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How does one rinse sand?

  • Thread starter aprilh
  • Start date
Any suggestions appreciated. April aka/Killer
 
Just put as much as you need in a bucket or something, put in enough water so it can rinse the sand properly and rinse until the water is clear.
 
I put what I needed into a 5 gallon bucket. Then used a hose to wash the sand until I had the silt washed out, then rinsed with RO water to remove the minerals from the hose water.
 
I do like BCK...I start out rinsing peat or sand with hose water. It will take quite a few rinsings so unless you have a LOT of pure water, it'll just get wasted. Once it starts getting pretty clean, I switch to rain water for the last couple of rinses. If you're washing peat, you have to kind of wring the water out of peat by squeezing or pressing it because the peat will float. Sand is a little more cooperative since its heavy and sinks to the bottom so you can just pour off the murky water.
 
I have an alternate approach. I use a caulander. I put the media, whether it's sand, peat, or LFS in the caulander and place it the stream that runs behind us. I then knead it. When thoroughly mixed, I just lift it out to drain. just make sure the holes or slits are small enough for the media.
 
Jim you are lucky to have a stream. I have to put it in my mouth and swish like mouth wash
smile_m_32.gif

No really do the bucket thing
 
Thanks for the suggestions...I guess I will go with the bucket method..but the colander/sieve method sounds good, too. I wonder if I lined my colander with cheesecloth..hmmmmm???

Is the stuff you buy at the garden center for use in kids sandboxes rinsed? It says on the outside of the package "REALLY CLEAN Play Sand!"
 
April, thanks for spelling that word correctly. I knew it didn't look right, but..

Anyways, the topic of acceptable sand has been debated many times, with mixed conclusions about the sand in garden centers. What IS acceptable is sandblasting sand (if you could obtain it) and poolfilter sand and pool supply places. I use the latter. Either way, washing / rinisng is required.
 
Thanks, JimScott. What is really confusing to me, as a newbie, is that some people who know what they're talking about say rinsing sand is unnecessary, and other people who know what they're talking about say rinsing sand is necessary!

The same goes for the medium you're supposed to grow the dang things in, in the first place.
aprilh
 
  • #10
Why would anyone rinse sphagnum?
 
  • #11
The sand at H.D., et al may contain chemicals used for making them safe fo children's usage, but unsafe for CP's. It's kinda like cleaning new dishes before usage. There is usually 'dust' of some sort with all the media and better to be safe. Also, it cuts down on unwanted mosses.
 
  • #12
[b said:
Quote[/b] (LauraZ5 @ May 08 2005,11:09)]Why would anyone rinse sphagnum?
It reduces the amount of minerals that may be found in some sphagnum. Also, while what is supposed to be in the bag is "Pure Canadian Sphagnum", it is not unheard of to find time released fertilizer pellets or those moisture retaining crystals. I have found both of these things in my (supposedly) "Pure Canadian Sphagnum".
 
  • #13
So far so good and I haven't found any time released fertilizer pellets or moisture retaining crystals. Now I understand why people would rinse their sphagnum.

One quick comment, I went to go pick up a few bales of sphagnum peat. All I could get was 3 small over priced bales and they commented that they have several shipments on back order that they don't think will be coming in. The nursery manager said there was a shortage on Canadian peat this year. Ugh. If this is true, best to stock up now if at all possible. It appears there may be some validity to his statement as I can't find large bales anywhere and my regular haunts are telling me that they only received partial shipments and that nobody in the general area has the large bales. A sphagnum peat shortage will affect us all and the guy pretty much told me that what he had was all that was left and they couldn't even request a transfer from another store if they ran out as there was such a shortage of inventory.
 
  • #14
From what I hear...Spaghnum peat bogs in Canada are becoming scarce, and over-harvested. Time to find a new medium, perhaps? If so..what would that be?
 
  • #15
A lot of people use perlite, orchid bark, and pumice.
 
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