FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Panman wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 8:49 pm

Hedonista wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 8:33 pm Cool. So you are saying that for chlorine, I could just let it sit for 24 hours without filtering? And if so, does the water depth play a factor in how long it takes for the chlorine to evaporate?

We are exceeding the point where I can make a definitive statement. I believe that sitting for 24 hours is adequate. I know adding an aeration stone for an aquarium helps. But I am not positive on the timing or surface area. I would expect a greater surface area to off-gas faster.

Awesome. I love that when I post in this forum, I can expect to receive replies in proper English with sound word-choice.

Thanx 2u an ever one fer makking this a gud foreum

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:03 pm The thing about rainwater is that you never know if you have enough. It depends on how many plants you are watering, how long between rains, do you normally have a predictable "dry season", etc.,. So, you store all that you can. I've got a couple of 32-gallon Rubbermaid garbage cans that I filled a year ago and have only used water from them once, maybe 5-10 gallons...but, I really didn't "need" to use it as I did have other water but just wanted to freshen it up a tad with fresher water. I've also got probably 25 to 30 gallon milk jugs and usually have four or five 5-gallon buckets stored. Water isn't just used for watering plants, though, it's used for rinsing your growing medium, too...that is, if you rinse it....some people don't. I do.

What Panman said about getting a TDS meter is "spot on"!!! Handiest little thing that will take a lot of mystery out of things for you. Looking online it looks like your TDS is going to be north of 225ppm, though, so maybe not usable unless you dilute it with good, low-TDS water. I like to keep tabs on my rain water's TDS. Usually my rain water is below 5ppm, many times showing 0-1ppm, though I'm not sure exactly *how* precise my meter is...it's good enough for the plants, apparently.

But, like I said at the beginning...how much water you need depends on several factors. With a few plants, a couple of gallons of distilled water would keep things going. I'd prefer to have rain water, though, due to its acidic nature...and carnivorous plants like things acidic. Three or four 5-gallon buckets of good rain water might keep you going for quiet a while...at least until it rains again.

Something I thought I'd mention is, that if you can and it isn't a deal-breaker if you can't, is to dump out the first inch or two of rain water that falls into your containers. That first "rinse" will have dust, bugs, leaves, and other pollutants/debris in it so dumping that first little bit will result in a lot cleaner water.

No dry season here. Sub-arctic temps Dec-March, Arctic temps Oct-Nov and April, and 80-97F the rest of the time. Regular precipitation. The river valley I live in has some of the best farmland in the country during the few months it isn’t frozen solid.

Ordered a TDS meter on Amazon today, 50% off $9.99. No rainwater here until April or so though, so my hubby is picking up 5-gal of distilled water so I can rinse my sphagnum peat moss and perlite and start watering my seeds.

I will definitely try tossing the beginning rainwater…if it ever gets warm enough to rain here again.

You can melt snow for water. You will just want to filter it through some fine material like a t-shirt to get the dirt out of it.

Panman wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:25 pm You can melt snow for water. You will just want to filter it through some fine material like a t-shirt to get the dirt out of it.

Seriously?! I asked about that here a couple weeks ago, and was told that snow picks up all kinds of icky stuff in the atmosphere on the way down, so I shouldn’t use it.

That may have been me. It does get gunky, but in a pinch it can be used. It is just a lot more work than rain water. As long as the snow is newly fallen, and isn't contaminated by road salts and such, you can filter it. I would check with a TDS meter though, just to be sure. Also, if you have an old freezer that you need to defrost, you can use that ice to melt.

Being the expert on snow that I am …doesn’t snow bring a tad of nitrogen with it?

Yes, snow is higher in nitrogen than rain water. I do believe, and don't quote me, that nitrogen isn't as big of a challenge for flytraps as much as sodium and magnesium is.

Panman wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:38 pm Yes, snow is higher in nitrogen than rain water. I do believe, and don't quote me, that nitrogen isn't as big of a challenge for flytraps as much as sodium and magnesium is.

I’m going to be starting drosera and maybe some sarracenia seeds. Are they cool with nitrogen too?

I'm not sure with the drosera but sarrs will be found. They are the most tolerant of all of the plants.