The rain barrel had a nice green tinge to it, so I’m a little surprised it had almost no EC, but I also didn’t know what to expect either.
That isn’t surprising. Both the dissolved solids in the city’s water supply and the chlorine they use to disinfect the water will increase electrical conductivity.
It’s surprising since it contains nothing yet it’s recommended basically anywhere to water everything in your yard with. That’s fine for stuff like grass or soil with time delay nutrients, but not for anything else.
But also at the same time evaporated water should be more or less pure, so why’s it being recommended if it contains nothing… so here is my surprising, yet also not surprising test results.
Sorry, are you saying that rain barrel water is recommended? Rain water does contain some dissolved and suspended material that it picks up in the atmosphere. Rain is one of the main ways that atmospheric dust, micro-organisms, and some gases are deposited back to earth. However, not all of the suspended material is electrically conductive. That’s why your rain barrel water can be green-tinted but still have low EC. Sometimes rain barrel water also contains harmful things if the water is collected from your roof, such as E. coli from the faeces of birds. That’s why you aren’t supposed to drink it.
Rain barrel water is good in that it is free, and is also preferable if you have a salt-based water softener. Tap water varies by city. Calgary’s tap water is quite neutral. Some cities have a pH that is much higher, and many people still have lead service lines so may not want to use their tap water.
For growing weed, you ideally want to start with neutral, low-EC water and then add your nutrients. If you are growing outdoors in a garden with amended soil, you don’t typically need anything except plain water, whether from the tap or from a rain barrel.
Jeez I figured out something myself today, don’t need to be so condescending since you knew already dude.
My apologies. It was not my intention to be condescending. Perhaps it is my writing style. Anyway, didn’t mean to offend. Have a good night.
I think it was the "Sorry, " which you probably meant as a “please clarify” but OP read as "Are you fkn serious, "
That isn’t surprising.
Yeah, that’s an incredibly condescending way to start a “conversation”.
Dudes a dick and wanted to flout their “knowledge” simple as that.
okay thanks for clarifying, it’s not a misunderstanding you’re just butthurt lol
Rain barrel waterWas the tap water sample measured right after pulling it? Conductivity is usually related to TDS but can be effected by suspended particles in the sample. If the bucket of rain water was sitting and the tap water was flushed, it may affect the reading.
That being said, I’d expect tap water to have a higher TDS because of treatment.
Also isn’t tds related to EC? TDS can have different results from the calculation from an EC reading I thought since there is a couple different calculations and ratings?
Drew the tap water and measured it, then went and pulled a bucket from the barrel and did the same. I think the results are good.
It’s a mix of treatment, and ground collection, it’s mainly mountain fed glaciers feeding the rivers.