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Water

I understand that we are supposed to use Distilled water, rain water, or R/O water. Has anyone tried using boiled water? I mean, boil tap water, then let it sit in a container of some sort. Then use this as the water source.
 
No,
boiling water makes it WORSE than not boiling!
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because..
the problem with tap water is that it contains minerals.
what is referred to as "hardness"..
calcium, magnesium, salts, all kinds of things that are bad for your CPs..
the more minerals in the water, the "harder" it is said to be..
the less minerals, the "softer" it is said to be..
If you are lucky enough to have very soft tap water naturally, it *might* be safe enough for CPs..but the odds of that are slim.
most people's tap water is "too hard"..
think of these dissolved minerals in the water as literally dissolved rocks in the water..
you can take table salt and dissolve it in water..same concept.
when our tap water is in the ground, lots of different minerals dissolve into it to make it "hard"..

Reverse osmosis, rain, and distilled water is PURE water..
just H2O molecules in there, and none of the dissolved rocks.

So if you take your tap water, which already has a certain amount of "dissolved solids" in it, and you boil it, what happens is all the PURE water eveaporates away as steam, but the minerals dont evaporate away at all!
they stay behind in the water..
boiling does nothign to them at all..
you end up with HARDER water than you had before you boiled!
because the percentage of pure water decreases (it boils away as steam)
but the percentage of minerals stays the same.

so boiling makes water worse for CPs..

rain water
distilled water
Reverse osmosis water.
nothing else.

scot
 
Wow.. that was a lot of good info. Thanks! I guess I will just have to put out a bucket the next time it rains here ( this wed, hehe) and Save up on water. Thanks Scot.
 
I've been busy this morning, or I'd of gotten to you. You could Have most any fish store analyze you water for TDS (total disolved solids). The Portland,OR area has unusually pure water. There is a nursury there that grows CPs, and the owner uses tap. Rain water is best, but don't try to catch it from the gutter drain, or roof of you're house. You could get alot of different minerals,and solids coming off you're roof.
 
hehe, no problem Thanks Justin
 
Have to agree. Boiled water does not help the viability of using it for CPs. Boiling kills germs, but they are still floating around in the water. Boiling can't kill particals and other garbage floating like that since it isn't alive, and it won't make it go away, therefore the danger is still present.
 
If you don't have a lot of plants, you could always buy distilled water from the grocery store (about $1 per gallon). Just be sure it's labeled 'distilled' or 'reverse osmosis/RO' and not just spring water. I find it more reliable and easier than collecting rainwater (especially in the winter!)
 
Good idea StifflerMichael,

Most Walmart, or Krogers have water vending machines. I refill the gallon water jugs for about $.29 a gallon. The water is UV treated, carbon filtered,distilled, and RO'ed (sic). However the machines have been broke in the two closest towns. My supply is low. I was hoing the torentual rain the area got yesterday was coming my way, but it missed us to the North. I'm probably the only one upset. I'd risk a tonado for free plant water
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Ah, the perks of working in a lab! I get all the free Deionized water I need! For now.
 
  • #10
woohoo.. Its been raining all day and its not going to stop until tomorrow. Time to stock up on rain water. hehe
 
  • #11
Yes, rain becomes very important to the CP grower.
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I know my neighbors think I'm nuts with all my containers sitting around the yard. Doesn't look good, I know...but FREE water is great!

I also buy R.O. water from the dispenser at the grocery store...39-cents a gallon with your own container. Pretty reasonable.
 
  • #12
ahh.. after yesterday's rain. I got myself a whole bucket full of rain water... this should last me until the next rain shower.. hehe
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jlui83 @ Mar. 21 2005,11:07)]Wow.. that was a lot of good info. Thanks! I guess I will just have to put out a bucket the next time it rains here ( this wed, hehe) and Save up on water. Thanks Scot.
I put a 55-gallon garbage pail under a drainspout from my roof. I have no shortage of water.
 
  • #14
[b said:
Quote[/b] (ZAK @ Mar. 21 2005,12:18)]Rain water is best, but don't try to catch it from the gutter drain, or roof of you're house. You could get alot of different minerals,and solids coming off you're roof.
I've been catching and using water this way for 2 years. Hasn't been a problem. I know Mike Howlett does it that way, too; that's where i got the idea.
 
  • #15
Why not just get an R.O. system, they're less than $100 on ebay. You'll never have to buy water from the store again
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  • #16
[b said:
Quote[/b] (SarraceniaScott @ Mar. 24 2005,9:14)]I've been catching and using water this way for 2 years.  Hasn't been a problem.  I know Mike Howlett does it that way, too; that's where i got the idea.
How do you keep that green alge from forming in the stagnate water? Or do you.

My assumption here is that you grow you're CP's out doors. I know you do you live in Houston
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My assumption would be that rain would clense the pot of any TDS. I've seen Mike's setup, he waters the plants in the green house with roof water? I may be a little over cautious. In emergencys I've used tap water with no ill effect.

Good to know
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  • #17
I live in Boston. I don't trust even the rainwater here.
 
  • #18
WOOHOO.. rain comes again tomorrow.. haha.. time to fill up and save up
 
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