Is tumble dryer water safe for carnivorous plants?

[Monique]

Can't find a clear answer online. I have some carnivorous plants that I feed distilled water, which I always run out off so it's a bit of an inconvenience. I can't collect rain water, so I was thinking about using the water from my condensor tumble drier.

Has anyone used that type of water for watering plants? While the water should be free of salts, it does carry a perfume. So it does have some chemicals in it.

I'm thinking of letting the water sit out in the sun for a few days, which might work purifying. Still I'm afraid I might kill my plants by using it

 

[jobyts]

<hijack>
What's the opposite of carnivorous plants? Herbivorous plants?
</hijack>

 

[Monique]

I'd say photoivorous.

 

[lisab]

You could do an experiment, but it might result in a bad outcome for a plant or two .

Can you filter the condensed water? Or switch laundry soap to a type that has a simple formulation (no perfumes, fabric softeners, or fabric brighteners)?

 

[Monique]

Two are just coming out of hibernation, so I don't want to experiment on them. Switching detergent is not an option, but the filter is a good idea. I just wish there was a way to capture rainwater..

 

[Jobrag]

I just wish there was a way to capture rainwater, divert your gutter downspout into a bucket.

 

[Monique]

I just wish there was a way to capture rainwater, divert your gutter downspout into a bucket.

I would have to crawl out of the bathroom window into the gutter between two buildings. Far from convenient and disturbing the privacy of the neigbours who have a window there as well.

I'll check next time when there's a down-pouring if there's a flow of water somewhere that can be captured on the roof.

 

[Monique]

Or maybe... I could lower a bucket from the roof and position it below the rainspout. Let's see if that's possible..

 

[StatGuy2000]

Monique, why not just use plain tap water for your plants? Somehow I don't think tap water in the Netherlands should differ all that much in quality than other First World countries.

 

[Monique]

Carnivorous plants are adapted to live in nutrient poor environments, they get their minerals from the insects that they catch. The minerals in tap water would build up in the soil and kill the carnivorous plants, they need pure water in order to thrive.

Ugh, and the rainspout ends halfway on the sloped roof. Not an option.

 

[edward]

How about a small activated carbon filter like the ones that attach to a faucet. There are small packets of activated carbon that can be found in some sporting goods stores.

 

[AlephZero]

Rainwater collected from a roof is an unknown cocktail of chemicals. Carbonic acid, and pollutants like NO₂ and SO₂ react with the roof material. If the air is not very polluted, the roof will have its own ecosystem living on it (moss, lichens, single celled animals, etc) which will get washed into the rainwater!

 

[Student100]

Why not build a small still to convert rain water/laundry water into pure water?

http://dwb4.unl.edu/Chem/CHEM869A/CHEM869ALinks/www.goodwaterco.com/dist1.jpg

So if you want to go that route, you could easily use a large aquarim heater in a makeshift container with some copper coils, or something like that.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Carnivorous plants are adapted to live in nutrient poor environments, they get their minerals from the insects that they catch. The minerals in tap water would build up in the soil and kill the carnivorous plants, they need pure water in order to thrive.

Ugh, and the rainspout ends halfway on the sloped roof. Not an option.

Then one option would be to buy a carbon filter which can be attached to the tap to purify your water (as edward has suggested); I know many people who have purchased such filters in the past.

 

[SteamKing]

That seems pretty elaborate. (Post #13)

IDK how much water these plants need every day, but it seems something simple involving catching and condensing the steam from a tea kettle might do the trick.

If these plants are so sensitive to dissolved minerals in their water supply, how are they able to exist in the real world, with rain, runoff, etc. sloshing thru their environment?

 

[Student100]

Then one option would be to buy a carbon filter which can be attached to the tap to purify your water (as edward has suggested); I know many people who have purchased such filters in the past.

Carbon filters are not effective at removing minerals, salts, and dissolved inorganic compounds. Not sure if any of those would be a problem with your dyer water.

 

[AlephZero]

If these plants are so sensitive to dissolved minerals in their water supply, how are they able to exist in the real world, with rain, runoff, etc. sloshing thru their environment?

The basic problem (which applies to all plants to some degree) is that pot plants live in a closed environment. Stuff doesn't "slosh thru", whatever goes into the pot stays there. Some plants are very tolerant of dissolved chlorine, tapwater hardness or softness, etc. Others are not.

Carnivorous plants tend to live in environments like acid wetlands, which are hard to reproduce on a small scale in a pot.

Some "common" commercially available species like the Venus Flytrap have a tiny range in the wild - see the green blob:

Even for a family like the sundews, which are distributed worldwide, much of their habitat is under pressure from land drainage for agriculture or other human activities and they are protected species in many countries.

 

[lisab]

The basic problem (which applies to all plants to some degree) is that pot plants live in a closed environment. <snip>

Potted plants, AZ...potted!

 

[edward]

Carbon filters are not effective at removing minerals, salts, and dissolved inorganic compounds. Not sure if any of those would be a problem with your dyer water.

If this is the type of clothes drier I think it is the water wouldn't contain any minerals or salts. That type of drier uses hot air from a small refrigeration condenser to blow over the clothes. The air then returns over the cold evaporator coil where the water is condensed and runs to a drain or collection container.

 

[Monique]

It wouldn't contain minerals, but it would contain compounds that have evaporated and condensed. I guess the best trick is to wash towels with just water and then run the dryer. I'm not sure if that's cheaper or less time consuming than just buying distilled water.

 

[Curious3141]

It wouldn't contain minerals, but it would contain compounds that have evaporated and condensed. I guess the best trick is to wash towels with just water and then run the dryer. I'm not sure if that's cheaper or less time consuming than just buying distilled water.

Are you working in a laboratory environment that uses reverse osmosis to make its own deionized water (Type 1 or ultrapure)? If so, it shouldn't be too much of an imposition to just take a little from time to time, right?

I know my lab has a ready supply of DI water and there should be no issue if I take a little for personal use. There's some wastage anyway.

 

[Borek]

I buy DI water in a 5L jugs in a superstore. When I was trying my luck with the flytraps that was a part of the shopping routine.

But these plants are quite demanding. I was using DI water from store and plants were sitting on a window sill in Marzena's room. They were small and weak. Then, we went to vacations and we asked our neighbor to take care of our plants. She took the flytrap to her house, put it on the sill - houses are identical in general, so the only sure difference was that she didn't use my DI water, but DI water from some other source. In two weeks we were away plants grew twice as large. No idea why.

 

[Monique]

Are you working in a laboratory environment that uses reverse osmosis to make its own deionized water (Type 1 or ultrapure)? If so, it shouldn't be too much of an imposition to just take a little from time to time, right?

Certainly that's out of the question, taking lab supplies. And I'm using 1-2 liters a week, so not really a little.

I buy DI water in a 5L jugs in a superstore. When I was trying my luck with the flytraps that was a part of the shopping routine.

But these plants are quite demanding.

Yes, the venus fly traps are demanding. Mine flowered and went in hibernation, all beaks have disappeared and just some leaves are left. Now they started to grow new leaves, so I'm hoping the beaks will return as well.

In addition I have a trumpet pitcher plant Sarracenia that is growing well and a Bloody Mary Nepenthes that's also happy.

 

[Chronos]

Exposing plants to pot is cruel and unusual.

 

[Curious3141]

Certainly that's out of the question, taking lab supplies. And I'm using 1-2 liters a week, so not really a little..

No that's way too much to take for personal use. I was thinking you had an itty bitty pot with a small Venus flytrap or something.