Tap water with organic fertilizer?

[The123321]

I have read about problems with chlorine and chloramine in tap water. I read that you cannot evaporate chloramine. I am using Dr earth dry fertilizer mixed in with coco with autos in autopots though hand watering for now. Would you recommend using the tap water like it is or let it sit out like 24 hours or would you use an additive to remove chlorine and chloramine to keep it from messing with beneficial microbes in the organic fertilizer on there?

 

[jimbobdaz]

Hi... I've always used tap water but this time I'm planning on using this

Ecothrive Neutralise - Water Conditioner - One Stop Grow Shop

Prime Your Water for Organic Gardening and Unlock the Full Potential of Beneficial Microbe Additives Conditioning your water with Ecothrive's Neutralise...

www.onestopgrowshop.co.uk

I'm adding beneficial microbes to my feed and the chlorine will probably kill them off

P.s. nice to see another autopot user

 

[The123321]

Thanks. That looks interesting but I am not able to find it on amazon. I may look for something like that on there.

 

[jimbobdaz]

Thanks. That looks interesting but I am not able to find it on amazon. I may look for something like that on there.

No worries
Does it have to be on amazon? I'm sure there are plenty of other suppliers

 

[AdaminCO]

All you need to do is buy some absorbing acid (Vitamin C) powder. I got my bag off Amazon.

Chloramine does not evaporate... that’s why they put it in the tap water.

I add 1/4 tablespoon per 5 gallons and let sit overnight.

 

[AdaminCO]

Found this in my research awhile back. It’s a bigger article, but here’s the data I used.

“It takes about 1,000 mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid form) to remove chloramines from 40 gallons of water”

• Chloramine Removal:
  Carbon filters remove this chemical but the filter is used up much faster than for other chemicals and takes much longer to do the job. A special form of carbon, “Catalytic carbon”, as it works better than standard carbon (sometimes called Centaur). In other words it will require a larger and more expensive filter to remove it.
  
  
• Carbon filters remove the chlorine portion of the molecule leaving the ammonia behind hence it requires another stage of filtration such as reverse osmosis to remove it.
  
  Vitamin C filters – For showers this works better than other types at removing chloramines.
  
  
• It takes about 1,000 mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid form) to remove chloramines from 40 gallons of water.
  
  Reverse osmosis units do remove chloramines as they generally have a couple carbon filters but they often produce large amounts of salt (sodium) in the water which can also cause problems if used to water plants.
  
  Double counter top units work better than single stage filters for drinking water(Cool water must be used for these filters to work effectively).
  
  Note: When chloramines is coupled with chlorine and fluoride the combinednegative effects on plant and soil health is much greater.
  
  REFERENCES:
  Removing Chloramines from Water, Pure Water Products, LLC.
  Citizens Concerned about Chloramine,
  Chloramine Facts - Citizens Concerned About Chloramine (CCAC)
  Citizens Concerned About Chloramine (CCAC)
  Home - Citizens Concerned About Chloramine (CCAC)
  
  Alternative Disinfectants and Oxidants Guidance Manual, EPA 815-R-99-014, April 1999
  WHO’s Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. PDF 145KB
• Wikipedia – Chloramine
  Chloramines - Wikipedia
  
  Catalytic Carbons Help Remove Chloramine, by Stephen Spotts
  Calagon Carbon Corporation
  
  HTG Supplys “Ask The Doc”,
  
  “Chloramines Can Kill Your Plants”
  
  “Water Problems and Ornamental Plants”
  
  “Watering the Vegetable Garden with CityWater”
  Watering the Vegetable Garden With City Water | Veggie Gardener
  
  The Case Against Fluoride, Paul Connett, PhD, James Beck, MD, PhD and H.S. Micklem, DPhil, Chelsa Green Publishing, Copyright 2010, ISBN 978-1-60358-287-2

 

[jimbobdaz]

Great stuff... now does ascorbic acid make the water much more acidic?

 

[AdaminCO]

Great stuff... now does ascorbic acid make the water much more acidic?

My tap is around 7 so I don’t mind it if it does. I can test it today, but I haven’t noticed a change.
In organics, you don’t need to worry with pH. (Within reason)

 

[jimbobdaz]

Thanks AdaminCO

 

[AdaminCO]

Thanks AdaminCO

Anytime.
This is what I use. It’s a crystalline powder that dissolved almost instantly. Dump in 1/4 tsp, fill up the jug, shake it around, and let it sit overnight.

 

[jimbobdaz]

@The123321 sorry to take over your thread lol, hope the info is helpfull
Cheers @AdaminCO

 

[AdaminCO]

I have read about problems with chlorine and chloramine in tap water. I read that you cannot evaporate chloramine. I am using Dr earth dry fertilizer mixed in with coco with autos in autopots though hand watering for now. Would you recommend using the tap water like it is or let it sit out like 24 hours or would you use an additive to remove chlorine and chloramine to keep it from messing with beneficial microbes in the organic fertilizer on there?

Okay... so one thing.
“messing with beneficial microbes in the organic fertilizer on there?”
There are no microbes in your dry nutes, they live in your soil.
You have to add microbes to your soil to break down the organic matter in your dry mix.
Once you add the microbes, you then feed/regenerate them with compost teas and whatnot.
If your in 100% coco, I don’t recommend dry nutes. You need to water daily in coco, so most use water soluble or liquid nutes.
In a living organic soil (LOS) grow with microbes... soil is the medium you’d want to use.

 

[AdaminCO]

FDC06B0E-5638-4F14-ACAF-918D796FCD2C.jpeg

• AdaminCO
• Jan 22, 2020
• soil mix

I use Dr.Earth (amongst many other things) in my soil builds when I roll organic.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I have read that using organic nutrients in coco would likely be hard but I am doing a perpetual grow with plants that were planted at different times in 1 tent on 1 reservoir so I wanted to use mostly water only in the reservoir then have the nutrients in the pot that way the plants that are in veg and the plants that are in flowering are getting the same water from the 1 reservoir. I may try a soil mix in the future. It looks like it works with things like biotabs so I thought I would try it. I may try the vitamin c powder with it. I only bought the dr earth dry fertilizer. I did not buy microbes to add to it. I thought you only needed to add the dry fertilizer to the medium then top dress every few weeks for it.

 

[AdaminCO]

You might want to reconsider your nutes... just saying. Dry nutes don’t/won’t break down with water.
What exact product are you using. I’ll take a look at it.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I am using Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer 4-6-3 with some Dr. Earth Organic 8 Bud & Bloom Fertilizer flower girl 3-9-4 mixed in. Then I plan to top dress it every 3-4 weeks on there.

 

[AdaminCO]

How do you plant to introduce microbes?
You need a product like URB, Recharge, or Great White mica.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I thought the dr earth had everything you need for the grow in it. Is it that adding microbes may help but you dont have to?

 

[The123321]

The bag lists that it has microbes in it.

 

[AdaminCO]

The bag lists that it has microbes in it.

I did not realize that honestly. The none organic I have do not. I haven’t seen the line that you have.
The Phosphorus seems high to me for veg... and you shouldnt feed the Bloom mix until you flip.