Our water here in Austin has a ph ranging from 9.6 - 10. If you are growing plants that need a lower soil ph, would it be wise to try to lower the ph of the water you use to water them with? (I realize that could get expensive) Why wouldn't you always use an acid fertilizer (such as Miracle Grow made for camellias, azaleas, etc)?
I ask because I'm trying to grow epiphyllums. I am using a more acidic soil - orchid bark, peat, etc.
water ph
lol I think it would be wise to grow different plants... I have one planter I keep acidified, as pure indulgence, but it's constant work.
The rain water is pretty much neutral pH. It only gets alkaline when it hits the ground and starts filtering through the limestone. So I'd say look at a capture system, and give the acidic plants priority for that water vs the hose.
You're assuming there is a place to store quantities of rain water where it can be used later on. Most of us don't have storage containers big enough for rain water....even if rain were guaranteed from time to time. If the plant is planted in the ground, it would have little effect anyway. Has to be in a container, with a bunch of peat worked in.
I grow those in containers and they get distilled water. Only the livestock and humans get well water. Go figure. You are growing them in containers aren't you?
Yes, they're going to be in containers. I think installing a rain capture system if the way to go. You're right, realbirdlady, it's pure indulgence.
Now this is from someone who formerly lived in Empire Nv.and grew a small garden where the Ph. some places was as high as 14 the grass would turn yellow in late summer from watering with high ph water and I used Ironite to treat my plants and found it to work really well and is fairly cheap ..just work in about 1 cup every week or two around the root area ..A word of caution if you decide to try this do not spill any on your sidewalk..PS I got mine at home depot
Rainwater is just plain better for plants. I guarantee you if you water two identical plants with rainwater and tap water, the rainwater plant will look better and grow faster.
On another note, this is a bad area to grow acid plants. My two guilty pleasures are blueberries and Miracle fruit. On both of these, I made a mixture of 1/5 potting soil, 3/5 peat and 1/5 ground pine bark. I did the blueberries in a 20 gallon and received 6 weeks of blueberries this year. I mulch the top with ground pine bark twice a year to try and stablize the low ph.
The Miracle Fruit, if you didnt know, is a small berry that makes sour things taste sweet. So eat one and lemons are the sweetest fruit you ever tasted. It lasts over an hour. They give it to chemo patients to help get their appetite back.
Ironite is controversial, being taken from mine tailings with some degree of lead and arsenic content. I'd rather stay with something safer.
I agree, epiphyllums (in this area) are grown in containers so I'm always really careful about adding anything to a closed enviroment like a container. They really are no work plants and if you want another plant they are super easy to root. They actually like some cold weather but not below freezing. I add diluted Hasta Grow 6-12-6 ever so often but mine do best when I ignore them.
You may want to check out the Cacti and Succulents forum they have a lot of info there.
Hondoguy what varities are you growing? Don't ask me, I have all the tags but not in the pots.
If you consider this an indulgence you are an "easy keeper".
Lisa
Hondo..it looks like you're fairly close to me. If you want to see our rain harvesting system, d-mail me. It's pretty simple, but very effective and inexpensive....and with our latest rainfalls....overflowing.