MikeSS
Member
I've done a little research and learned that the sulfur smell in my well water is caused by sulfur-reducing bacteria which forms all kinds of different compounds as it reacts with iron, manganese and other minerals and vegetative materials. Hydrogen Sulfide gas is highly toxic - it's what kills miners and well diggers. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that my bamboo doesn't like it.
My well water is just for irrigation but the water bonanza I thought I had once I got the well going has turned out to be problematical. Bamboo is a pretty tough plant and my once-lush forest of it has suffered over time as our normally scarce rain in SoCal has all but disappeared. As city water has gotten more expensive following several years of drought I've naturally cut back on my irrigation. So when the practically unlimited amount of water became available from my well, I used it generously on my water-starved vegetation. The bamboo responded with new growth and initially seemed glad to have the water, but then I noticed mature plants turning yellow that until then had been green. Some plants aren't bothered by it but papyrus, citrus and a few others don't like the water at all. Others, succulents mostly, don't seem to care about the H2S and/or whatever else is in the water.
Hydrogen sulfide gas is dissolved in the well water and forms a weak acid called hydro sulfurous acid which doesn't sound like a good thing to be spraying on plants. Bleach kills the sulphur reducing bacteria so I poured eight gallons into the well a couple weeks ago after pumping the well down to almost the intake. I also turned the pump on and washed down the sides of the well. I've just been letting the well sit - I don't want to pump chlorine onto the plants either. Enough time has gone by that the chlorine is diluted enough so I'll soon see if I've improved the water enough for the bamboo to like it, or not.
I'll eventually get the well water tested but I know from hydrology and water quality tests available on-line which address the particular aquifer I'm drawing from, that my well water is quite high in iron, manganese, and TDS. Also perhaps MTBE which has apparently invaded most of the underground water in much of the lower 48. It's no wonder despite all the billons spent on curing cancer we never quite get there - might have something to do with our MTBE intake.
If anyone has experienced any negative reactions by plants to well water I'd appreciate comments.
Thanks,
Mike
My well water is just for irrigation but the water bonanza I thought I had once I got the well going has turned out to be problematical. Bamboo is a pretty tough plant and my once-lush forest of it has suffered over time as our normally scarce rain in SoCal has all but disappeared. As city water has gotten more expensive following several years of drought I've naturally cut back on my irrigation. So when the practically unlimited amount of water became available from my well, I used it generously on my water-starved vegetation. The bamboo responded with new growth and initially seemed glad to have the water, but then I noticed mature plants turning yellow that until then had been green. Some plants aren't bothered by it but papyrus, citrus and a few others don't like the water at all. Others, succulents mostly, don't seem to care about the H2S and/or whatever else is in the water.
Hydrogen sulfide gas is dissolved in the well water and forms a weak acid called hydro sulfurous acid which doesn't sound like a good thing to be spraying on plants. Bleach kills the sulphur reducing bacteria so I poured eight gallons into the well a couple weeks ago after pumping the well down to almost the intake. I also turned the pump on and washed down the sides of the well. I've just been letting the well sit - I don't want to pump chlorine onto the plants either. Enough time has gone by that the chlorine is diluted enough so I'll soon see if I've improved the water enough for the bamboo to like it, or not.
I'll eventually get the well water tested but I know from hydrology and water quality tests available on-line which address the particular aquifer I'm drawing from, that my well water is quite high in iron, manganese, and TDS. Also perhaps MTBE which has apparently invaded most of the underground water in much of the lower 48. It's no wonder despite all the billons spent on curing cancer we never quite get there - might have something to do with our MTBE intake.
If anyone has experienced any negative reactions by plants to well water I'd appreciate comments.
Thanks,
Mike