Steaming

Steaming

I bought a steam cleaner this week. I had it brought to my attention that I seem to have a bit of confusion differentiating indoors and out of doors when it comes to muddy boots and clothing. I’d blame it on the dogs but they don’t come into the main part of the house, they have their own grimy chairs in my office space.  Anyway, this steam cleaner has totally changed the way I wash floors and clean furniture (the steamer converts from a floor cleaner to a hand held device with the click of a button)  I didn’t even know they existed until  a few days ago, apparently everyone else knows about them though and they have been around for years. 

Barge

Something else that’s been around for a long time is the canal barge that my mate Paul (The Mulcher) is buying for himself and his girlfriend to live on.  They have decided to forego convention and rent a space on the waterways where they can live in a straight line on their narrow boat.  The children have gone and they are just rattling around their house and don’t really need the space.  One thing Paul will miss though is his garden.  I’ve been taking inspiration from my new toy and after watching the steamer hover over the wooden floor it gave me an idea.  How about if Paul builds himself a floating garden? 

Rafts

It sounds a bit farfetched but here me out.  In some countries the only way to grow vegetables is to build them on rafts. They vary in size but some basic ones are made out of nothing more than lashed together bamboo, some lilies for a base and then on top of that a layer of soil is added to keep the plants from getting too wet. Just think of the design Paul could use. He could get old water bottles out of the bins, tie them together, put some soil on top, tie them around the barge and there you have it. A self-watering garden that will always be at your fingertips, all you need do is open a window anywhere on the barge and grab a handful of lettuce and herbs. 

There is a prototype large scale version of this idea being built that could produce over 40 tonnes of produce a day and it might reduce the amount of plastic bottles floating around the ocean as they are tied together and used for ballast. (pic:Wayne J. Lutz)

Which is Best?

Staying on the subject of water…  Do plants prefer tap water or rain water?  That’s a question I have asked myself often and I tend to go for the rainwater. Rainwater seems softer and I know when I used to grow a lot of two litre pot plants, they always seemed to perk up after a downpour, far more that the tap watering system I had.  There could be a lot of factors besides the softness, it might be something to do with moisture in the air or any number of other things.  It’s not clear cut though because some people have chlorinated water, wells, fluoride in the water and other impurities.

Using  recycled rainwater we collect is not only great to use because it is free, but there is a science behind the benefits it has on your plants too other than softness.

• It’s free from chlorine and any other treatments added by the water companies.
• Rainwater has a better PH for the soil than mains water, as it has a very low alkalinity
• Nitrogen found in rainwater helps foliage grow lush and green because it is the basis of photosynthesis.  Plus it is an essential component of each stage of plant growth and development.
• It’s healthier for plants because it is relatively free of impurities and hard water minerals.
• According to the University of Edinburgh's Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, rainwater is a rich source of nitrogen that is soluble through the biological processes of plants and soil

Negatives of watering plants with mains water

• Tap water contains ingredients added as softeners, such as sodium, which can prevents the roots from absorbing water
• Additives included in mains water for human health, such as fluoride, can injure plants especially those with long slender leaves
• Chlorine in mains water is harmful to plants and kills beneficial microorganisms in the soil
• Hard water also negatively affects root growth and development. Rainwater does not contain these minerals, and it helps wash them out of the soil as it soaks in.

If you do have any reservations about additives in tap water, let it site for an hour or two, this gets rid of a few cleaning agents.

One thing I do know is that my plants prefer rain water to tap water, but they also prefer tap water to NO water, so don’t be too fussy!