Is dishwasher effluent OK for watering plants with (specifically, comfrey)?
The reason I ask, is because I am thinking of drilling some small holes in
the 2" sloping waste pipe outside my house which takes the dishwasher's
effluent to the sewer downpipe. Underneath the 2" waste pipe, is a long
planter containing my comfrey plants, which I gather prefer to live in damp
soil.

The dishwasher tablets I use are the cheapest type from Tesco. I also use
salt, in the dishwasher's salt compartment, to inhibit limescale.

Jim

On Mar 6, 5:24*pm, Jim xzy wrote:
Is dishwasher effluent OK for watering plants with (specifically, comfrey)?
The reason I ask, is because I am thinking of drilling some small holes in
the 2" sloping waste pipe outside my house which takes the dishwasher's
effluent to the sewer downpipe. Underneath the 2" waste pipe, is a long
planter containing my comfrey plants, which I gather prefer to live in damp
soil.

The dishwasher tablets I use are the cheapest type from Tesco. I also use
salt, in the dishwasher's salt compartment, to inhibit limescale.

Jim


Dishwasher detergent has some quite nasty chemicals.
Do you really want to anoint your vegetbles with them?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dish_washer#Detergent

harry wrote in news:b04f00fb-ef77-427b-b5d0-
:

Dishwasher detergent has some quite nasty chemicals.
Do you really want to anoint your vegetbles with them?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dish_washer#Detergent

I guess it depends on the amounts present in the water.

I guess I could try it and see if the comfrey starts looking sorry for
itself...

Jim

On 06/03/2012 19:31, Jim xzy wrote:
wrote in news:b04f00fb-ef77-427b-b5d0-
:

Dishwasher detergent has some quite nasty chemicals.
Do you really want to anoint your vegetbles with them?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dish_washer#Detergent

I guess it depends on the amounts present in the water.

I guess I could try it and see if the comfrey starts looking sorry for
itself...

Jim


Why risk it? You'll not just damage your plant(s), but the soil, too.
Dishwater 'grey' water is not suitable for use in the garden. If you
wanted to harvest it and use it for flushing the toilet, that would be
reasonable. Keep it away from your soil and plants.

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

On Mar 6, 5:24*pm, Jim xzy wrote:
Is dishwasher effluent OK for watering plants with (specifically, comfrey)?
The reason I ask, is because I am thinking of drilling some small holes in
the 2" sloping waste pipe outside my house which takes the dishwasher's
effluent to the sewer downpipe. Underneath the 2" waste pipe, is a long
planter containing my comfrey plants, which I gather prefer to live in damp
soil.

The dishwasher tablets I use are the cheapest type from Tesco. I also use
salt, in the dishwasher's salt compartment, to inhibit limescale.

Jim

It has lots of salt, and worse. I'd be surpised if there were many
plants that survived it.


NT

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2012-03-07 15:55:40 +0000, Chris Hogg said:

On 6 Mar 2012 17:24:23 GMT, Jim xzy wrote:

Is dishwasher effluent OK for watering plants with (specifically,
comfrey)?
The reason I ask, is because I am thinking of drilling some small holes
in
the 2" sloping waste pipe outside my house which takes the dishwasher's
effluent to the sewer downpipe. Underneath the 2" waste pipe, is a long
planter containing my comfrey plants, which I gather prefer to live in
damp
soil.

The dishwasher tablets I use are the cheapest type from Tesco. I also
use
salt, in the dishwasher's salt compartment, to inhibit limescale.

Jim

'Ordinary' washing-up water is OK for occasional use on the garden
e.g. at times of drought, but as others have said, dishwasher water is
quite another matter. It contains much more in the way of aggressive
detergents, and I would expect frequent and repeated doses onto a
potted plant would kill it.

Those who used washing up water from the sink (not the dishwasher) during
the 1976 drought, sometimes found a marked drop in aphids in their
gardens!
--
Sacha

It was during that period that my wife, who has been a very keen gardener
for a number of years, developed a wonderful method of using all the sink
and washing machine water. She had to really because we had a large garden
at our last house and we were complete as a family.

Kindest regards

Mike
--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2012-03-07 15:55:40 +0000, Chris Hogg said:

On 6 Mar 2012 17:24:23 GMT, Jim xzy wrote:

Is dishwasher effluent OK for watering plants with (specifically,
comfrey)?
The reason I ask, is because I am thinking of drilling some small holes
in
the 2" sloping waste pipe outside my house which takes the dishwasher's
effluent to the sewer downpipe. Underneath the 2" waste pipe, is a long
planter containing my comfrey plants, which I gather prefer to live in
damp
soil.

The dishwasher tablets I use are the cheapest type from Tesco. I also
use
salt, in the dishwasher's salt compartment, to inhibit limescale.

Jim

'Ordinary' washing-up water is OK for occasional use on the garden
e.g. at times of drought, but as others have said, dishwasher water is
quite another matter. It contains much more in the way of aggressive
detergents, and I would expect frequent and repeated doses onto a
potted plant would kill it.

Those who used washing up water from the sink (not the dishwasher) during
the 1976 drought, sometimes found a marked drop in aphids in their
gardens!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

AFAIK soapy water has been used to treat aphid infestations for years.

Good use of waste water.

Bill