Do u have a water softener?

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by RNCollins

Bill, which supermarket sells RO water? I think we live near each other?

The reason why we had to install a water softener was because we had very hard water. We also have coliform in our well. So we also needed to install an ultraviolet Light to kill the coliform.

For the past couple of years I was using the softened water to water my orchids, even getting one phal to bloom. This summer I switched to bottled spring water. Now two Phals have spikes and overall most roots look healthier.

I'm trying to learn more about the pH of water, TDS, ppm, etc. I just ordered a TDS/ppm tester on Amazon to test the bottled water. Ray's info on his website has been helpful. I'm a beginner so I'm eager to learn all I can to grow healthier orchids.

I tried Google and I found a detailed description of our tap water. It's pretty good.

[gardengirl13]

Another HV person here. NY water is good yes. But in some areas especially in the valley here it's hard. I don't mean hard I mean HARD. Off the charts hard! We just moved into a village from a well and the house has a water softener. I hate it! I'm so used to the hard water this thing is driving me nuts! But it's good for the pipes and washer and dish washer etc... But my hair is insane! It's greasy feeling yet totally fly away!! Driving me nuts!!

But this is about plants not greasy hair! ha ha!

I used our well water for the phal and the house plants in our old house, and rain/snow water for the more tempermental orchids. Now we even had to give up our fish tank! So sad! But I'm not dealing with hoses and heating water from the outside spigot in 9 degree weather! Plus many fish hate our hard water here anyway. Our betta gets Hannaford bottled water. I've heard that distilled water isn't good for fish or plants since it has no minerals in it. Minerals that are good for them. Not sure about the plants, but I no it's supposedly a no-no for fish. I use rain water in the spring/summer/fall and as I type I'm melting huge stock pots of snow in the kitchen sink. I've never tried bottled water. Too expensive for how much I go through. Adams probably has RO water too, but I'm not sure how close to Newburgh you are, if it'd be worth the drive. But I assume if one Hannaford has it they all do in the valley. But snow right now is in abundance and it's free.

[Vanda lover]

In our last town we would go to a water place where we would fill the big water cooler jugs with r/o water for $5. Some wine making places sell it but I don't know how cheap. The tap water there was far too hard.
I had the advantage that the sun room floor was heated, so I would melt buckets of snow. I miss the sun room.