta tap os that it can be used to water CPs
smile.gif
I have been doing that for the last 6 years and all my plants have been fine. ANd ABG uses tap too
smile.gif
So just use the tap it'll make your life easier.
 
  • #15
well, son of a gun. I always wondered how they managed to water all those plants with "pure" water.
 
  • #16
Yeah, I was glad to learn that not long after moving here. My collection would be significantlly smaller if I were still having to buy distilled by the gallon. I dread the day I have to move away from here...
 
  • #17
I splurged the $20 and bought at TDS meter off eBay. 40ppm
 
  • #18
I had specifically asked about brita water in another post and I was also told that the water needs to be de-ionized - which brita is not...

xvart.
 
  • #19
yeah, the brita really only is supposed to take out chlorine, lead, etc. Though if your tap is good enough to use it will just save you from having to gas out the chlorine.
 
  • #20
Because I have so much plants, I just fill the trays up with regular water and let the rain flush all of the nutrients out.
 
Back
Top