Water Butt article in Grow it-concern!

**Nes** · 24-10-2008, 09:27 PM

The collected water may have some diseases which can cause things like damping off, which kills seedlings. Rain water is great for established plants though, especially those which like acidic soils as it doesn't contain dissolved salts in it like tap water. Won't cause you any harm as long as you maintain basic hygeine (wash hands in clean water and don't drink the stuff!). Good idea to cover the bath if possible to prevent stuff falling in and stagnating the water.

**Flummery** · 25-10-2008, 08:18 AM

I don't use the collected rain water for seedlings because of the possibility of damping off. I use it for the crops when they are growing though. Swells yer spuds up a treat!

**darkangel6976** · 25-10-2008, 08:27 AM

I've heard the term damping off now twice but not sure what it is!
It looks like I will have to buy some water for them-they will love pure water!

**Flummery** · 25-10-2008, 08:46 AM

It's a sort of fungal infection. It's heartbreaking when you've raised your little seedlings, pricked them out into a seed tray, nurtured them, then they just keel over. It usually starts in one part of the tray and spreads out. Not worth the risk becasue when it has happened you are about a month behind with your next sowing.

**PAULW** · 25-10-2008, 02:48 PM

DARKANGLE
I've heard the term damping off now twice but not sure what it is!
It looks like I will have to buy some water for them-they will love pure water

Dont you have a tap in the house

**darkangel6976** · 25-10-2008, 05:49 PM

lol I am about 1 1/2 miles from home-it's on my allotment!!

**Snadger** · 25-10-2008, 07:39 PM

Damping off is usually cased by sowing too thickly. Cheshunt compound sprayed over plants will control it if caught soon enough.

I have a dozen water butts and a 1000ltr container at my allotment and use the water for watering all my plants (and for the chooks drinking water) without any problems. I think any fungal problem can be spread by infected water, including potato blight but I haven't had any problems up til now.
We have piped water at the allotments but I only use it in my kettle for when I'm making a cuppa!

Each to there own I spose!

Sorry to digress here.........again!............but

Just hypothising, but if you used a copper funnel into the water butt, or even bung in a bit of copper mesh into the pipe somewhere the miniscule amount of copper would probably kill any fungal spores?
Much the same as stretching a length of copper wire over the apex of your polytunnel you won't get any algae on the plastic for the same reason!

Apparently people in far off places who store there water in large brass ewers have cleaner safer water than those who store water in plastic or wooden kegs!

I digress.............again!

**snohare** · 25-10-2008, 08:27 PM

I'm sure I read a report not too long ago in New Scientist that someone had discovered that areas in India where they still use the old brass calabashes instead of modern plastic containers, there were far fewer mosquitoes as well as fewer infections. Turns out it was trace amounts of the metals in the alloy inhibiting nasty critters.
I just use the 'orrible gloopy, saved-in-buckets-and-bins rainwater that is all we have available at our allotment. So far I haven't had any problems, but I wouldn't dare use it for tiny seedlings. Maybe I should dangle some copper pipe into my water containers ?

**plantsbypost.com** · 25-10-2008, 08:55 PM

Damping off usually only effects young seedings.
The main fungi which cause the most problems are Rhizoctonia, Pythium, Alternaria and Phytophthora and are soil and water based.

Good Hygiene in the germination process, ie sterilised containers, fresh seeding compost and clean water with go along way to avoiding the problem.

A fungicide can be applied if you really worried.

Neil

**plantsbypost.com** · 25-10-2008, 08:58 PM

"Just hypothising, but if you used a copper funnel into the water butt, or even bung in a bit of copper mesh into the pipe somewhere the miniscule amount of copper would probably kill any fungal spores?"

- pretty sure that would help. Might even try it on the Nursery!

Neil

**Demeter** · 25-10-2008, 09:57 PM

Originally posted by darkangel6976 View Post

lol I am about 1 1/2 miles from home-it's on my allotment!!

But you could still carry tap water from home in a container?! (We take the chickens fresh water from home in a bottle every day - don't quite trust the stuff in the trough - or you could use something larger e.g. one of they big camping water carriers if you are going by car).

**Two_Sheds** · 26-10-2008, 07:48 AM

Originally posted by darkangel6976 View Post

lol I am about 1 1/2 miles from home-it's on my allotment!!

* buy a 5 litre bottle from Tesco, and just refill it from your home tap.

You only need to use "fresh" (ie not butt) water for young seedlings.

You don't need to water everything with Evian

Damping off: Most seedlings are potentially susceptible, but the problem is most common in seedtrays in the greenhouse.

**darkangel6976** · 26-10-2008, 09:47 AM

Lol it's funny reading all those replies with both similar and different ones-can make for some great debating there!
We don't drive but when I go to the allotment I take bottles of water for my cuppas and this is what I will use. I may try out or at least investigate the copper thing though.
We have baths placed all over the allotment and if you take water it fills it up again but I have noticed a few of them are partly covered up so I wonder if this is to keep out sunlight so it slows down the spread of infections. I think I will do this with my bath too. I have also seen some water butt cleaner that you're supposed to use once a year but as mine isn't a water butt and only a bath that has guttering leading into it from my shed roof then I'm not sure if I need that yet!
If I get a water butt then I will think about this and the copper pipe.

Thanks for all your replies!

**Two_Sheds** · 26-10-2008, 09:55 AM

Do you have a shed?
If you do, you should def. get a water butt or three.
As for butt-cleaner ... goldfish do the job. I've had 3 in my butts for 4 years now, they're perfectly happy, and keep the mozzy larvae down.

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Water Butt article in Grow it-concern!

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