Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 07:11:43 +0000 From: "Susan Farrington" <sfarrington@ridgway.mobot.org> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2952$foo@default> Subject: Re: Watering carnivores
Patricia,
Letting water sit out only eliminates the chlorine, but does nothing
to get rid of minerals or to change the pH of water (plus it doesn't
remove chloramine, in some tap waters). Carnivorous plants like pure
water, free of excess minerals and they prefer acidic or at least
neutral pH, not alkaline. Tap water varies from region to region, but
often it is loaded with minerals and can be quite alkaline. Watering
once in a great while with tap water won't hurt most plants, but
using it with any regularity causes a deadly build-up of minerals and
salts. Live sphagnum moss is especially sensitive to tap water. So...
don't use tap water. In a pinch, filtered water might be okay, but
the filtering will probably not remove all the minerals and salts,
unless your filtering system is a reverse osmosis system. Distilled
water purchased from the grocery store (NOT mineral water!) is the
best substitute for rain water. Reverse osmosis units can be
purchased for about $150, I believe.
Good luck!
Susan Farrington
Missouri Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 299
St. Louis MO 63166-0299
susan.farrington@mobot.org
(314)577-9402
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