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Wash your soil ingredients?

  • #21
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Brian_W @ Jan. 11 2006,11:44)]elgecko,

Did you test the ppm of the water in native cp sites yet? This summer I'm going to test Drosera and utric habitats. I'm really curious what the results will be.

Brian
No. I'll be going out in spring to get some reading on natural areas.

[b said:
Quote[/b] (Understudy @ Jan. 12 2006,7:04)]Okay, now here is a question.
How do you "wash" out the soils and perlite?
I use rainwater to water my plants.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
I dump my peat moss / perlite / sand / etc into a 5 gallon bucket and add water. I stir and turn over the peat moss / perlite / sand / etc from time to time. I typically let it soak for a few hours. Wring the excess water out and use.
You will be surprised at the sludge that is left in the bucket that you washed your ingredients in.
 
  • #22
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]So to answer your question: maybe it just depends on the plants, the type of dissolved solid and the growing conditions you have. pH can also radically effect the way CP's react to different salts in solution.... food for thought.

Based on my experience and discussions with other growers, some of whom have done some experimentation, this coincides with what I've seen/heard.

Were I to guess, based on the above, I'd say that carbonate hardness is detrimental in most situations. Fe hardness may actually be beneficial in some concentrations but this can also be a double-edged sword as the benefits also extend to algae, slime and other nasties that aren't usually consdered good to have around...

I'd be interested in hearing about any other's experience or experimentation results...
 
  • #23
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Okay, now here is a question.
How do you "wash" out the soils and perlite?
I use rainwater to water my plants.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Nylon Straining Bag (ala Homebrewing!)
Q36.JPG


I use a cotton bag similar to the one above. My current method is to fill the bag, tie the top off and then drop it in a bucket of rainwater for 24-48 hours. I like to give it a squeeze every once in a while during the soak. When done, just wring-out the bag and remove the contents...

I don't think rinsing is as important for plants that will be grown in a drained container and where the excess water can flow away. Most of my plants are growing in a terrarium and use a large tray... I find that watering rinses salts from the potting media that end up concentrating in the water trays (evaporative concentration). Even rainwater with TDS<5ppm slowly concentrates salts in the trays. I don't think I've ever heard anyone mention that they periodically dump the water in their trays... I imagine many successful growers do, however.


- Mike
 
  • #24
I think m0bius & RL7836 are on the right track here. Not all TDS and TSS are bad, but the meter can't determine what is good and bad. And like the article that was posted says, they are only testing for electrolytes.
 
  • #25
I want to clear up about my washing. I only wash 1 type of ingredient at a time, in case you read the above post and thought I dump everything together.

One thing I do know, is that since I've been washing my soil. I get much less algae, slime, and other mosses growing in my pots.
Here is a shot of the left over junk from washing some perlite.

perlite.jpg
 
  • #26
[b said:
Quote[/b] (m0bius @ Jan. 13 2006,11:22)]I don't think rinsing is as important for plants that will be grown in a drained container and where the excess water can flow away.
Mike, up until about two years ago I would have agreed with you 100%. I grow most of my plants that way. Since then I have come across several bags of "100%" Canadian peat that had contaminants from the equipment used to process and bag the peat. The contaminants were usually time release fertilizer pellets with the occasional "moisture control" gelatin stuff tossed in to keep it interesting. Depending on how much of this stuff is contaminating the peat, flushing the pot by watering and letting the excess flow away may not be enough to reduce the fertilizer concentrations low enough to not cause harm to plant roots. Letting the peat soak a day or two allows the pellets to release their contents into the water where it can be poured off with the water. Pain in the posterior that it is, I now do a double wash just to remove as much of the fertilizer as I can. It doesn't help that some of the pellets float
mad.gif
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  • #27
Washing is a total pain at times but i do it anyways for the health of the plants but what i wana know has anyone complained enough to these companies about whats being found in there peat/perlite?? I have found fertalizer balls/pellets and all sorts crap in the peat, i have found all sorts crud in the perlite as well im glad i take my time and wash and rewash and pick out every thing i possible can that i might think would harm my plants, yes it takes alooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time for me while i sit at the table picking thru the mix but i know im doing something right...
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  • #28
Does anyone know or does anyone have an informed opinion about whether a high TDS level affects different types of CPs differently? For example, it may affect Drosera more than it affects Nepenthes.
 
  • #29
One can also use a collander, one that is used for spaghetti, for rinsing soil media. When I was living PA, one of the rare positive uses for a stream was to rinse media in the running water of that stream.
 
  • #30
Scott,
Come on tell the truth.
You not only washed the soil, but the pots and plants as well. Only problem is you just can not find them after the wash.
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  • #31
Okay, I am missing a few plants! I wasn't gonna mention this but a block away from are new residence I took notice of a stream.
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  • #32
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