Hi!
This may seem like a ridiculous question, but I have an elderly friend who
likes to ask strange questions sometimes.

For some obscure reason, he wonders if watering a garden with boiling (I
think he means boiled) water is useful for the garden or not? I add that the
water would be cooled first to avoid scalding the plants.

The idea may be that boiling the water may remove some or all of the
nutrients, thus rendering the water of absolutely no use to the plants at
all! Are the plants watered just to wet them, or is it a means of providing
them with food? Or should I look for some scientific forum in which to ask
this question?

TIA for any opinions or knowledge anyone may have to offer on this enigma.
Yvonne. (p.s. pls reply to group as email address is fictitious)

Yvonne wrote:

Hi!
This may seem like a ridiculous question, but I have an elderly friend who
likes to ask strange questions sometimes.

For some obscure reason, he wonders if watering a garden with boiling (I
think he means boiled) water is useful for the garden or not? I add that
the water would be cooled first to avoid scalding the plants.

The idea may be that boiling the water may remove some or all of the
nutrients, thus rendering the water of absolutely no use to the plants at
all! Are the plants watered just to wet them, or is it a means of
providing them with food? Or should I look for some scientific forum in
which to ask this question?

TIA for any opinions or knowledge anyone may have to offer on this enigma.
Yvonne. (p.s. pls reply to group as email address is fictitious)

I've heard of people using boiling water as a natural weed killer.

Water is obviously an essential ingredient in growing plants, along with
light and micronutrients.

About 98% of a plant are macronutrients which include hydrogen,
oxygen,carbon & nitrogren. Hydrogen and oxygen comes from water(H20);
carbon from transpiration (plants breathe in carbon dixoide C02 and breath
out oxygen 02); and nitrogrn comes from the air (air is 80% nitrogen) or
thru the roots via fertiliser or nitrogren fixing bateria. Sulphur &
Potassium are macronutirents too.

Plant micronutrients include iron, zinc, copper and chlorine which are
present in trace amounts in the water that comes out of our tap, or from
artesian water under the ground. In some parts of the Great Artesian Basin
the mineral content is too high, and I know of one large commercial
vegetable farm west of Brisbane that "demineralises" its artesian water.

So boiling water may remove some of the micronurtients what will form a
crust in the kettle. But is perfectly ok for garden use.

gtoomey

g'day yvonne,

in a sense boiling water steralises it, so from the way i see it yes
you could use cooled boiled water on the garden but there is no
benefit to be gained from the exercise, only adds to the cost of the
watering process. if there is a concern about salts in town supplied
water ie.,. chlorine, then maybe install a rain water tank for
gardening purposes, plants do seem to grow better when rain water is
used.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://home.dnet.aunz.com/gardnlen/

g'day yvonne,

in a sense boiling water steralises it, so from the way i see it yes
you could use cooled boiled water on the garden but there is no
benefit to be gained from the exercise, only adds to the cost of the
watering process. if there is a concern about salts in town supplied
water ie.,. chlorine, then maybe install a rain water tank for
gardening purposes, plants do seem to grow better when rain water is
used.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://home.dnet.aunz.com/gardnlen/

g'day yvonne,

in a sense boiling water steralises it, so from the way i see it yes
you could use cooled boiled water on the garden but there is no
benefit to be gained from the exercise, only adds to the cost of the
watering process. if there is a concern about salts in town supplied
water ie.,. chlorine, then maybe install a rain water tank for
gardening purposes, plants do seem to grow better when rain water is
used.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://home.dnet.aunz.com/gardnlen/

g'day yvonne,

in a sense boiling water steralises it, so from the way i see it yes
you could use cooled boiled water on the garden but there is no
benefit to be gained from the exercise, only adds to the cost of the
watering process. if there is a concern about salts in town supplied
water ie.,. chlorine, then maybe install a rain water tank for
gardening purposes, plants do seem to grow better when rain water is
used.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://home.dnet.aunz.com/gardnlen/

g'day yvonne,

in a sense boiling water steralises it, so from the way i see it yes
you could use cooled boiled water on the garden but there is no
benefit to be gained from the exercise, only adds to the cost of the
watering process. if there is a concern about salts in town supplied
water ie.,. chlorine, then maybe install a rain water tank for
gardening purposes, plants do seem to grow better when rain water is
used.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://home.dnet.aunz.com/gardnlen/

"Yvonne" wrote in message
...
Hi!
This may seem like a ridiculous question, but I have an elderly friend who
likes to ask strange questions sometimes.

For some obscure reason, he wonders if watering a garden with boiling (I
think he means boiled) water is useful for the garden or not? I add that
the
water would be cooled first to avoid scalding the plants.

The idea may be that boiling the water may remove some or all of the
nutrients, thus rendering the water of absolutely no use to the plants at
all! Are the plants watered just to wet them, or is it a means of
providing
them with food? Or should I look for some scientific forum in which to ask
this question?

TIA for any opinions or knowledge anyone may have to offer on this enigma.
Yvonne. (p.s. pls reply to group as email address is fictitious)


I haven't heard of it before, but the best test would be to try it.
Simply get 2 plants, annuals would be best and water one with tap water, the
other with boiled. Keeping everything else equal, such as water temp,
lighting etc.
Possibly chlorine added by water supplier could have a negative effect, and
boiling it could kill the chlorine off.
No doubt rain water (no chlorine i guess?) whether it be straight from sky
or tank has a much better effect than tap water, so boiled COULD do the
same.
Something I might test?

Boiling water will make a very effective weed destroyer. It will also
destroy nematodes (spell?) and other life in the soil at the time of
appliction.

Boiled water will have the disolved gases evaporated away from the surface
and some of the heavier minerals will plate out onto the kettle element,
some of the suspended solids will also stick to the kettle.

This will affect what chemical reactions may occur in the soil when the
water is used, but would probably make very little difference in practical
terms.

Biological hazards may be done in with a good boil....

Peter

Dear Yvonne,
Watch for other signs in your friends behaviour
such as leaving the gas burner turned on, going shopping at 2am etc.

Sounds like they need nursing home care to me.

Regards,

Norman


"Yvonne" wrote in message
...
Hi!
This may seem like a ridiculous question, but I have an elderly friend who
likes to ask strange questions sometimes.

For some obscure reason, he wonders if watering a garden with boiling (I
think he means boiled) water is useful for the garden or not? I add that
the
water would be cooled first to avoid scalding the plants.

The idea may be that boiling the water may remove some or all of the
nutrients, thus rendering the water of absolutely no use to the plants at
all! Are the plants watered just to wet them, or is it a means of
providing
them with food? Or should I look for some scientific forum in which to ask
this question?

TIA for any opinions or knowledge anyone may have to offer on this enigma.
Yvonne. (p.s. pls reply to group as email address is fictitious)

"Yvonne" wrote in message
...
*snip*

For some obscure reason, he wonders if watering a garden with boiling (I
think he means boiled) water is useful for the garden or not? I add that
the
water would be cooled first to avoid scalding the plants.

*snip*

All I know is that pouring boiling water on weeds kills them so I dare say I
wouldn't put it over plants I wanted to thrive.

Raelene
xxx