FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

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Ask questions about how to grow and care for Venus Flytraps

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By mowgli
Posts:  16
Joined:  Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:58 pm
#28457
This has been puzzling me for a couple of days and I personally don't think there would be a difference but thought I would ask anyways.

Would river water out of the local river would be the same as using rain water collected from a water butt for watering a Vft?
By Bud
Posts:  275
Joined:  Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:45 pm
#28459
Not in the sense for carnivorous plants. Most likely the river water will contain dissolved minerals not to mention organic matter and other stuff from being dumped in the rivers. The oceans are “salty” because of the dissolved minerals that are dumped in from rivers and streams over eons. This probably would not be in the best interest of your plants. However the only way to be sure, and you really want to pursue this is; to take a sample and have it tested, maybe contact your Extension office to ask if they could test it for you, you will probably be charged a nominal fee.

Now I use rain water almost exclusively and quite successfully for my plants, however I take precautions before I collect it; mainly, I make sure I collect it when there is a somewhat “heavy” rain and my roof has been flushed off good, and the hoses are flushed out before it goes in my barrel. I do this with the use of a valve system. I have seen this first hand, how much difference this makes on the cleanliness of the water collected. I have also used melted snow.
For more info on my system it can be found here: http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/viewt ... 696#p12696 hope this helps a bit.

Good growing and good luck

Bud
By Nickrober
Posts:  427
Joined:  Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:07 am
#28507
River water will likely contain a lot of dissolved minerals. It runs across rocks and river bottoms, constantly breaking down the rocks as it goes. Not to mention all the animal & bug waste that is in the water. I just don't think it would be a great idea, but you can't know until you get a ppm meter.
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By Matt
Location: 
Posts:  22523
Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#28517
As Nick and Bud said, river water is likely to contain A TON of dissolved solids, which would probably kill your plant fairly quickly.

There is a small chance that if the soil is composed mostly of very hard minerals, then it would be mostly clean still, but that's a long shot and the only way to know for sure is to test it with a TDS meter, as Nick said.
By Eric
Location: 
Posts:  1143
Joined:  Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:23 am
#28555
What they said. :mrgreen:
By afh928
Location: 
Posts:  981
Joined:  Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:13 am
#28876
Plus unless you live near a river it would be a wicked pain to collect river water...rain water on the other hand, is free...and if you live in the southeast it is VERY abundant these days lol.
By Panamera
Location: 
Posts:  38
Joined:  Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:38 am
#30453
personally i find it easier to pay $3 to buy 3L of distilled water, less than 1mg of minerals per litre. pretty much better than rain water too in the city. and 3L will last a LOOOONG time
By lemonlily
Location: 
Posts:  3168
Joined:  Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:54 pm
#30555
I thought rain water was good, what do you mean by distilled water is better?
By Panamera
Location: 
Posts:  38
Joined:  Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:38 am
#30571
Oh dont get me wrong, rain water is good. just meant in the city, there's a chance its dragged down everything in the polluted air too. although i doubt there'd be any minerals in the air.

just meant distilled water will save you alot of time and effort. if kept inside
By moof
Location: 
Posts:  1036
Joined:  Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:54 am
#30574
There's a lot of things in the air that can be harmful to your plants. I recommend using rainwater only in really clean areas, if you live in a larger city it won't be good for your CP's
By Bud
Posts:  275
Joined:  Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:45 pm
#30630
I seem to recall a post somewhere, where an experienced grower claimed that his CPs started to decline for no apparent reason. He used rain water and later contributed it to some recent construction nearby, (heavy cement work or something) and it contaminated his collected water.

Rain water has worked out great for me. As a matter of fact, I am now starting to collect it to store for my tropicals over the winter. Again, I take precautions as making sure my roof and collection system is flushed out well before I collect it. I should also mention that I also installed a gutter guard system on my gutters; keeping out leaves and debris which build up in gutters. Funny note is; I meant to install gutter guards for the past several years and was putting it off. It was when I put my rain collection system in, where it gave me the extra push to actually do it so my collected water would be as pure as possible. My CP hobby has given me the extra incentive to complete a major home project that my wife crossed off the “long list”. I think my wife is now trying to think of a way how painting will help my CP’s…………. :shock:
By vft mrComp
Location: 
Posts:  17
Joined:  Sat Nov 27, 2010 11:49 pm
#79094
the water that runs through rivers is actualuy rain water but from the desent from were the river flows from atualy makes the water ware down sand and other calsiums and minerals causing it to cary them down to were you are taking it out from. 8-)
By Nats
Posts:  718
Joined:  Fri May 13, 2011 1:53 pm
#109977
I would agree with everyone else. I would guess that river water would have a much higher
content of desolved minerals then tap water and maybe even some run-off chemicals from
factories and such.

Bottom line, dont use it ;)
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