Using Rainwater for Orchids

[ButterflyJak]

I bought a beehive looking water butt as I'm sure it's much better for my orchids than our really hard tap water, I've also bought some additives for the rainwater as recommended. It filled up really quickly (about 6 hours). Only problem I have now is it's still really cold out (didn't think of that), I've brought in a watering can full to warm up, but I'm going to need about 3 more, will take much longer than usual. Current outdoor temp is 8*c.
Any good ideas greatly appreciated....

[jcec1]

I used to grow orchids in London, using tap water and they were fine. I think you are right about the temperature, maybe fill a bucket? The other thing would be the possibility of bringing mould spores inside, are the additives sterilisers?

[Orchid Whisperer]

I don't add a thing to my rain water except some occasional fertilizer, gypsum and Epsom salts.

If that is made of terracotta, be sure not to leave it out in the winter!

I capture rainwater that comes off a glass-topped table on my deck. It is captured in a large plastic tub. I store it in 3-gallon plastic jugs stored under my deck. Keep stored water out of sunlight to prevent algae, but otherwise, no need to worry about bacteria, etc.

[Judi]

I use rainwater also,but it is more difficult in upstate NY! In the winter we keep the rain barrel inside and collect snow melt in clean cat litter containers and pour it in the rain barrel. In the summer the rain barrel is outside. In both cases I fill clean milk or distilled water gallon containers with the rain water and store them in the work room. I fertilize every other watering, and bring in 7 containers to warm up the night before I plan on watering (I use 7 gallons at a watering). I'm sure you can use any clean empty container you have around. I don't add anything beside fertilizer to the water, but I keep them in the dark. I have never had a problem.

[estación seca]

I collect rain into two large stock tanks outside: 150 gallons / 567 liters and 300 gallons. I then use a sump pump to pump it into my sunroom, where it occupies 10 x 32 gallon / 121 liter trash barrels with lids. Extra gets pumped into my pond to reduce the salinity. The pond can evaporate more than one inch / 2.5cm per day in summer.

When the sunroom warms up it also heats the water. This amount of water provides a lot of stored heat to keep the sunroom warmer on winter nights, reducing the amount of electricity I need to heat it.

I have been gradually increasing the number of barrels I use - every time I ran out of rain, and had to buy RO water, I bought another barrel. We average 200mm / 8" of rain per year, and I have been able to collect enough for my orchids.

[ButterflyJak]

The additives I'm using have things like calcium in which is in our tap water, but not in the rainwater.
I decided to keep one can in over night to warm up, then so far I'm on number 3 I've filled the sink with hot water and sitting the can in there to take off the chill, seems to do it quite quickly. I haven't really got anywhere I can leave a large bucket inside, there is the garage, but then there's the problem of transferring it from one to the other. Nice sunny day so hopefully it starts to warm for the next time.
Also butt is made of plastic so should be good. I'm really pleased with how it looks in my garden.
The reason I decided to go with rainwater is there's so much added to pur tap water, sometimes at night when you fill the bath you can smell the chlorine, can't imagine that's any good!

[bil]

Originally Posted by jcec1

The other thing would be the possibility of bringing mould spores inside, are the additives sterilisers?

Well, that's never something I worry about. Whatever you do, you, your orchids, everything is showered with bacteria and fungal spores.

They can't do a thing unless there is the right conditions, a point of entry, and a stressed orchid.

One of mine gets a problem, my first question is, "What did I do wrong?"

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

I don't add a thing to my rain water except some occasional fertilizer, gypsum and Epsom salts.

If that is made of terracotta, be sure not to leave it out in the winter!

I capture rainwater that comes off a glass-topped table on my deck. It is captured in a large plastic tub. I store it in 3-gallon plastic jugs stored under my deck. Keep stored water out of sunlight to prevent algae, but otherwise, no need to worry about bacteria, etc.

Please explain how you do this, exactly. Also no matter how much I filter my rainwater, I notice from tiny black speckles in it. What are those?

[Optimist]

I roll my eyes when participating in any of my "hobbies" because sometimes they feel like "money pits," however I am posting to say, they make rain barrel/pond warmers. It's like that little electronic gadget they put into coffee cups.

(you did not say if you are talking about "ice" or just cold water)

Any way, I'd do everything a week in advance. Fill up a 5 gallon jug (using a fish tank syphon with a long hose) and let it sit warming up in the kitchen or other warm place for a week before use.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Please explain how you do this, exactly. Also no matter how much I filter my rainwater, I notice from tiny black speckles in it. What are those?

The deck the table sits on is slightly uneven, so water always runs off the table in the same spot. I just place my tub under the drip. It is really worth doing only during a big rain, but I can collect a lot of water during that rain.

When the tub is filled, I set up my plastic storage jugs with a funnel, and use one of those permanent coffee filters inside the funnel to filter out the big debris:



I dip water with a quart container to pour it through the filter and funnel. IMO you don't need to worry about the little specks in the water. As to the identity of the specks - who knows? I see little flakes of leaf and bark, wind blown dust and sand . . . one time most of the debris was the tiny exoskeletons of tiny spiders (swear I was not drinking or hallucinating - honest!!!). must have been a mass molt of juvenile spiders in a nearby tree.

I am using clean cat litter jugs (about 3 gallons) for most of my rain storage. I have used containers as small as gallon milk jugs for storage too.