On 06/08/2010 10:12, Jeff Layman wrote:
"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...

It is a bad idea to use tapwater on any lime hating plant (although I
do sometimes for my blueberries when I run out of rainwater).

Depends where your water supply comes from. Easiest way to tell in a new
area is to wash with your usual amount of soap. If there is no scum, and
it takes umpteen gallons of water to wash the soap off, then you are in
a soft water area... ;-)

Anyway, the basic rule to remember is that a lime-hater takes a much
shorter time to die from drought than it does from chlorosis!

I live in North Yorkshire. We used to have fabulous local borehole water
that was a bit hard, barely treated but tasted fantastic.

These days we are on Northumbrian water that seems to have an insane
amount of chlorine added to it along the way (especially at weekends).
It is hard enough that I get caught out with soap whenever I visit a
soft water region. On the plus side we never get drought orders.

Regards,
Martin Brown