Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 08:10:25 -0700 (PDT) From: Sean Barry <sjbarry@ucdavis.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1819$foo@default> Subject: Re: water
On Wed, 7 May 1997, Perry Malouf wrote:
>
> I use straight tap water for my Dionaea, Droserae (more
> common varieties) and orchids.
>
Still, one must be cautious. I live in Northern California and our
municipal water supply is from the local aquifer (well-water), with a high
boron content. If I kept my Dionaea or any other carnivorous plant in
this water for more than a day or two they would waste away and die. The
water hardness here is such that boiling would have no discernable effect,
and the pH often tops 8.0. Here, tap water is most definitely not OK.
Also, my recollection is that the reason that these plants are carnivorous
and the reason that even very slight overfertilization can kill them is
that they come from nutrient-poor environments (well, technically,
nutrient-unavailable environments). Hence, it is questionable whether
_any_ root-absorbed nutrient shortage would be harmful, if the plants are
feeding on bugs. In short, I have kept my plants for many years on
nothing but deionized or rain water and have lost only a couple, and them
to overcooking in the dry heat of summer.
Sean Barry
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