Rain water

[vjo]

Does anyone know if there are any orchids that dont appreciate rain water? I dont think it is too 'pure' as it does come off my roof and I do have 3 small gold fish in the barrel (50 gal). So far everything is good, just wondering....Jean
MOD.if this is not the right forum please move it,not sure.

[WhiteRabbit]

I think if it isn't killing the fish in the barrel, it's not going to hurt the orchids Tho the fish are adding fertilizer to the water How much, I wouldn't know ...

[RJSquirrel]

those 3 small fish are going to drown in 50 gallons of water

[vjo]

Well RJ if it doesnt rain pretty soon they wont have to worry about it...lol

[naoki]

If you use simple fertilizers with only N-P-K (instead of fertilizers with micro nutrients like Dyna-gro or MSU), orchids may experience nutrient deficiency. If your rain is too acidic, then some orchids may not like it. Other than that, I can't think any plants which will hate rain water.

[Ray]

Even off of your roof, the water is, as Naoki alluded to, quite pure, so won't supply the nutrients (mostly calcium, magnesium, and iron) that some fertilizer companies rely on (so they don't have to put them in the formulation). However, just using a complete one is not the entire solution.

Because the water contains no "buffering capacity" brought about by the presence of those ions, if you add most fertilizers to it the pH will plummet to dangerously-low levels, requiring you to adjust it upward to something in the 5.5-6.5 range.

Alternately, you could use a formula made specifically for use with pure water supplies, like the MSU RO one.

Back to your original question for a moment: all orchids will love it if they are watered with pure water. They become brighter in appearance within weeks. That's why I began using RO.

[vjo]

Thanks Naokiand Ray for the info. I remember someone on here a year or so ago where someone said that their orchids hated rain water! I didnt see how that could be possible, but maybe that was the problem,not the right fert.....Jean

[naoki]

With a related note, does anyone know if brand-new asphalt shingles could contain something toxic to plants? I'm getting my roofing done, and I'm thinking whether I should suspend the rain water collection for a while.

[Ray]

Personally, I'd give it a good season or two to "cure" a bit. You'll probably notice a slight oily sheen on collected water for a while.

[naoki]

Thanks, Ray. I guess it's a petroleum product, so something could contaminate the water. I'll wait for a while. We'll probably get snow in 2 months, so I'll restart using it next spring.