Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 01:36:42 -0400 From: MARK POGANY <MARKP@CRSCMS.COM> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1513$foo@default> Subject: Re: Using tap water on CP
Zachary wrote:
If you are lucky and live in an area where your tap water is low
in dissolved salts, then follow Brian's advice. If you don't,
beware, the minerals in the water cause peat and sphagnum to
decompose--get ready for transplanting often and/or root rot if
you use it. As for letting the chlorine evaporate, some/many?
municipalities [mine for example] no longer use chlorine. The
chloromine (sp?) used in its place does not evaporate out. If
you have an aquarium, you have to chemically treat the tap water
before exposing the fish to it. I don't know what effects it has
on plants. I've been using an R.O. unit on our tap water for
1.5 years. Assuming the chloromine is coming through, it doesn't
appear to have done any harm. As for humans, I've been drinking the
stuff for probably around 12 years, and so far I haven't grown a
third arm.
--Zachary--
I would also like to back up Zachary's claims. A friend of mine and longtime
CP'er David Kutt told me his dissolved solids count of Canton, Ohio city tap
water is around 400 PPM. This is way above the acceptable 50 PPM or so for
CP's. I'm not that familiar with new forms of chlorine being used but I
would caution AGAINST using any tap water on a regular basis on CP. From
what I understand CP's are much more sensitive to chemical impurities than,
say, Hostas or other common house plants. If you have a small collection
than consider catching good old rain water in large containers for use or
buy jugs of purified water. Larger collections would necessitate the use of
an R.O. unit.
I have used straight tap water for very short periods on my plants here in
Cleveland, Ohio during summer drought conditions but always flush my pots
later on with distilled or rain water.
Mark Pogany
Cleveland, Ohio
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