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water butts
Bill Brackstone
Posts: 16
I have 2 water butts that receive rain water from the house roof is there any way i could test the water, I used it last year and it damaged the plants i reluctant to use it this year fear it does the same i was advised to leave the tops of the butts which i have done.
Bill
0
Posts
Whoever told you to leave the tops off the butts was a false friend. They should be closely and tightly covered at all times or you will get undesirable gnat larvae breeding in them.
I've only ever used rain water for plants, it runs off the roof and is collected on all corners.
Im wondering which plants died and of what, we all water our gardens with collected rain water,
What would you test the water for?
I have water butts taking water from our roof and I always use it on my plants - never ever noticed it causing a problem.
Keep the lids on to keep the mosquitoes out, and if you get a build up of sludge in the bottom clear it out and give the butt a good rinse with the hose. Some people use a dilution of Jeyes Fluid to clean them out, but I've never found it to be necessary.
Can you tell us more about the sort of damage to your plants ......... then perhaps we can help
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi Bill - I also collect rainwater and keep tropical fish and keep an eye on water quality so I have a good pH meter and a TDS meter.
I don't test it often, but out of interest I have a few times over the years.The rainwater here in my Essex waterbutt is between pH6.5 to 6.9 so slightly acidic.
The (interpolated) TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) is 0.02 to 0.04 (tap water by contrast is around 0.9 here)
The only problems you may encounter is likely due to whatever the rainwater has been in contact with since it made touchdown
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
isn't the same rain running off your roof , falling onto the garden ?
Why do put the deaths of your plants down to the water in the butt?
So wise as usual, I wanted to say that but didn't ?