water types - Orchid Board

mrphilips · #1 03-25-2014, 03:01 PM

i'm sure there is a post out there on this, but my searches brought up millions, so i'm starting a new one - sorry to repeat.

what water can i use?
originally i just used my city tap water (toronto). seemed ok. then i got a phragmipedium pearcei and was told it needed rain water only, so i started collecting rain water.
i have 4 4L jugs i fill when i get a big rainfall, but as a renter a "rain barrel" or such collection thing is unlikely.

occasionally the rain (or snow) stops long enough that i run myself dry...

i have been told distilled water is disastrous for plants as it actually sucks the nutrients out of the roots.

i can revert to tap water but after spoiling them for so long it stresses me.

what water should i buy to feed them when i run dry?

what i'm feeding:
3 phal noids
1 phrag pearcei (apparently can't tolerate water additives)
1 pahp. rothschildianum
1 brass. dr john
1 enc. bractescens (doesn't drink, just gets misted)

Subrosa · #2 03-25-2014, 03:15 PM

Tap water? Would that be the tap water I had in NJ with a hardness of about 20ppm, or what I have now which is 200ppm? You need an analysis of your tapwater before you can make any judgements about its usefulness. Sometimes it's hard to know who to believe, but you should thank whoever told you about distilled water, because they left no doubt about the worthlessness of their advice with the statement about "sucking out the nutrients". Distilled water is excellent, but can be a bit pricey over time. If your tapwater isn't suitable then a reverse osmosis unit is probably your best choice.

nofickenway · #3 03-25-2014, 03:19 PM

I may be doing something wrong, but I water only with distilled...I do add about 1 tbs. of epsom salts though. I have phals, paphs, onc., brassia, mltsps. dend., catt. and one psychopsis - all of which are getting along well with my regimen. I typically follow the weekly, weakly fertilization routine, skipping a week every two or three for most.

Doing this I have rescued two paphs that are now growing new leaves; my oncidium has thrown up a spike, one paph is actively and rather quickly working on its second growth and one of my brassias is growing a new bulb - all since they have been in my care.

I am sure others will have more insight, but that's my story...

Phrags I cannot say much on though...

RandomGemini · #4 03-25-2014, 03:21 PM

Depends.

1. Is it even LEGAL to collect rain water where you live? It is NOT legal for me to collect rain water where I live. I give bottled water with a super low TDS to my plants that can't have tap water.

2. You could always get an RO/DI unit. Water quality matters to most orchid species. You can buy water that has been purified through an RO/DI unit at the grocery store, but they don't change the filters on those things often, so you never know what you're going to get out of them. Having a home unit is probably the best option.

3. The phals probably don't care since they are NOID hybrids. You can give them tap water and they should thrive just fine.

mrphilips · #5 03-25-2014, 04:22 PM

legal???
well, i never asked and it's definitely not the worst thing i do, so i'm not really worried about that.

as for who told me distilled water was no good? a very large and well known orchid greenhouse and supplier in ontario that does a lot of seminars on orchid culture (i won't name them). i figured they were wise, but i have rarely had the same piece of advice from any two experts so i'm not surprised you disagree.

also a chemistry professor agreed with the theory based on the osmotic effect of water with so few dissolved substances on cell structures which are packed with them, but wasn't a botanist so i came here.

but it sound like distilled should work for most of my guys. i'm wondering about the addition of salts though...

Subrosa · #6 03-25-2014, 04:33 PM

Water chemistry is a big part of my job, and I have a highly sensitive bs detector, but I'm no orchid expert. I will go out on a limb and guess that the person had a solution to your problem for sale. I'm with you on the illegality of rainwater collection. If I lived where someone had the temerity to tell me what I can and can't do with the rain that hits my roof, I'd move. It wouldn't be the first time I did so because of a stupid law. The reason I left NJ was that one night I went to sleep as a reasonably law-abiding citizen, and then woke up the next day as a felon.

Tschimm · #7 03-25-2014, 04:33 PM

You could mix distilled water with your tap water to make it 'softer'

RandomGemini · #8 03-25-2014, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I'm with you on the illegality of rainwater collection. If I lived where someone had the temerity to tell me what I can and can't do with the rain that hits my roof, I'd move. It wouldn't be the first time I did so because of a stupid law.

The reason it's illegal where I live is quite logical actually. We get all of our drinking and other water from run off that trickles into the aquifer. It does not rain here between April and September. If we don't get enough snow in the winter, we can expect drought conditions by summer. Water is precious here.

Subrosa · #9 03-25-2014, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

The reason it's illegal where I live is quite logical actually. We get all of our drinking and other water from run off that trickles into the aquifer. It does not rain here between April and September. If we don't get enough snow in the winter, we can expect drought conditions by summer. Water is precious here.

I see the logic of the law, I just wouldn't put up with it. Many folks thought my becoming an overnight felon was logical as well.

---------- Post added at 04:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:55 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

The reason it's illegal where I live is quite logical actually. We get all of our drinking and other water from run off that trickles into the aquifer. It does not rain here between April and September. If we don't get enough snow in the winter, we can expect drought conditions by summer. Water is precious here.

I just had a thought. Are private septic systems legal where you live? If so anyone owning one should be exempt from the rainwater collection ban, since the water will wind up in the same place.

mrphilips · #10 03-25-2014, 05:13 PM

subrosa - i hear you on the crazy laws, but as for the selling of advice - i was at one of their free seminars, so no... he had honest intentions. i guess you get what you pay for?

tschimm - i could, if i knew how hard my water was. that's the next step i guess, a test worth taking.

Randomgemini - i live in canada. i know there is a place called the land o' lakes in the states, but there is seriously no comparison to what is here. if you like fresh water, this is your place. but it gets pretty hard in winter and we have had a long one this year.