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Re: Can we use well water for plants
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Subject: Re: Can we use well water for plants
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From: ltuttle@primenet.com (Lyle Tuttle)
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Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 22:00:48 MST
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Article: 18544 of misc.rural
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Newsgroups: misc.rural
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Organization: Primenet
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References: <3r7jlf$cfu@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca>
In article <3r7jlf$cfu@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca> ajohnson@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca (Alan Johnson) writes:
>From: ajohnson@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca (Alan Johnson)
>Subject: Can we use well water for plants
>Date: Thu, 08 Jun 1995 19:39:19 GMT
> Everything is getting pretty dry around here, no rain for
>weeks. We have a 500 gallon rain barrel but that is empty now.
>With the new plants in the flower beds we were wondering if we can
>use our well water for occasional watering of plants. We were
>advised by the water testing company not to use our water for
>plants, however we are thinking that may be 'once and a while' use of
>our water would be better than letting the plants die. If we
>do use our well water, will future rain wash any salts from the soil?
>Should be absolutely not use or well water or is it OK in an
>emergency?
>Water test:
>PH = 8.4
>Sodium = 470 mg/L
>Bicarbonate = 1098 mg/L
WOW! That is tough water. For "once-in-a-while' outdoor watering, you should
be ok. I *think* what the water testing company meant was, "don't use this
water to water your indoor plants; they are 'trapped' in a pot; don't get rain
to flush the mineral salts down and free up the roots tips osmosis process."
In other words, the plant root takes in water through the "skin", by osmosis;
if the mineral content in the soil is too high, they will form a "sheath"
around the root tip, preventing water and nutrients to be taken in by the
plant, 'stunting' its growth.
You might want to go to the water FAQ at:
http://www.siouxlan.com/water/faq.html
Look for the links to other pages; some go directly to irrigation problems as
you ask about.
Lyle Tuttle
ltuttle@primenet.com