# Rain Water



## Hoss#123 (Apr 13, 2020)

I have been using rain water to grow my plants. They are still young. Do I need to add anything to my rain water? If so what is recommended.


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## WeedHopper (Apr 13, 2020)

Not if your just watering i wouldnt.
I use rain water for my garden and my weed. My plants freaking love rain water. If you use tap water you have to let it set 24hrs to get rid of chlorine. With rain water there is no chlorine. Of course it also has to do with how and where your gathering your rain water.


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## WeedHopper (Apr 13, 2020)

If your trying to feed them,,then yes you need more then just rain water.
Has to do with how big they are and what stage.


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## AladinSane (Apr 13, 2020)

Had to have my well water tested by the state for a mortgage about 16 years ago. It came back and there's about nothing in it. It had very minute traces of a couple things.


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## stinkyattic (Apr 13, 2020)

Hi hoss, welcome. You need CalMag to bring it up to about 100 ppm before you even start adding fertilizer. Then you can just treat it like good tap water and mix your feed according to how old your plants are, life stage, etc.
Any reason you chose rain water over tap?


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## Hoss#123 (Apr 14, 2020)

stinkyattic said:


> Hi hoss, welcome. You need CalMag to bring it up to about 100 ppm before you even start adding fertilizer. Then you can just treat it like good tap water and mix your feed according to how old your plants are, life stage, etc.
> Any reason you chose rain water over tap?


I figured rain water was the best. Our tap wat


stinkyattic said:


> Hi hoss, welcome. You need CalMag to bring it up to about 100 ppm before you even start adding fertilizer. Then you can just treat it like good tap water and mix your feed according to how old your plants are, life stage, etc.
> Any reason you chose rain water over tap?


No particular reason , just thought you couldn't get much better. My plants are about a foot tall, again I am a rookie, first time. Looking for any advise


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## WeedHopper (Apr 14, 2020)

Ive used rain water for years on my plants and they love it. I have rain barrels just for that. If im out of rain water i fill up 5gallon buckets with tap water and let them set for at least 24hrs. Now if i lived in Houston or near that kinda of smog i might not use the rain water.


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## stinkyattic (Apr 14, 2020)

Most tap water is fine right out of the faucet. Good resources if you don't have test equipment are the town DPW and aquarium stores, or if you have a hydro shop they can probably help a lot too. What you're looking for is what the "hardness" is. Usually it's 50-150 ppm CaCO3 equivalent (= if the hardness comes from limestone, how much limestone per liter, basically). This is both mineral content and buffering ability against pH drop when exposed to acids. 
If your water is very hard (over 150) you can dilute it with rainwater. If its very soft (under about 80) you need calmag. 
Look at the DPW water report or ask the aquarium store how much residual chlorine is in it. Plants can take a lot more than fish,  so if it's safe for fish it's safe for plants.
Most of the time, tap water is fine. I've only seen problems in big urban distribution systems, or oceanside areas where the drinking water is a little brackish. How does it taste? Do you drink it out of the tap and go ahhh or ewwww? 
A TDS/ ec meter is a useful tool for your garden. Until you get one, use your other resources to decide where to get your water.
Good luck!


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## docfishwrinkle (Apr 17, 2020)

Man I get jealous of people with good tap water.  mine is around 700 ppm on average and this time of year it spikes to almost 900


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## WeedHopper (Apr 17, 2020)

Nothing like the water mother nature uses. My grass loves it thats for dang sure. I have to mow twice a week.


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## stinkyattic (Apr 17, 2020)

docfishwrinkle said:


> Man I get jealous of people with good tap water.  mine is around 700 ppm on average and this time of year it spikes to almost 900


Doc that is INSANE! HOLY FISH!
Are you a brackish water fish or did you have to take baths in RO water?  your avatar kills me lol


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## docfishwrinkle (Apr 18, 2020)

s.e/mid mich, surrounded by so many inland lakes it's not funny.  well my avi is a gobi, so...
i'm not complaining of living by all these lakes as it's fun to try and experience all of them.  weird growing up on all the inland lakes and the great ones too, that i can't move from this place


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