On 25/02/2011 17:37, Martin Brown wrote:
On 25/02/2011 14:35, Topdown wrote:
I am new to this forum and indeed new to gardening having spent the last
40+ years playing with mechanical, electrical and computer things
...... Now retired ....

I have a very large (male) Yew Tree alongside and quite close to my
greenhouse, shed and garden. Parts of the tree, pollen, leaves etc blow
onto the roof of the shed and greenhouse and stay there for some time
until I clean them off.

I would like to collect rain water from the roof of the shed and
greenhouse to water the vegetable plants both in the garden and
greenhouse. The question is, is it safe to use the water that has yew
pollen and leaves have soaked in ??

I wouldn't use it as drinking water even after boiling, but apart from
that the plants won't mind a bit dead plant material toxic to animals.

There is a lot of airborne pollen off a yew early in the year. Some
people can be sensitive to it.

The vast majority of leaves are dead and brown with only occasional
green leaves being on the roof

Many thanks ...............


Be fine for watering plants. Just stay out of the smoke if you ever
decide to burn the prunings off a yew tree.

Regards,
Martin Brown


Yew needles or not, *no* waterbutt water is good for watering seedlings;
it's too full of bacteria and would cause rotting and fungal problems.
As Martin says, fine for watering other plants.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay