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!

Quick question on water

I have diverted water from my six downspouts into six 15 gallon washtubs for my little bog and have set aside about 20 gallons for reserve for a VFT I have inside.  I have hauled off rain water to another location and have come to the conclusion I will not be able to collect and store enough rain water to water my bog, the one plant here inside my home, as well as all the kid's plants at another location.

Does anyone see any issues with distilled water?  It seemed as if this was the most appropriate substitute for rain water.
 
as long as no salt -sodium- was added to improve the taste
 
Distilled water is fine, as is RO (Reverse Osmosis) water.
 
Some grocery stores now offer pure RO water machines. Typically they sell for $1.19 per gallon if you take a new container or 39-cents if you bring your own container. This has been a blessing for me when I am in a water crunch. 39-cents is affordable when you gotta buy a lot. Its much cheaper than distilled water which is sometimes hard to find.

I have plastic containers all over my deck to collect rainwater and I fill a rain barrell with what I collect for the dry times.
 
I knew rain water was the best.  Unfortunately, I had run out and considered all of my options and went with distilled water before I posted the question here so I am glad it's perfectly fine.

Distilled water is considerably more abundant in my area for some odd reason. I haven't seen RO bottled water anywhere. The distilled water costs about .69 a gallon here so it isn't that terribly bad.

Suzanne, would you consider taking a cut in one of your rain gutter down spouts?  If you cut it up from the ground at about 4' and add back that little curve section, a keg fits under it perfectly and those can easily hold darn near 100 gallons.  I've been gathering my rain water in 15 gallon washtubs but I did ask that at least one of our gutters be cut specifically for collection.  I'm hoping my husband can take care of that but maybe my Dad can if he can't get to it.

We have one more down spout gutter that has a 100’ length of black corrugated tubing, for lack of a better word. It is currently trenched under the ground from the house straight down to an area that was cleared recently to be able to excavate for what I would consider a very large bog. They'll be coming with backhoes sooner or later to get in there and remove about 24” of topsoil over an area of about 30’ x 15’.  Not a bog for CPs though but more of a nursery for native wetlands and marginal species which will include bog orchids such as Calopogans.  Any chance you can divert an entire downspout to your CP bog?  Just a thought.  

I am told that in a pinch we can also use water from your sump pumps.
 
I get distilled water,when it hasn`t rained in a while. At wall-mart for 50cents a gallon jug:)
 
Ha, I work in a biochem lab: I get basically all the free super pure water I want. Of course, I look a bit strange hauling a few milk jugs of water home with me! I wonder what some of the people think I carrying home!!!
 
I know a lot of people use gutter water but its always made me kinda nervous. I don't know if the rain picks up any chemicals running over the shingles on the roof. I'm probably being paranoid.
smile.gif
 
I also have a water question. Is water from a lake/pond safe for cps whether or not the lake/pond is natural or man made?
 
  • #10
I think it would be ok, since the water the lake/pond holds is rainwater. Make sure nothing else is being drained into or added into the pond. I know that up in Black Rock Forest, the reservoir is man-made and there are CP growing all around the reservoirs and bogs. It's one of the reservoirs that gives NYC is tap water, and some people (including me) grow their CPs with NY tap water.
 
  • #11
I think it would depend on where the lake/pond is located. If near farmland it might have fertilizer runoff in it. They may also have disolved minerals from the rock and soil the water runs through in the stream(s) leading into the pond/lake.
 
  • #12
This is where some lab person chimes in with a suggestion about having water tested for Total Dissolved solids (TDS) and salts like, Ca, K, Mg, & Na.
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jimscott @ Nov. 01 2004,3:25)]This is where some lab person chimes in with a suggestion about having water tested for Total Dissolved solids (TDS) and salts like, Ca, K, Mg, & Na.
Now all we have to do is wait for them to chime in and we'll know they work in a lab right?
smile_m_32.gif
smile_n_32.gif
<chuckle>
 
  • #14
Touche!
 
  • #15
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
laugh.gif
 
  • #16
Distilled is great.. it's all I use other than the occasional capture of rain water.
 
  • #17
Distilled is great.. it's all I use other than the occasional capture of rain water.
 
  • #18
Go to your local pet store and pick up a TDS tester. A good way of knowing, also, is my taking a gallon of the water in from the pond and putting it in a pot. Let the water boil all out of the pot, and check out whats left in the bottom.
 
Back
Top