Using melted snow

[karen]

Since, it is so dry, I can't use the water from my dehumidifier to water my pitcher plant, my sundew and big mouth venus fly traps. Can I use melted snow that has been brought to room temperature to create my "bog?"

[Fred P]

Yes. It's just froxen rain water. I've used it the past 4 winters in Michigan and it works great. It can be a little dirty once it melts but its still fine. I would fill an entire garbage can and let it melt to room temp.

[marcel]

Snow on itself is pure, so not a problem.
Whether you can use it safely on your plants depends on two things:

1. Is it clean snow which means no salt, dirt or like that in it but collected from say a roof.
2. What kind of airpollution do you have? If not extreme and not used for a long time it should be fine.

[chloroplast]

As Marcel stated, you can use it as long as it doesn't have any salt in it. Since we like using rock salt in the Northeast, I'd be weary of using snow near the driveway.

I've been using rainwater collected from my roof for the past 4 years with no ill effect. I have four 55 gallon barrels that I use for storage to get me through the winter months but I do use snowmelt if needed.

If you have a plastic barrel, I suggest placing it under a roof overhang....you'd be surprised how much snow melts of the roof a day or two after a snowstorm. Only 2-3" on my roof is enough to fill my 55 gal barrel, and it collects water from only a small portion of my roof.

Ken

[taz6122]

I would check the PH and PPM of your melted snow before using it. I live next to a Highway and exhaust soot builds up in the snow and on my roof so I can't use the run off from my roof unless it rains hard and I wait until the soot has rinsed off the roof. Also, as already stated, some states use salt to keep the snow from building up on the road and salt will kill your plants.

[offsides16]

What with it being spring it's rather late in the season to comment on your question, but I think taking a sample next winter of some of your melted snow to your county extension service for analysis would be an idea.

I've been gathering free fall rainwater in bins so far, but getting to collect it from downspouts would be a boon! My only concern it that it would be roof run off rain and my roof is of the garden variety shingle variety. It's been rained on for 20 years, but still I intend to take a sample to my county extension agent next time it rains.

[anne58]

Wow!! This is exactly what I did this winter when I learned that I should not use ordinary tap water on my first ever carnivorous plant. Each day my husband and I would go out and fill up ice cream tubs with snow and bring them inside to melt.

I've stored the melted snow in 4 litre plastic jugs so I'll have lots to get me through the summer -- there is of course a bucket outside all the time now to gather any rainfall we have

Anne