Gardening Questions: Very hard water. Should I be concerned?

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goofybulb El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) July 4, 2008 12:25 AM	The water here is hard. So hard that is visible on any kitchen object that is washed, unless I wipe it dry. I left about half an inch of water in my bucket, and after the water dried, there was a white crust on the bottom. Should I be concerned for my plants? I worry mostly for the orchids, since I was advised to wash the salts (from the fertilizer) away periodically, to prevent salt build-up that would hurt the roots. But it would be nice to know if there might be a problem for others as well. Thank you for any thoughts you might have. Goofy
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) July 4, 2008 12:41 AM	Can you let us know what some of your other plants are? Some plants will have more problems with it than others. If you can get distilled water or save rain water that will probably be best for your plants, but if that's not possible you'll probably just have to repot more frequently to keep the salts from building up too much, most plants will probably be OK as long as they get fresh potting mix when the buildup gets too much.
goofybulb El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) July 4, 2008 1:05 AM	Hi, Ecrane! I had a list before moving here, it slightly modified since then, so here it is updated: 5 roses 5 hibiscus rosa-sinensis 1 gardenia 1 lilac bush 1 small fig tree 1 poinsettia 1 camellia 1 red bird of paradise 2 ferns (NOIDs) Greek basil, purple waffle plant, 3 candy lilies 3 pomegranate seedlings 3 carissa macrocarpa rooted cuttings, 1 viola “samurai”, all kinds of bulbs, corms and tubers (amaryllis, daffodils, freesias, tuberoses, Abyssinian Gladiolus/Acidanthera murieliae, calla lilies, a colocasia, a canna lily) and a few other rooted cuttings I still have to ID Is distilled water or boiled and cooled water sufficient for the plants? Apparently El Paso is famous for its amount of sunshine days (over 300/year), and since I came here it rained 3 times, but max. 5-10 minutes, just humidifying the soil.
goofybulb El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) July 4, 2008 1:06 AM	Thanks for taking the time to answer. I really appreciate your help. As always, Alexandra
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) July 4, 2008 1:15 AM	None of those are ones that I've heard have a lot of trouble with hard water--doesn't mean they won't, some I don't grow so I don't know very much about, and others it could be just nobody's talked about them being sensitive. Hopefully a few other people will come along with some thoughts for you too! Boiling water and then cooling it won't work, the minerals in the water are not volatile so they will still be right there in the water when you get done, except now you've managed to boil away some of your water so if anything they'll be even more concentrated than they were before, not quite what you need! The way distilling works is you boil the water, but then the steam is collected in another container and when it cools down and becomes water again it is pure water and all the minerals get left behind in the original pot. I don't know if there's anything you can buy to distill water yourself or if you have to buy it already distilled.
David_Paul Clinton, CT (Zone 6b) July 4, 2008 1:42 AM	Goofybulb....have you contacted the water district and asked what problems plants may face with their water? I bet they've been asked and have an answer. Your question interested me as I once lived in the Mojave desert and our water was a real problem. Looking around I see El Paso uses reverse osmosis to purify the water and the water is well above federal standards [HYPERLINK@www.ncppp.org] (what that means for plants I don't know but if the Feds think its OK for people, the appearence and residue left by the water might be more of a problem than what the minerals and salts in it do to living organisms)
goofybulb El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) July 4, 2008 1:58 AM	I have to think of good amounts of distilled water (if needed)... If I could only get me some rain, it would be great. On the other hand, except when fertilizing, the orchids feed with whatever is in the water (supposedly rain water, with some minuscule tree/plant debris). Would distilled work for them? To be honest, they are my strongest concern, since I have to water them and mist them more often than before.
goofybulb El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) July 4, 2008 2:14 AM	Hi, David! Thanks for jumping in. No, I didn't. I looked on their site (because of the water restrictions here, I had to find out about the days I'm allowed to water the lawn), but they don't say anything about bad effects on plants. The water is good for drinking, though I prefer bubbly water myself. I just saw those deposits, and noticed the low foaming of the soaps, then I checked the hardiness degree. In 1 month of watering I didn't notice anything consistent or significant to my plants. Except that some pots (the unglazed clay ones) started to develop a "rim" that disappears when the pots are wet, and reappears when they dry. I am a easily stressed person, so apart from the heat and dryness of the weather that made me worry about the orchids' watering schedule, this high-mineral thing popped up in my mind. I will try contacting them and see the answer. Thank you for the suggestion.
David_Paul Clinton, CT (Zone 6b) July 4, 2008 2:50 AM	Goofybulb....must be some gardeners at the Water District and you can bet they know exactly how their water affects various plants...now what the PR line will be in another matter.... At the risk of bringing something up locals may have had their fill of, I remember decades ago there was a report about lithium carbonate in El Paso drinking water. Were more studies ever done? Do people talk about it still? In Mojave County, AZ I had to chip white deposits out of three swamp coolers on a regular basis. Looked like limestone caverns in those things. Our water, which we hauled from a community well, was undrinkable unless someone had no choice. Wouldn't harm you tho. At least not right off.....
goofybulb El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) July 4, 2008 10:48 PM	These are quoted from the El Paso Water Utilitier website: "Does El Paso have hard water? Should I install a water softener? Water hardness is defined by the amount of calcium and magnesium present. When the levels are comparatively low, water is described as soft. When the levels are comparatively high, water is described as hard. Water in El Paso is described as moderately hard to hard. Harder water does not lather as easily and does not form as many suds when using soap or detergent. However, there is increasing evidence that the presence of calcium and magnesium found in hard water is desirable for good cardio-vascular health. We do not recommend the installation of water softeners for drinking water. Is lithium present in El Paso’s water? Does it have an effect on people’s moods? A small amount of lithium occurs naturally in El Paso’s water. The amount is considerably less than a medical dosage. Lithium is sometimes used by doctors to treat mental disorders. To get the same amount of lithium as in one standard capsule, you would have to drink about 600 glasses of water." They also provide the chemical composition, but they don't mention the lithium there. And, apart for watering schedules and a list of xeri plants, they don't say a thing. I'll look further.
David_Paul Clinton, CT (Zone 6b) July 4, 2008 10:52 PM	Lithium is sometimes used by doctors to treat mental disorders. To get the same amount of lithium as in one standard capsule, you would have to drink about 600 glasses of water. I could do that. Which is probably an indication I need help.
goofybulb El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) July 4, 2008 11:20 PM	Oh, David, you are both funny and thirsty!!!

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