Snow will have a lot more impurities in it.... dirt... microbes.... and you'll need a lot of snow to make a little water
Building A Better Soil: Demonstrations & Discussions Of Organic Soil Recipes
- Thread starter SweetSue
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Guy Cavallero
Well-Known Member
Fair.....shitty! Snow we have in spades, lol. I love to be harvesting some of this melt water instead of having to carry pails back and forth into the house under the cloak of Darkness LOL..... Especially when it's -30 again LOL.
I know guy... I'm glad I don't have neighbours that can watch me... -20 carrying buckets of water from my house
GodOfPot
Well-Known Member
Isn't microbes the reason that rain water would have been suggested in the OP? And what do you mean by "dirt"?
intuitional
Active Member
Here's one thread about using snow melt. It links an article for the Siberian Botanical Gardens.
This page also talks about the Siberian Botanical Gardens' experiment.
I've also come across info where it's suggested that, due to a snowflake's prolonged exposure to polluted air that it may carry pollution. Perhaps using a filter once you get the snow melted down or boiling it would guarantee safety.
This page also talks about the Siberian Botanical Gardens' experiment.
I've also come across info where it's suggested that, due to a snowflake's prolonged exposure to polluted air that it may carry pollution. Perhaps using a filter once you get the snow melted down or boiling it would guarantee safety.
Rain always starts as snow/Ice, and for the water vapor to freeze it must attach to something such as dirt particals, micro meteorites, and there's some bacteria or microbes up there too that it uses to attach to to freeze. And then if it's warm air underneath it melts and falls as rain, but if it's cold it doesn't melt and holds onto more of the dirt baterica.... Watched a really good tv show on it... the baterica they focused on was in rain and cause water to freeze well above 0 C. I'll see if I can find it and post a link or title.
Also on another note rain in a lighting storm has nitrogen in it... the lighting bonds N from the air to the falling rain
Lol didn't even see intutional's reply. But by dirt I meant pollutants.
GodOfPot
Well-Known Member
Awesome info both of you... thank you 
I would pass on the neem cuttings... Neem is a tree from India.. zone 9-10 or something like that. Will take over the container. Ask the person with cuts if you can purchase dried or even better fresh leaves. Let her do the work and save space for cannabis.
Actually ask her if she wants to trade. She provides the Neem leaves, you give her some HG. There we go, free market in action. The way its supposed to be.
We can work on the use of fresh leaves... I just received a 4# bag the other day. Woot!
Guy - just plow it over beside the door and scoop and melt. Don't PH test it fresh ... its pretty pure and PH testing is actually misleading at best. Let the snow warm up to room temp .. .pour it on.
Side note - the garden never got hurt from rain or snow... pretty 100% on that.
There's no "pollutants" in your home or in the "pipes" that bring your water, right?
People, a little common sense is a good thing. Pretty soon you won't need water but a bottle of water with nutrients inside. For the low low ....wait its high priced, snow is free... even if you didn't want it.
Forsure Bob, your garden don't do crappy the next year after you have a lot of snow. I'm thinking along the line of consumption here in my head.
And yes "pollutants" are unavoidable these days
Guy Cavallero
Well-Known Member
bob.. ... just caught a glimpse of your plants over on stank's thread, those are insane! What soil mix are you using, is it C C's? I'm going over to take a quickie at your thread.
Yes - Coots Mix FTW! I'm on like the 4th or 5th round with this soil I mixed last winter.... maybe it was fall 2016.. The Coots mix gets better each round, until it doesn't then I recycle it into outdoor gardens and mix some more.
Snow is fine actually even better than rain water since usually we are collecting rain water than ran off the roof - if asphalt shingles then there will be some of that mixed in the rain water. We collect rain water in barrels but I don't use it in container gardens.
IF you PH test snow melt you will think there's something wrong it will measure acidic I think like 4 or something but if after its melted is will slowly increase to 5-6 PH. There's some science to why... but it's been tried and true, it's going to be good for plants. Just let it sit for a few days if you're concerned. I think the PH thing is due to what a PH test is.. we are measuring the Potential for Hydrogen (PH) so in snow and rain it's almost pure H2O ... this kinda screws with the PH meter a little bit since most all water isn't pure... My RO water measures 6.5 PH @ 7-9 ppm....
We have that and always remember the plant and the micro-organisms change the PH minute by minute all the time everyday. So all we need to do is get reasonably close ... the soil will handle the rest. The problem with tap water is its going to measure PPMs in the 150-250 range and fluctuates all the time, and we have NO idea what those PPMs are and why we use an RO filter for us and our plants. If we were off grid - it would be snow melt for us and plants and we would store it as ICE to use later when no snow. Love mother nature, she will love you back!
GodOfPot
Well-Known Member
Hey all looking for a lil verification on 2 conflicting rules, wondering which trumps which....
Mixing my first batch of living soil(CC mix)..I know the rule is to turn it every few days and keep it from going anaerobic....however I'll be top dressing it with bokashi, I know the rule for that is to let it sit and do its thing for a couple weeks then mix it in....so which rule trumps which...go with the mixing rule or the bukkake rule? Thank you .
Mixing my first batch of living soil(CC mix)..I know the rule is to turn it every few days and keep it from going anaerobic....however I'll be top dressing it with bokashi, I know the rule for that is to let it sit and do its thing for a couple weeks then mix it in....so which rule trumps which...go with the mixing rule or the bukkake rule? Thank you .
GOP - don't need to turn it... we "turn" hot compost that usually has manure as part of the mix. Coots mix just mix it up and put in a container with a lid and water it. Add Bokashi as a top dress if you want to... just sprinkle a layer on top of the mixed soil and put the lid back on. Lid and container should be fairly tight. I use Rubber Maid containers that are water tight - keeps the soil from drying out while its waiting for you to plant in it.
GodOfPot
Well-Known Member
Sweet thank you Bob .
There she is with the bokashi...55gal tote with 45 gal base mix + the amendments....about 12-13 gal of water(with some EM solution)...will check in a couple days, wanna see the activity going on with the bokashi .
There she is with the bokashi...55gal tote with 45 gal base mix + the amendments....about 12-13 gal of water(with some EM solution)...will check in a couple days, wanna see the activity going on with the bokashi .
Guy Cavallero
Well-Known Member
Nice GOP.. ...oh man that tote gives me an idea.....wicked!Sweet thank you Bob .
There she is with the bokashi...55gal tote with 45 gal base mix + the amendments....about 12-13 gal of water(with some EM solution)...will check in a couple days, wanna see the activity going on with the bokashi .
GodOfPot
Well-Known Member
Was the largest one I could find between the 3 major places..pic does no justice to its size, but in my 4x4 it almost touches the side walls...so just under 4' in length