elel@ihu1n.UUCP (edberg) (08/01/85)
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** I have quite a collection of plants that are potted in the "standard" clay pot. With the hard well water being supplied to the area a so to speak, ring-around-the-collar, has developed. I presume that this is calcium derivative of some sort or another. How do you REMOVE the white deposite after it has penetrated the clay ?? I suppose some sort of bathroom cleaner could be used, but I am reluctant to use this method because nasty chemicals might remain and wipe out some hard to grow plant later. My current process is to soak the pot, and use a wire brush on it, no fun task and it doesnt remove all the deposit material. Any other suggestions ?????? Eric Edberg ihnp4!ihu1n!elel
holt@convexs.UUCP (08/02/85)
This deposit is indeed a mineral deposit. Some of these minerals are also
known of as "SALTS". One of the big advantages to using clay pots for many
plants is that they are porous and thus absorb much of the salt that would
otherwise precipitate out on the top of the soil. It should quickly be
stated that these salts are poison to most plants (no, I don't know of any
that are more resistant to salts). If one uses plastic pots, it
is necessary to repot plants more frequently due to salt precipitate
buildup in the soil. If one uses clay pots, the frequency of repotting is
not nearly as severe. HOWEVER, I suggest that you only reuse a clay pot
once, or twice at most. The salt that the pot absorbs eventually saturates
the clay, resulting in an unfavorable environment for the plant in the pot.
I find that my clay pots last about 3-5 years.
It should be pointed out that a very similar situation exists for farmers
of irrigated lands. Since they use ground water (high in mineral content)
to irrigate their lands, the salinity of the ground increases steadily.
Unfortunatly for them, they don't have clay pots that can be discarded.
Rain is of course relatively free of any minerals, having evaportated and
then recondensed. Has anyone guessed where this leads us? Yes, that's
right. You can collect rain water in large tubs/vats, and water your
house plants with this, totally avoiding the salinity problem. I know of
several people who do this.
Dave Holt
Convex Computer Corp.
{allegra,ihnp4,uiucdcs,ctvax}!convex!convexs!holtcht@mit-eddie.UUCP (Chester Liu) (08/07/85)
Isn't watering with rainwater bad because it's acid rain?
phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) (08/08/85)
The claim was made that plastic pots don't absorb salts from soil and
thus aren't as good as clay pots. I was under the impression that you
could soak a plant in a plastic pot and wash away the nasty salts.
Is this wrong?
--
"Where are all the good men?"
"I think they're out with all the bad women!"
Phil Ngai (408) 749-5720
UUCP: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra}!amdcad!phil
ARPA: amdcad!phil@decwrl.ARPAseb@mtgzz.UUCP (s.e.badian) (08/09/85)
Studies that I have seen have shown that it isn't the rain- water that is the problem. It is the clouds carrying all the water. For instance, in the Adirondacks they found that the concentration of acid in the clouds was very high and that the trees at the tops of the mountains(where acid rain damage is greatest) spend most of their time in the clouds. I would think that watering your plants would not do them any harm. The greatest damage occurs on the leaves of conifers. The acid rain leaches out some trace minerals making it impossible for the tree to make food. Unless you plants send most of their lives within a cloud of acid rain, I don't think you'll have to worry about it. Besides, most houseplants come from the sub-tropical and trop- ical regions where the soil is more acidic. Sharon Badian ihnp4!mtgzz!seb