Alternitive to rain water

[GreenCurry]

Instead of using rain water would Brita filtered water be safe to use with CP plants ? I live in a 1st floor flat so collecting rain water is difficult and if I do then I may start looking like a loony as the only way would be to leave containers in the communial garden.

[mantrid]

Instead of using rain water would Brita filtered water be safe to use with CP plants ? I live in a 1st floor flat so collecting rain water is difficult and if I do then I may start looking like a loony as the only way would be to leave containers in the communial garden.

It would depend on where you live. If I run out of rain water I use stream water off the mountain side in a place I know it hasnt been standing and hasnt picked up much or travelled far, it is not much different to rain water. Sometimes when Im too lazy to walk up the hill I use tap water that has stood for about a week, but I am in a soft water area and occasional use of this hasnt done any harm.

[Alexis]

Brita filters don't tend to remove all the dissolved solids unfortunately. Reverse osmosis machines are the only real way to get safe water from the tap.

Whereabouts do you live? It might be worth taking a trip to a river, filling up some bottles and keeping them in a dark cupboard. Depends where you live really though.

[mobile]

How many CPs do you have?

[GreenCurry]

I have 2 CP a venus fly trap and a Pitcher plant I am also getting a Cephalotus very soon. I live in the UK southwest near somerset and I am quite sure that we have hard water as the lettle acumalates alot of lime scale very quicky as does the shower head and I remember reading somewhere that my area has hard water. How clean does the river have to be as I live in a city and I would imagine the streams and lake to be quite polluted.

How about if I boil a saucepan of water and carefully balance some sort of plate or glass dish over the top and make the drips drip into a seperate bowl ? This would remove salts and heavy metals, not sure about the PH though ?!?! whats you view ?

[jimfoxy]

See http://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25691

How about if I boil a saucepan of water and carefully balance some sort of plate or glass dish over the top and make the drips drip into a seperate bowl ? This would remove salts and heavy metals, not sure about the PH though ?!?! whats you view ?

That would be nearly perfect but it would take you an awful long time and give you a very big energy bill!

Edited May 29, 2009 by jimfoxy

[Guest DennisS]

I don't know if this helps but i live in Adelaide and we don't get as much rainfall as England,

So if you have access to a windowsill or anything similar use anything you can to collect rainwater and put it in cordial or milk containers to use when you need.

[mantrid]

If you are considering using tap water. I think the reports on this link might be useful

(The Drinking Water Inspectorate)

http://www.dwi.gov.uk/consumer/wq07ccw.shtm

[Alexis]

I have 2 CP a venus fly trap and a Pitcher plant I am also getting a Cephalotus very soon. I live in the UK southwest near somerset and I am quite sure that we have hard water as the lettle acumalates alot of lime scale very quicky as does the shower head and I remember reading somewhere that my area has hard water. How clean does the river have to be as I live in a city and I would imagine the streams and lake to be quite polluted.

How about if I boil a saucepan of water and carefully balance some sort of plate or glass dish over the top and make the drips drip into a seperate bowl ? This would remove salts and heavy metals, not sure about the PH though ?!?! whats you view ?

Since you live in a hard area, I wouldn't be too keen on the water from lakes and rivers either really, due to the bedrock.

I think you're boiling idea would struggle to produce much water.

I'd look at getting some deionised

[David Ahrens]

I use a distiller to produce distilled water. This would be ideal for you with a small number of CP's. Yes, they do use quite a bit of power, but they don't waste a lot of water like a reverse osmosis machine. They use something like 10 or 15p in electricity to run off a gallon. You can do a search on the internet. I bought mine from the Holistic Research Centre, who I think are in Herts these days. I use an Eco Water machine. Some people like to drink distilled water because they think that it is good for you and this distiller is made to be used every day. I have had mine for quite a few years now and it is still going.

The only problem is that distillers can cost over a hundred pounds, but they are well made.

The problem with reverse osmosis for you is that it is wasteful of water and the units like to be used. It is no good just running off a gallon now and then, the membrane won't last very long.

Edited May 29, 2009 by David Ahrens

[jimfoxy]

can cost over a hundred pounds

Good idea but it looks like the price has gone up a bit: http://www.wholisticresearch.com/shop/home.../id/210/page/1/

It's a shame they can't be as cheap as a coffee percolator!

This one looks like fun: http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/sstill.htm

Edited May 29, 2009 by jimfoxy

[gardenofeden]

I used to use a solar still, but even with very hot sun all day you will only get a few hundred ml/day

[mobile]

For a couple of VFTs and a Ceph you would be as well to purchase de-ionised water. Morrisons sell it for 68p/litre so you could buy a lot of it for the price of a distiller or RO setup. Alternatively, aquatic shops often sell RO water in 25 litre plastic jerrycans.

Edited May 29, 2009 by mobile

[Dicon]

For a couple of VFTs and a Ceph you would be as well to purchase de-ionised water. Morrisons sell it for 68p/litre so you could buy a lot of it for the price of a distiller or RO setup. Alternatively, aquatic shops often sell RO water in 25 litre plastic jerrycans.

Sounds like the best bet for just a couple of plants!

[Dicon]

For a couple of VFTs and a Ceph you would be as well to purchase de-ionised water. Morrisons sell it for 68p/litre so you could buy a lot of it for the price of a distiller or RO setup. Alternatively, aquatic shops often sell RO water in 25 litre plastic jerrycans.

Sounds like the best bet for just a couple of plants!

I'll second that!

Edited May 29, 2009 by Dicon

[DaveC]

If you don't have a Morrissons near you you could try Halfords

[GreenCurry]

Thanks folks I will probably get some water from morrisons or halfords tomorrow. I could but some containers in my communial garden but I run the risk of looking like a complete nutter hehe

[David Ahrens]

I make 68p a litre as over £3 a gallon. My plants do use quite a lot of water, at this price it could work out expensive. I have had my still for about 15 years now and it is still going. A still could save you in the long run. You have the job of humping the containers home from the shop.

I do use a friend's rainwater at wet times of the year. I fill up a 25 litreplastic drum and put it in the back of the car. If you can chat up a printer, they use 25 litre drums of isopropal alcohol. These are easy to clean and good for storing water.

My orchids use a lot of water as well. I have had the still going for four days this week, producing around four gallons of water and I have used most of it on the Sarries and the orchids. Thats £12 in deionised water. You do the maths. You would get your money back in a year for a still.

[David Ahrens]

Incidently, perhaps a topic for a new thread, but does anyone grow VFT's really well living in a flat ? I have to confess that I haven't cracked it yet. I have tried everything, sunny windowsills, fridge in winter etc. My plants just get smaller every year and eventually die.

Iam trying on the north facing window at the moment, behind a demijon with the bottom cut off. I get a little sun every day at the end of the day so the windowsill is probably not exactly north facing. The south facing kitchen windowsill just bakes them, although I grow Sarracenia oreophila very well on it. I can't be the only one with probems like this.

[Alexis]

My VFTs used to do well on a windowsill. The flat I'm in at the moment is north-east facing, so a bit gloomy most of the day and I had to stop.

When I did have a sunny window though they had no problems. I did put them in a greenhouse for dormancy though.

[mobile]

I make 68p a litre as over £3 a gallon. My plants do use quite a lot of water, at this price it could work out expensive. I have had my still for about 15 years now and it is still going. A still could save you in the long run. You have the job of humping the containers home from the shop.

I do use a friend's rainwater at wet times of the year. I fill up a 25 litreplastic drum and put it in the back of the car. If you can chat up a printer, they use 25 litre drums of isopropal alcohol. These are easy to clean and good for storing water.

My orchids use a lot of water as well. I have had the still going for four days this week, producing around four gallons of water and I have used most of it on the Sarries and the orchids. Thats £12 in deionised water. You do the maths. You would get your money back in a year for a still.

I agree, if you have a lot of plants then purchasing de-ionised water gets expensive and I would definitely recommend rainwater, de-ionised or distilled water. That's why I asked GreenCurry how many plants they had.

[David Ahrens]

"I did put them in a greenhouse for dormancy"

Yes, I think that this is one of the problems. Growing your plants in a flat all the time is difficult. Four months in the fridge should be OK in winter. If you only have one or two plants, you can put them in the fridge in the pot, perhaps in the salad tray.

I have grown VFT's from seed in the north facing windowsill location for the first few years, they then went in a greenhouse.

People do talk about the south facing windowsill but I find that they get blasted by the sun.

As I said above, I do grow good S.oreophila on my kitchen windowsill. I seem to remember that one of Gordon Cheers's books mentions about the fridge over the winter for your VFT's.

VFT's can be awkward llittle buggers sometimes !

If I can't grow VFT's, I might have to change the number plate on my car. It is M1 VFT, which looks like Mi VFT. Life can be so complicated.

Edited May 30, 2009 by David Ahrens

[mantrid]

Incidently, perhaps a topic for a new thread, but does anyone grow VFT's really well living in a flat ? I have to confess that I haven't cracked it yet. I have tried everything, sunny windowsills, fridge in winter etc. My plants just get smaller every year and eventually die.

Iam trying on the north facing window at the moment, behind a demijon with the bottom cut off. I get a little sun every day at the end of the day so the windowsill is probably not exactly north facing. The south facing kitchen windowsill just bakes them, although I grow Sarracenia oreophila very well on it. I can't be the only one with probems like this.

If you put them behind a demijon no wonder they bake on a south facing window. It acts like a lens and a hot house. I would take them out of the denijon and when it gets too hot just open the window.

[David Ahrens]

I didn't say that I put them behind a demijon on a south facing window, I said that it was a north facing window. I have tried everything. I used to have a greenhouse and grow VFT's very well. I would just like someone to suggest something that I might try.

One of the problems is that when you have the wrong conditions, the plant takes a long time to respond to these conditions, and when it does, it is often too late to save it. The only reason that I have tried a bell jar type setup is to try and make the leaves last that little bit longer.

[DaveC]

Anyway, getting back to Greencurry's topic since this is his thread...................

As you have only 2 plants at the moment then I'd say you'll probably only use around 1 litre every couple of weeks or so. A still, RO system, etc. might become more cost effective as your collection increases but as it stands at around 35p a week for deionised water its going to be a quite a while before a distiller or RO system pays for itself.

There is another company that I used when my collection was starting out and would use again in an emergency here's the link, it seems to be out of stock just now but I'm sure they'll get more in and they deliver in good time.