I have a friend with an indoor swimming pool who uses a lightly chlorinated system. Every so often he has to back wash the filter and he uses this back wash water to irrigate a very mature woodland garden! Does anyone know wether or not this slightly chlorinated water would harm existing very mature Rhododendrons and Camellia's ?? I would be very grateful for your comments.
thanks, Lannerman.

"lannerman" wrote in message
...

I have a friend with an indoor swimming pool who uses a lightly
chlorinated system. Every so often he has to back wash the filter and he
uses this back wash water to irrigate a very mature woodland garden!
Does anyone know wether or not this slightly chlorinated water would
harm existing very mature Rhododendrons and Camellia's ?? I would be
very grateful for your comments.
thanks, Lannerman.




--
lannerman

This quote from someone who has a chemists background was in response to
disposing of water from a hot tub but goes someway toward answering your
query

"No experience of hot tub water but swimming pool water is OK on the garden
once you have "killed all the free chlorine"so I assume the same applies to
Bromine systems. Adding a bit of sodium thiosulphate (Hypo) will kill the
free bromine and make it safe for use.
Putting a bit of dirt in the pool will also kill chlorine/bromine or how
about some dirty washing
On a different note I have my doubts as to whether a hot tub really needs
refilling as often as the suppliers of the expensive chemicals suggest but I
suppose it depends on the usage and the "type" of people who use it and what
they do in it. "


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Thanks Charlie, I think it could go some way to explaining why several very nice R. macabeanum have died ?? This garden by the way is at Perranarworthal.
thanks, Lannerman.

In message , Chris Hogg
writes
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:41:44 +0000, lannerman
wrote:


I have a friend with an indoor swimming pool who uses a lightly
chlorinated system. Every so often he has to back wash the filter and he
uses this back wash water to irrigate a very mature woodland garden!
Does anyone know wether or not this slightly chlorinated water would
harm existing very mature Rhododendrons and Camellia's ?? I would be
very grateful for your comments.
thanks, Lannerman.

AIUI chlorine from chlorinated tap water evaporates fairly quickly if
the water is left to stand for a while (a day or two, maybe, I'm not
sure). Whether this is true for swimming pool wash I don't know, but
if you can smell the chlorine, it's evaporating. When it's stood for
long enough so that you can't smell chlorine, what's left probably
won't do much harm as the organic matter in the soil will take care of
it. After all, nobody thinks twice about putting chlorinated tap water
on their plants. But I would be worried about other salts that might
be there. For example, 'Milton' contains ordinary salt as well as
chlorine (as hypochlorite), and if salt is present, I wouldn't put it
on the garden.

Chlorine is odourless. What you can smell are the amino-chlorides which
are formed as the chlorine does it's job.
--
hugh

In message , Charlie Pridham
writes

"lannerman" wrote in message
...

I have a friend with an indoor swimming pool who uses a lightly
chlorinated system. Every so often he has to back wash the filter and he
uses this back wash water to irrigate a very mature woodland garden!
Does anyone know wether or not this slightly chlorinated water would
harm existing very mature Rhododendrons and Camellia's ?? I would be
very grateful for your comments.
thanks, Lannerman.




-- lannerman

This quote from someone who has a chemists background was in response
to disposing of water from a hot tub but goes someway toward answering
your query

"No experience of hot tub water but swimming pool water is OK on the
garden once you have "killed all the free chlorine"so I assume the same
applies to Bromine systems. Adding a bit of sodium thiosulphate (Hypo)
will kill the free bromine and make it safe for use.
Putting a bit of dirt in the pool will also kill chlorine/bromine or
how about some dirty washing
On a different note I have my doubts as to whether a hot tub really
needs refilling as often as the suppliers of the expensive chemicals
suggest but I suppose it depends on the usage and the "type" of people
who use it and what they do in it. "


The "expensive" chemicals are designed to reduce the frequency of
refilling. It's necessary to maintain the pH within reasonable limits
and also dose regularly with chlorine. There have been cases reported of
legionnaires disease due to poorly maintained hot tubs (or was it just
the threat of it reported)

Much depends on what's on the skin in terms of other chemicals of the
people who use it.
--
hugh

hugh ] wrote:
Chlorine is odourless. What you can smell are the amino-chlorides which
are formed as the chlorine does it's job.

I know at school people always said that the swimming pool smelt stronger
if people had weed in it!

"hugh" ] wrote in message
...
In message , Chris Hogg
writes
On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:41:44 +0000, lannerman
wrote:


I have a friend with an indoor swimming pool who uses a lightly
chlorinated system. Every so often he has to back wash the filter and he
uses this back wash water to irrigate a very mature woodland garden!
Does anyone know wether or not this slightly chlorinated water would
harm existing very mature Rhododendrons and Camellia's ?? I would be
very grateful for your comments.
thanks, Lannerman.

AIUI chlorine from chlorinated tap water evaporates fairly quickly if
the water is left to stand for a while (a day or two, maybe, I'm not
sure). Whether this is true for swimming pool wash I don't know, but
if you can smell the chlorine, it's evaporating. When it's stood for
long enough so that you can't smell chlorine, what's left probably
won't do much harm as the organic matter in the soil will take care of
it. After all, nobody thinks twice about putting chlorinated tap water
on their plants. But I would be worried about other salts that might
be there. For example, 'Milton' contains ordinary salt as well as
chlorine (as hypochlorite), and if salt is present, I wouldn't put it
on the garden.

Chlorine is odourless. What you can smell are the amino-chlorides which
are formed as the chlorine does it's job.
--
hugh

Chlorine gas could never be described as odourless,


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk