Swamp water safe for plants?

NietzscheKeen

NietzscheKeen

Well-Known Member
I usually use rain water for watering my gardens, but have recently got the idea of using swamp water instead. I was playing with the notion that it would have more organic matter in it than rain water, assuming that is ok. The area I am thinking of supports all sorts of wildlife; fish, ducks, herons, turtles, hogs, beavers, and even the occasional alligator. There is also a cattle field nearby which, I'm certain, provides a bit of manure run-off. In reality, this isn't a true swamp, it is a dammed up stream that has become quite large in size. I has plenty of plant life in it as well.

Do you think this would cause any harm to my plants or give them an off odor or flavor? Is there any added benefit of using swamp water instead of rain water? I would probably use this as a base for both root and foliar feeding.

Thank you and sincere regards,
 
Slab

Slab

Well-Known Member
People grow in the swamps all the time. I think risk of introducing pathogens and pests would not be worth the effort

rain water is proven beneficial and can't be beat
 
zack66

zack66

Well-Known Member
If it contains fish year round, depending on what species you may be okay. Trout for instance means there's plenty of oxygen in the water. If there are places to access moving water to feed them you may be all set. Take a meter out there next time and check it out. I grow in swamps all the time but, never rely on them for any kind of water source. I use mini pallets to use for a base. Great thing about swamp growing is the lack of thieves who are willing to have a rough walk for the slight chance of scoring. Good luck though!
 
LadyJane420

LadyJane420

Member
NietzscheKeen said:
I usually use rain water for watering my gardens, but have recently got the idea of using swamp water instead. I was playing with the notion that it would have more organic matter in it than rain water, assuming that is ok. The area I am thinking of supports all sorts of wildlife; fish, ducks, herons, turtles, hogs, beavers, and even the occasional alligator. There is also a cattle field nearby which, I'm certain, provides a bit of manure run-off. In reality, this isn't a true swamp, it is a dammed up stream that has become quite large in size. I has plenty of plant life in it as well.

Do you think this would cause any harm to my plants or give them an off odor or flavor? Is there any added benefit of using swamp water instead of rain water? I would probably use this as a base for both root and foliar feeding.

Thank you and sincere regards,
Click to expand...
In my area, swamp water is quite stagnant. You're probably better off with the rain water as its pure and clean. The swamp water might cause root rot type issues.

Best of luck either way
 
NietzscheKeen

NietzscheKeen

Well-Known Member
It does contain fish year round; bass and perch mostly. The whole thing is moving, just slowly. I would have no problem filling my watering tank with buckets or with a solar powered water pump I have available. I figure for foliar feeding I could allow all the sediment to settle to the bottom the open the bottom valve on my tank to flush out the sediment into a bucket; saving it for root watering. My plants aren't going to be near the swamp though, just using it as a free water source. Not so many thieves, but we do catch a few poachers and trespassers occassionally near the swamp which is why my garden will not be located there.

You actually grow yours IN the water? I'm trying to picture how you use the pallets.
 
zack66

zack66

Well-Known Member
NietzscheKeen said:
It does contain fish year round; bass and perch mostly. The whole thing is moving, just slowly. I would have no problem filling my watering tank with buckets or with a solar powered water pump I have available. I figure for foliar feeding I could allow all the sediment to settle to the bottom the open the bottom valve on my tank to flush out the sediment into a bucket; saving it for root watering. My plants aren't going to be near the swamp though, just using it as a free water source. Not so many thieves, but we do catch a few poachers and trespassers occassionally near the swamp which is why my garden will not be located there.

You actually grow yours IN the water? I'm trying to picture how you use the pallets.
Click to expand...
Not directly in the water. I look for little grass and brush islands. They are usually 4x6 or so. I drop the pallet with a couple boards taken off then drop a half bail of pro mix on top. It's part pro mix along with 7 or 8 other goodies in it. Drop my lady whose usually about 18in tall in it and good to go.
 
zack66

zack66

Well-Known Member
If you have any plants going now why not make a demo and grab 5 gls of that water and start feeding. Sure fire way to know. Luck to ya"
 
NietzscheKeen

NietzscheKeen

Well-Known Member
I got a quart of water today and will do a nutrient and ph test as soon as I can. I'm not sure what other factors matter besides salinity. If anyone is curious as to what I find, let me know and I will post it.
 
NietzscheKeen

NietzscheKeen

Well-Known Member
Actually, I'm quite optimistic. I just remembered today that we killed tons of water lilies which are now lying on the bottom decomposing. I was curious and hopeful that water lilies would be beneficial in the same manner as kelp or seaweed. Lol, I will try to remember to take photos along the way. Who knows, if this water is significantly better than rain water, I might have to start bottling it, lol.

Maybe it would provide some of the benefits of aquaponics.
 
NietzscheKeen

NietzscheKeen

Well-Known Member
Today I decided to experiment with different waters and see if they make any difference at all. I will post photos periodically.
Testing:
Tap Water
Rain Water
Distilled Water (control)
Salt Water w/ distilled water base (for comparison)
Pond Water
Molasses Water
Superthrive Water
Melatonin Water (just because I was feeling wild) Who knows? Melatonin could be the secret ingredient everyone's been hoping for, lol.

I'm not using cannabis seeds, for cost reasons, but expect the results to be relevant to cannabis. I'm using some pinto beans from the store, high school biology style. :)
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
NietzscheKeen said:
Today I decided to experiment with different waters and see if they make any difference at all. I will post photos periodically.
Testing:
Tap Water
Rain Water
Distilled Water (control)
Salt Water w/ distilled water base (for comparison)
Pond Water
Molasses Water
Superthrive Water
Melatonin Water (just because I was feeling wild) Who knows? Melatonin could be the secret ingredient everyone's been hoping for, lol.

I'm not using cannabis seeds, for cost reasons, but expect the results to be relevant to cannabis. I'm using some pinto beans from the store, high school biology style. :)
Click to expand...
Sounds cool. Any comparison of a like strain or species should show if there is any real benefit to using treated water.
 
M

markexpress

Active Member
I used outdoor water for much of last season. At first I was worried that it may contain damaging runoff from nearby farm fields that may kill the plants. But it didn't happen. It smelled of rotten eggs (was not clean drinking water) but the plants absolutely loved it. I guess thats because it contained a healthy dose of sulphur which is good for the plants. Better to do an analysis of your water source to determine if it has any harmful chemicals or pesticides - as long as the water does not contain much of algae then you are good! Water with a lot of algae in it is bad for the plants. It must have some oxygen content in it, otherwise you may suffocate the roots of the plants ... I guess it depends on how stale it is.
 
NietzscheKeen

NietzscheKeen

Well-Known Member
Results after four days:
Tap Water
Rain Water
Pond Water
RO Water
Molasses Water and
"Melatonin" Water have all had at least one germinated seed out of three.

Salt Water
SuperThrive Water
Co2 Water
and H2O2 Water show no signs of germination. I will do another run of these soon incase it is a viability issue.

P1010446.jpgP1010447.jpgP1010449.jpgP1010450.jpgP1010451.jpgP1010452.jpgP1010455.jpgP1010456.jpg

Comments, Criticism?

I apologize for the photos being sideways.

Please disregard the "attached thumbnails" I do not know how to remove them.
 

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Rizzo00

Rizzo00

Active Member
I am curious as to why trout is different from any otheer fish. Do other fish breathe something different than oxygen??? Haha
 
zack66

zack66

Well-Known Member
Trout require cool oxygen rich water. I'm in the northeast, and we have bogs and swamps with native brook trout in them. If the water can sustain trout it will be fine for your plants.
 
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