Algae in water butt
 

Says it all, really.

The butt started with coo muck and rainwater from the greenhouse roof drains
into it. It's not covered but has wire mesh over to stop birds drowning in
it. Another butt on the other side is covered.

I've had to use stored water from both to keep the greenhouse plants watered
this last couple of weeks, today I saw that the water in the uncovered one
was green.

I used it and am happy to continue using it (not that it will last much
longer without rain) but wondered if the Wise Ones hereabouts could warn me
if there are any potential problems.

Mary
--
Not in my name: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Algae in water butt
 

I wouldn't use it on seedlings in case of damping off!

Badger


"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

Says it all, really.

The butt started with coo muck and rainwater from the greenhouse roof
drains
into it. It's not covered but has wire mesh over to stop birds drowning in
it. Another butt on the other side is covered.

I've had to use stored water from both to keep the greenhouse plants
watered
this last couple of weeks, today I saw that the water in the uncovered one
was green.

I used it and am happy to continue using it (not that it will last much
longer without rain) but wondered if the Wise Ones hereabouts could warn
me
if there are any potential problems.

Mary
--
Not in my name: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Algae in water butt
 

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| Says it all, really.
|
| The butt started with coo muck and rainwater from the greenhouse roof drains
| into it. It's not covered but has wire mesh over to stop birds drowning in
| it. Another butt on the other side is covered.
|
| I've had to use stored water from both to keep the greenhouse plants watered
| this last couple of weeks, today I saw that the water in the uncovered one
| was green.
|
| I used it and am happy to continue using it (not that it will last much
| longer without rain) but wondered if the Wise Ones hereabouts could warn me
| if there are any potential problems.

As plants don't have a sense of smell, no :-)

More precisely, avoid using it for plants that require low levels
of nutrients, like insect-eating ones, but otherwise it is fine.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

Algae in water butt
 

As plants don't have a sense of smell, no :-)

It doesn't smell ...

More precisely, avoid using it for plants that require low levels
of nutrients, like insect-eating ones, but otherwise it is fine.

Thanks,

Mary


--
Not in my name: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Algae in water butt
 

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

As plants don't have a sense of smell, no :-)

Is there any evidence for that?
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Algae in water butt
 

In article , Alan Gould writes:
| In article , Nick Maclaren
| writes
|
| As plants don't have a sense of smell, no :-)
|
| Is there any evidence for that?

Well, as they generally lack anything like a scent receptor and
invariably lack anything like a nervous system, it seems a
reasonable deduction. You will gather that I have no great time
for Lysenko, but I am perhaps not alone in that :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

Algae in water butt
 

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

Well, as they generally lack anything like a scent receptor and
invariably lack anything like a nervous system, it seems a
reasonable deduction. You will gather that I have no great time
for Lysenko, but I am perhaps not alone in that :-)

T.D.Lysenko proposed that acquired characteristics are inheritable,
which may well be interesting but it has little to do with plant
sensibilities. Plants may not have a scent receptor, or a nervous system
of the kind found in animals, but they have some plant equivalent of
them. That enables them to detect and respond to a variety of
environmental conditions such as light, temperature, humidity, time,
soil nutrients, air pollution, insect and animal presence etc. etc.
I am suggesting that they may also be able to detect and respond to
other things like smell and noise.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Algae in water butt
 

In article ,
Alan Gould wrote:
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

Well, as they generally lack anything like a scent receptor and
invariably lack anything like a nervous system, it seems a
reasonable deduction. You will gather that I have no great time
for Lysenko, but I am perhaps not alone in that :-)

T.D.Lysenko proposed that acquired characteristics are inheritable,
which may well be interesting but it has little to do with plant
sensibilities. Plants may not have a scent receptor, or a nervous system
of the kind found in animals, but they have some plant equivalent of
them. That enables them to detect and respond to a variety of
environmental conditions such as light, temperature, humidity, time,
soil nutrients, air pollution, insect and animal presence etc. etc.
I am suggesting that they may also be able to detect and respond to
other things like smell and noise.

They can certainly respond to particular chemicals (whether airborne
or not) and vibrations, but to describe that as a "sense of smell"
or a "sense of hearing" is pushing things beyond reason. Plants most
definitely do not stop growing because of bad smells!

I am pretty sure that Lysenko also proposed many other ideas, including
one of plants having a sensory system. I associate the basic idea
of inheritance of acquired characteristics (which IS the case for
mammalian behaviour and arguably human intelligence) with Lamarck.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

Algae in water butt
 

Mary Fisher wrote:

Says it all, really.

The butt started with coo muck and rainwater from the greenhouse roof drains
into it. It's not covered but has wire mesh over to stop birds drowning in
it. Another butt on the other side is covered.

I've had to use stored water from both to keep the greenhouse plants watered
this last couple of weeks, today I saw that the water in the uncovered one
was green.

I used it and am happy to continue using it (not that it will last much
longer without rain) but wondered if the Wise Ones hereabouts could warn me
if there are any potential problems.

Mary
--
Not in my name: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

How about putting some barley straw in it? This seems to contain a
natural algicide and is recommended for controling algae in ponds. I
have tried it for this and it seems quite effective.
--
Larry Stoter

Algae in water butt
 

They can certainly respond to particular chemicals (whether airborne
or not) and vibrations, but to describe that as a "sense of smell"
or a "sense of hearing" is pushing things beyond reason. Plants most
definitely do not stop growing because of bad smells!

What humans consider bad might not be the same for plants ...

Mary

Algae in water butt
 

How about putting some barley straw in it? This seems to contain a
natural algicide and is recommended for controling algae in ponds. I
have tried it for this and it seems quite effective.

Because we live in inner city Leeds where barley doesn't grow, all our
barley straw has been used for skeps and it's a long wait until harvest ...

:-)

But I really don't mind the algae, I only asked if it was deleterious for
watering in the gh.

Mary
--
Larry Stoter

Algae in water butt
 

In article , Mary Fisher
writes

What humans consider bad might not be the same for plants ...

Exactly my point Mary.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.