In article ,
Rusty Hinge 2 writes:
| The message
| from Yuri contains these words:
|
| Runs down into a 40 gallon tub as does rainwater. Have started using it
| for plants and notice it has an unpleasant smell. Is there any way of
| stopping this and am I right in not using washing machine water.
|
| Unpleasant smell is due to old skin scales, etc, decaying. It won't do
| the plants any harm, but will act as a weak phosphate fertiliser.
|
| You are quite right not to use the outfall from the washing-machine as
| many washing powders contain borax, which is an effective weedkiller.

Er, ineffective weedkiller, shirley?

Plants need boron in small quantities - if there is enough in your
washing-machine water to make the soil toxic to them, you have other
problems!

Your statement stands, of course - most washing-machine powders are
pretty nasty mixtures of chemicals. The water could well cause leaf
burn, if nothing else.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.