Say no to rain water?

[BudFromAbove]

I started some seedlings about 3 days ago, the cotyldon are starting to droop. Is this from overwatering or the fact that im using rain water? Should I immediately switch to tap water? Do I let the tap water sit for 24 hours? My questions are vast, my experience and knowledge is limited, please help me.

BudFromAbove Reviewed by BudFromAbove on 04-24-2008. Say no to rain water? I started some seedlings about 3 days ago, the cotyldon are starting to droop. Is this from overwatering or the fact that im using rain water? Should I immediately switch to tap water? Do I let the tap water sit for 24 hours? My questions are vast, my experience and knowledge is limited, please help me. Rating: 5

[BudFromAbove]

Oh ya, Im using FF Ocean Forrest under 6, 27 watt cfl's. Temps are around 77-82.

[texas grass]

rain water is about the best water, most the time its neutral and clean

and if the seedling has been planted how can you see the cotyldon?

ocean forrest is too strong for seedlings, that should be the problem. no nutes til the plants get 3-5 true sets of serrated leaves

read from links in sig for more info

[texas grass]

im sorry i was mistaken on rain ph from this chart it is alittle more acidic than i thought. but rain water is still ok to use. it has been used for millions of years with no adverse effects.

sorry for the mixup

[stinkyattic]

Indoors, you need to use water that has minerals in it.
Rain water has NO calcium carbonate in it whatsoever, and your plants NEED that to grow. Also, rain picks up contamination in the atmosphere, such as Nitrogen and Sulfur from smog and other fossil fuel combustion byproducts. When that interacts with moisture in the atmosphere, it goes into solution as nitric and sulfuric acid- not good! It will quickly use up the buffering capacity of your soil, which is guess what, calcium carbonate added at the packaging plant, and the pH will suddenly drop.
So if you use rain water, you must add CalMag Plus to it, and then adjust the pH before each watering.
Tap water is almost always better.

[BudFromAbove]

Cool, thanks Stinky, you're awesome!!!

[grey1223]

Letting tap water set for 24hrs to lower chlorine in most cases not necessary. Most water supplies have switched to chlorimine (spelling ???). This will not evaporate like chlorine.

[HymroD]

Letting tap water set for 24hrs to lower chlorine in most cases not necessary. Most water supplies have switched to chlorimine (spelling ???). This will not evaporate like chlorine.

Thank you for that info..

Pe@ce,

HymroD