Tap Water

[tiffyt]

Does anyone know if any company makes a water additive that would remove harmful chemicals from the water? I have one plant (dracaena) whose leaves continue to turn brown at the edges and the brown then travels up the leaf and I eventually cut it off. I believe I've hear that this is from iron and stuff in the water. Seems that one of the plant food companies could make something to help this.

Thanks all!

[SilenceOfTheClams]

Tiffy.... if it's the chlorine that's the problem, just fill a jug of tap water and let it SIT for a few days... chlorine dissapates.

My draceana quit making brown tips when I took it out of the bright light and gave it reflected lite only.

Any chance of you getting a rain barrel??? Of course that only helps of ya GET RAIN!

[Ginny42]

There are drops or crystals you can get (at a pet store) to take the clorine and minerals out of water for your fish tanks, so I don't see why you couldn't use them for your plant water as well. It might be worth a try. ;)

[gonzer]

B) Some plants do put on a better display when watered with the equivalent of rain water ie. fresh and pure (hopefully). A method given to me is to fill a trashcan or large size container with water and add a few heaping (3-4) tablespoons of a well balanced fertilizer like Miracle-Gro? and swirl it around. Let sit for 2 to 3 days. The harsh minerals and salts will attach to the fertilizer molecules and sink to the bottom. This leaves the upper 4/5th's of the water as fresh as baby's bottom. Just dump the bottom portion into your garden, no harm in that at all. This works especially great for very tender tropicals of which I've been known to grow a few of.

[paintedheather]

What about distilled water?

[SilenceOfTheClams]

rain water = distilled water.... :D

Gonzer... cool trick!!!!!!!!!! Never knew that before!
;)

[paintedheather]

What I meant...

What about trying distilled water?


A woman who works at the arboretum told me to use this to avoid brown edges.


:)

[gonzer]

B) Would you drink the water in a car battery? ;)

[MrSeedy]

I think gonzer is pulling our leg a bit with the "battery water" comment. Meaning that after all the reports about "acid rains" it's not necessarily true that rainwater is nearly or as pure as distilled water, if indeed it's acid rain, and it depends mostly where you live in the country whether you get acid rains. Even without the acid, there are usually some small quantities of dust and other pollution that the rain collects through the atmosphere , so it's not absolutely pure, but a very close second to distilled water , in most cases. Seems to me that water softeners help somewhat , but in most cases they just subsititute one mineral for those already in the water, if I read correctly years ago , that water softeners add lots of sodium or something like that?? As I said before, I have taken chemistry, and there are some products that will precipitate out the minerals much as gonzer mentioned for the fertilizer. in which case you just pour out the clear layer at the top. My these topics do get technical somethimes!!!!!!!