Alkalinity depends on the total ability of the water to buffer/ neutralise acid. a pH of 8 is alkaline... but doesn't tell you the alkalinity.... which is the total ability of the solution to neutralise acid. read the link a few posts above. It is simple but confusing because alkaline and alkalinity mean different things......
And how much alkalinity is there is a solution under 7.0? When I mix I can see the CO2 bubbling off from the decomposition of the carbonates. It takes about 6 hours to get a stable reading as it slowly rises. But then I add carbonates to bring it up and that takes 12 hrs to stabilize.
The point I was trying to make is if the pH is below 7 there is no alkalinity as the acid has reacted with the carbonate and released the Ca+ and Mg+ along with CO2. The buffering has been exhausted. This is especially true with well water.Alkalinity depends on the total ability of the water to buffer/ neutralise acid. a pH of 8 is alkaline... but doesn't tell you the alkalinity.... which is the total ability of the solution to neutralise acid. read the link a few posts above. It is simple but confusing because alkaline and alkalinity mean different things.
So far mine has lasted several weeks without a sign of algae. Mine are inside semi sealed in plastic containers. No bleach added yet and looking good. Someone else with more experience will jump on. Also I think this was answered earlier in the thread. Ignore the bullshit in the beginning. It’s worth it for someone in your situation.Hi!
I recently moved to a new place in a rural area. In the warehouse there is a big deposit that collects rain water from the roof.
I was wondering how long will the water maintain its quality. It doesn't rain that much where I live, if I could use the water from the spring rain and use it in the summer that would be great. Should it be treated if I was to wait that long?
It is a 2000L deposit, and it sits inside the warehouse, protected from the sun.
Other than that I have well water but the EC is outrageous.
If you don't mind me asking, how long do you think rain water stays "fresh" inside your deposits?When fresh rainwater comes in contact with any type of soil, the rainwater turns into that soil. The term conversion is when fresh rain converts into the same substance it comes in contact with. That's why only pure water works best with super soils. With every exposure of water to the soil, the nutrients are released because of this law. More water, more release of nutrients. Roots Organic, and Fox Farms Ocean Forest are considered super soils.
That's very good news, thank you.Algae needs light so so easy to avoid algae build up by excluding light. if rainwater is clean then ime it 'keeps' indefinitely.
VG
Already answered, but I'll add that I saved a couple of gallons from last for my seedlings this spring.I was wondering how long will the water maintain its quality. It doesn't rain that much where I live, if I could use the water from the spring rain and use it in the summer that would be great. Should it be treated if I was to wait that long?
I'm no "scientist" either, but I can assure you that a little algae won't hurt a thing, at least in soil / outdoor grows (I don't do much indoor, except for starting plants in spring) I had a patch one time in an old gravel pit, in which there was a very "scummy green frog pond" and that is where I got the water for them...although they were outdoor plants, and only got watered a few times, they grew great.Wouldn't the soil life be better off dealing with small amounts of algae than small amounts of bleach? What would be the possible problems if any, when watering with water that has been sitting for a couple months?
It can last a long time if you put a lid on it, and if you don't put a lid on it you can still use it. Also, I use a small piece of mosquito dunk in my water cans. I break a round mosquito into 4 pieces for 4 big cans.Already answered, but I'll add that I saved a couple of gallons from last for my seedlings this spring.
I now have a full 45 gallon barrel, running over, as it's raining now.
No rain gutters, the barn has two valleys, I position my barrels under the run off point.
This year I plan to put a cover of curtain sheer over them to keep out dirt, but mostly mosquitoes, save me a lot of time using an aquarium net gathering the mosquito larva.
Basically I don't think age is a factor, of course clean is.
I added the last three lines.Heres a way to look at it. Say you have 250 steel bee bees that have a magnetic pull which represents the nutrient ppm in water. Now if you add another 250 copper b bs which are not magnetic you get 500 ppm. The impurities content went up 50% but the plant can only use the 250 steel bbs but the copper gets in the way and blocks the pull of the steel. The steel has to move around the copper or miss the link completely. Using Big City tap water is like having to work with the copper that blocks the steel links. Pure water only has the 250 steel bbs and ready for use and those will leave. Now, how many times do you water your plants? Every time you water you leave 250 copper bbs that do nothing just setting there.
Would less nutes work? Its a good way to drop ph if you have the headroom in ec..
Less Nutes is probably one of the better General Remedies for what is ailing plants.
We Canna growers tend to OD our plants with what we think is TLC.
But for them it's like adding sugar to Coca Cola. Too Much.