I am thinking of buying some Disa flasks from a supplier but on visiting the
web page and looking at the cultural information, I note that it says
"Fluoride in the water is thought to be toxic."

Melbourne's water if fluoridated and I have been using it for over 30 years
on my orchids without seemingly any ill effect.

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether there is any truth to this statement
especially for Disas. I'd hate to spend the money on buying the flasks and
having every seedling facing a death sentence as soon as they are deflasked.

--
John
Melbourne, Australia
__________________________________________
To email me remove "usenet." from my email address.

Science has proven that adding fluoride to drinking water is
ineffective at reducing tooth decay, harmful to health and a waste of
money.

Besides being harmful to humans, it makes brown spots or brown tips on
some plants. Don't know which ones, though.

It's best to keep fluoride out of your body and your plants, in my
opinion

For more info:

http://www.fluoridealert.org/bohne.htm

On Oct 22, 5:27 am, "John Varigos"
wrote:
I am thinking of buying some Disa flasks from a supplier but on visiting the
web page and looking at the cultural information, I note that it says
"Fluoride in the water is thought to be toxic."

Melbourne's water if fluoridated and I have been using it for over 30 years
on my orchids without seemingly any ill effect.

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether there is any truth to this statement
especially for Disas. I'd hate to spend the money on buying the flasks and
having every seedling facing a death sentence as soon as they are deflasked.

--
John
Melbourne, Australia
__________________________________________
To email me remove "usenet." from my email address.

That sounds like an extremist response, and "science" has "proven" nothing
of the sort.

In the article cited, the fluoride and sulfate levels were quite high due to
industrial pollution, well above the fluoride levels in drinking water. In
plant toxicity, is there a synergistic effect?

Further reading at the same website, for example:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/hileman.htm, rationally discusses the fact that
there are arguments on both sides of the debate.

As to John's original question, I think it would be wise to discuss it with
someone who grows disas, like Ed Merkle. Se this:
http://www.merklesorchids.com/Orchidpages/disa.html
--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


wrote in message
ups.com...

Science has proven that adding fluoride to drinking water is
ineffective at reducing tooth decay, harmful to health and a waste of
money.

Besides being harmful to humans, it makes brown spots or brown tips on
some plants. Don't know which ones, though.

It's best to keep fluoride out of your body and your plants, in my
opinion

For more info:

http://www.fluoridealert.org/bohne.htm

On Oct 22, 5:27 am, "John Varigos"
wrote:
I am thinking of buying some Disa flasks from a supplier but on visiting
the
web page and looking at the cultural information, I note that it says
"Fluoride in the water is thought to be toxic."

Melbourne's water if fluoridated and I have been using it for over 30
years
on my orchids without seemingly any ill effect.

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether there is any truth to this
statement
especially for Disas. I'd hate to spend the money on buying the flasks
and
having every seedling facing a death sentence as soon as they are
deflasked.

--
John
Melbourne, Australia
__________________________________________
To email me remove "usenet." from my email address.

John,
I only grow a few uniflora crosses but I've found Melbourne tapwater to
be fine for Disa. Andrew


John Varigos wrote:
I am thinking of buying some Disa flasks from a supplier but on visiting the
web page and looking at the cultural information, I note that it says
"Fluoride in the water is thought to be toxic."

Melbourne's water if fluoridated and I have been using it for over 30 years
on my orchids without seemingly any ill effect.

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether there is any truth to this statement
especially for Disas. I'd hate to spend the money on buying the flasks and
having every seedling facing a death sentence as soon as they are deflasked.

--
John
Melbourne, Australia
__________________________________________
To email me remove "usenet." from my email address.

Thanks Ray and Andrew for your feedback.

I think I'll risk it.

John


"Andrew" wrote in message
oups.com...
John,
I only grow a few uniflora crosses but I've found Melbourne tapwater to
be fine for Disa. Andrew


John Varigos wrote:
I am thinking of buying some Disa flasks from a supplier but on visiting
the
web page and looking at the cultural information, I note that it says
"Fluoride in the water is thought to be toxic."

Melbourne's water if fluoridated and I have been using it for over 30
years
on my orchids without seemingly any ill effect.

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether there is any truth to this
statement
especially for Disas. I'd hate to spend the money on buying the flasks
and
having every seedling facing a death sentence as soon as they are
deflasked.

--
John
Melbourne, Australia
__________________________________________
To email me remove "usenet." from my email address.

John Varigos wrote:
I am thinking of buying some Disa flasks from a supplier but on visiting the
web page and looking at the cultural information, I note that it says
"Fluoride in the water is thought to be toxic."

Melbourne's water if fluoridated and I have been using it for over 30 years
on my orchids without seemingly any ill effect.

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether there is any truth to this statement
especially for Disas. I'd hate to spend the money on buying the flasks and
having every seedling facing a death sentence as soon as they are deflasked.


I do grow disas and have for about five years now. I can only tell you
what I have been told by others who have grown them longer and studied
them. They need as pure water as you can arrange. I have been told that
TDS must be kept below 200ppm (even with fertilizer in it), better yet,
below 100ppm, to successfully grow them. As my tap water tests out at
265ppm (nmysteriously, as the first year it tested at 412ppm), I use
rainwater which tests for me at 11ppm.

Thanks Tennis for the feedback. Unfortunately Australia is in the grip of
the worst drought in our recorded history so no rain to speak of so will
have to go with tap water until the climate changes. But feedback from
other Melbourne growers indicates no problem using tap water.

Cheers
John

"tennis maynard" wrote in message
.. .
John Varigos wrote:
I am thinking of buying some Disa flasks from a supplier but on visiting
the
web page and looking at the cultural information, I note that it says
"Fluoride in the water is thought to be toxic."

Melbourne's water if fluoridated and I have been using it for over 30
years
on my orchids without seemingly any ill effect.

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether there is any truth to this
statement
especially for Disas. I'd hate to spend the money on buying the flasks
and
having every seedling facing a death sentence as soon as they are
deflasked.


I do grow disas and have for about five years now. I can only tell you
what I have been told by others who have grown them longer and studied
them. They need as pure water as you can arrange. I have been told that
TDS must be kept below 200ppm (even with fertilizer in it), better yet,
below 100ppm, to successfully grow them. As my tap water tests out at
265ppm (nmysteriously, as the first year it tested at 412ppm), I use
rainwater which tests for me at 11ppm.

John,
Melbourne tap water is usually very soft. I don't know which reservoirs
are supplying your water but the TDS of the reservoirs for the south
east are usually in the 40-80ppm range. Check your water company's
website for their water quality tests. If you're at all concerned about
chlorine (which is generally low to start with), let the water stand
overnight and it will dissipate out.

John Varigos wrote:
Thanks Tennis for the feedback. Unfortunately Australia is in the grip of
the worst drought in our recorded history so no rain to speak of so will
have to go with tap water until the climate changes. But feedback from
other Melbourne growers indicates no problem using tap water.

Cheers
John

"tennis maynard" wrote
I do grow disas and have for about five years now. I can only tell you
what I have been told by others who have grown them longer and studied
them. They need as pure water as you can arrange. I have been told that
TDS must be kept below 200ppm (even with fertilizer in it), better yet,
below 100ppm, to successfully grow them. As my tap water tests out at
265ppm (nmysteriously, as the first year it tested at 412ppm), I use
rainwater which tests for me at 11ppm.

Letting water stand overnight to evaporate the chlorine only works with
water that's been sanitized using chlorine gas.

Many water systems are coverting to a more stable form of chlorine,
chloramine. It never evaporates. Google it - there's lots written about it,
both pro and con.

San Francisco converted a year or so ago. I don't grow water-quality
sensitive plants, and the plants I do grow haven't complained.

-Eric in SF
www.orchidphotos.org

wrote in message
ups.com...
John,
Melbourne tap water is usually very soft. I don't know which reservoirs
are supplying your water but the TDS of the reservoirs for the south
east are usually in the 40-80ppm range. Check your water company's
website for their water quality tests. If you're at all concerned about
chlorine (which is generally low to start with), let the water stand
overnight and it will dissipate out.

Chloramine is not used in the Melbourne water supply (OP is from
Melbourne). In John's case, letting the water stand O/N is an
appropriate method of removing chlorine.

Eric Hunt wrote:
Letting water stand overnight to evaporate the chlorine only works with
water that's been sanitized using chlorine gas.

Many water systems are coverting to a more stable form of chlorine,
chloramine. It never evaporates. Google it - there's lots written about it,
both pro and con.

San Francisco converted a year or so ago. I don't grow water-quality
sensitive plants, and the plants I do grow haven't complained.

-Eric in SF
www.orchidphotos.org

Thanks guys, but fluoride was my concern because of the statement that it
was possibly toxic to Disas. I don't have a problem with chlorine because as
you say it evaporates very quickly - even straight out of the tap.

Cheers

John



"Andrew" wrote in message
oups.com...
Chloramine is not used in the Melbourne water supply (OP is from
Melbourne). In John's case, letting the water stand O/N is an
appropriate method of removing chlorine.

Eric Hunt wrote:
Letting water stand overnight to evaporate the chlorine only works with
water that's been sanitized using chlorine gas.

Many water systems are coverting to a more stable form of chlorine,
chloramine. It never evaporates. Google it - there's lots written about
it,
both pro and con.

San Francisco converted a year or so ago. I don't grow water-quality
sensitive plants, and the plants I do grow haven't complained.

-Eric in SF
www.orchidphotos.org