12 replies to this topic

[farmer john]

Hi all, what with diesel getting so expensive up her ($6.00 a gallon) my water delivery guy raised his rate to $100 a load for 3000 gallons, so Iwent and bought myself a couple of those 200 gallon totes in the steel cages thinking I could collect rain water. Problem is , no rain. Well, I was thinking that every time I back wash and clean my pool filter I dump at least 100 gallons on the ground, thinking of using it on the garden but would the chlorine and algicide kill my plants. I dont want to find out the hard way as i just put in 60 honeyberry bushes @ $20 a pop and 60 blueberry in @ end of season deal of $3 each.
ps a well in my area is a no go as my neighbour spent $8000 and did not get water, just a deep dry hole,
pps have anyone had any luck propagating blue berries and honey berries?

thanks all and happy gardening

[MH81]

Hope the weather breaks for you. Short of water is a major problem when gardening.
Something to consider: the pool chemical co.s here would have to do an environmental impact study. This should allow the company to tell you the effects of the chemicals on plants... Maybe not specific plants, but plants in general. Also ask how fast the chemicals would evaporate or become inert in what you have in the totes.
I would think you guys have similar laws & regs.

As for the Blue Berry plants, try this:


Some years, stuff like this worked, some it didnt. Your results may vary.

[LilysDad]

Chorine would evaporate out after a couple of days, I believe. If you have a place to store it in the sunlight. Algicide, not good.

 

Have you got a creek or other body of water you can pump it out of?

 

ps- also what is the ph of your pool water?

Edited by LilysDad, July 14, 2013 - 09:54 AM.

[Team_Green]

really 100 bucks for 3000 gallons isnt bad.. costs me 15 bucks in fuel and 5 bucks for water i get 300 gallons a load.. i wish i needed water.. not a pump to pump out my supposed garden.. 

[Team_Green]

Chorine would evaporate out after a couple of days, I believe. If you have a place to store it in the sunlight. Algicide, not good.

 

Have you got a creek or other body of water you can pump it out of?

 

ps- also what is the ph of your pool water?

Talking to Oceans and water ways up here to pump water out of a creek or stream is a big deal.. They want a meter on your pump and they send you a bill.....

[jd.rasentrac]

I take a bath and not the shower and pump the water (with a diving pump and a garden hose) into the garden or a water barrel... it works. but just in a lil garden

Edited by jd.rasentrac, July 14, 2013 - 10:18 AM.

[LilysDad]

... and the grey water from your kitchen sink as well.

[jd.rasentrac]

... and the grey water from your kitchen sink as well.

 good idea, I only need a whole in the wall and the water will flow from the dishwasher direct to the garden - my wife will be excited!  can I tell her, that it was your idea?!

 

edit: the gallon here in my village costs nearly 13 bucks, sewage fee included.

Edited by jd.rasentrac, July 15, 2013 - 01:41 AM.

[LilysDad]

By all means, go ahead. Just give me a couple of days to change my address!

 

I don't understand, $13 a gallon for every gallon of water used? What is your monthly bill?

[HydroHarold]

Dishwasher water can be quite caustic unless it's buffered in a tank with alot of rinse (non-soap) water and other sink water.  If it can clean MY dishes I'm not sure I'd want that first full shot of Cascade dump water going on my plant roots.

[oldedeeres]

  Honey berries, also called hascap, are a wonderful fruit for making jelly or juice, and we have had success with growing them up here in our pretty extreme climate. They bloom early and can take about seven degrees of frost without much problem. Ours have already finished fruiting and we are making jelly right now, before the strawberries are ready. Olde Deere #2 makes an awesome cobbler with them, and I have no doubt they would make a fine wine, if you are into that sort of endeavour. Unfortunately, the cedar waxwings like them, and can clean off a bush in no time. We only have five bushes, and even with sharing with the birds we get more than enough fruit for ourselves. This year I spread pieces of old carpet on the ground under the bushes- they are low growing and difficult to cultivate around- kept the weeds down, preserved moisture, and made it very easy to pick up any fruit that dropped off while picking. Also got that roll of old carpet out of my shop,  lol.

[LilysDad]

  This year I spread pieces of old carpet on the ground under the bushes-

One year I got a lot of old carpet and cut it into 12" strips to lay between the garden rows. It was polyester carpet and was held together with some kind of adhesive. When rained on, it all fell apart. Now my soil has pieces of yellow yarn in it forever!!!

[oldedeeres]

    That's a bummer---- I don't think that's quite what they mean about adding fibre to your soil ,  lol.  This is foam backed shag, co-incidentally yellow. I'll watch it for deterioration. Thanks.