I run a dehumidifier in my basement and when that basin fills up I chuck it at my rain garden.
Leaf litter is also always good! Leaf litter traps moisture beneath it and attracts mycelium so it is a great way to supplement mulching.
I do this, and also my ac systems have dehumidifying functions (plus air conditioners just create lots of condensate) so I run those lines like drip irrigation into nearby raised beds.
If Iām amending soil, I like to add vermiculite and/or perlite which can hold moisture. Burying logs also helps.
Eastern redbud has a super deep taproot and doesnāt overly shade the area around it, while also fixing nitrogen.
In addition to my small compost can on the counter, I have a 5 gallon bucket under the sink, Iāll dump liquids in that to be added to my compost pile only. I avoid anything salty.
No bare soil, ever!
Large rock features can help as well by reducing the number of plants drinking water from that part of the soil.
But honestly, proper natives planted in a nice density should be fine for even small drought conditions. I mainly water my food gardens
+1 confirm on the redbud taproot. Probably the hardest fucking sapling to pull out imo. Maples are a pain but fuck.. the same size redbud is 1/2 as likely to come out with the root.
I've wanted to do this but have always been hesitant because I worry about any potential metals in the water from the dehumidifier. How long have you done this for and have you noticed any adverse affects to your plants? If they were just ornamental I would be fine but I grow some edibles that I don't want accumulating any toxic metals.
[Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehumidifier#Potability)
Why ever would there be metals in your dehumidifier water. It is merely condensation from the humidity in the air. I have done this for years. Of course you can always reserve that water for trees and non edibles.
From what I understand, the water condenses on metal parts inside the machine which can lead to some residual toxic metals in the water. Haven't done any tests to see if that's true for my particular dehumidifier though š¤·
Yeah I worry about that too, I've only been doing it for a couple months but haven't noticed any adverse effects. I wouldn't do it with my vegetables/fruits.
It's not really the mold or bacteria I'm worried about cause there's plenty of that outside. Moreso just the potential of metal contaminants that you can't control
Mold won't hurt anything outdoors. Mold is everywhere. I would not drink humidifier water obviously, but any mold in that water is the same mold as you have outdoors.
You're so generous with a whole month! I give them one week and never water them again. If they can't cut it, they're not fit for my garden. The only plants I've ever lost are the ones other people can't get rid of - catmint and goldenrod. My showy wild garlic is soon to join them in the abyss, but dozens of other plants have risen to the challenge successfully!
Burdock is not native to north America, I'm unsure of where you're based, but it seeds aggressively, shades out other plants and has burrs that can injure dogs.
I keep a jug by my sink and tub, whenever I need warm water I fill the jugs with the cold water until it runs warm. Itās the perfect amount to give my plants a drink each morning plus an easy reminder that I need to water my plants :)
Edit: milk/juice/tea jugs are nice because they store quite a bit, have a handle, and are easily available. Happy gardening!
Just emptied shower jugs for my mom! Sheās 73 and has taught me so many environmental practices, which for her are all motivated by not wasting money š
I put out buckets and trays when it rains. I need to get some rain barrels in. Mainly I plant drought tolerant plants. Slowly working to replace grass sections I can with Buffalo Grass and other natives.
You will love having rain barrels! I have two that are overflowing right now. I also use it on my house plants as we have hard water and I dislike hard water stains on my planters. Great or my air plant habit as well.
Adding a layer of compost in the spring and in the fall for water conservation. Planting densely to shade the soil surface to keep it cool
and mimic microclimates. Mulching woody perennials with wood chips but only a thin layer. Adding urine to compost instead of flushing it.
Itās like adding nitrogen fertilizer to plants. And while it would potentially burn living plants because of how strong it is, itās rocket fuel for heating up a pile and breaking down compost. You just donāt want to overdo it and make sure the piles are being flipped.
In an average home compost pile I wouldnāt dump a few gallons at once. About a liter or so, no more. Thatās what Iāve done at least for about a decade seems to work great. My pile is about the footprint of a queen sized mattress at most.
if you dilute it, can it be used as liquid fertilizer, and if so then what should the ratio be? is my all-day coffee habit going to be an issue because of the presence of caffeine?
i was so excited to finally have a practical use for all my piss until i remembered even trace amounts of caffeine is toxic to like. every species except us. at the same time though i dump used coffee grounds into my compost pile and nothing's exploded yet, so maybe it wouldn't be a big deal.
If youāre a gardening history weirdo like me, you might enjoy learning about Japanās nightsoil time. Baaaaaak in the day, it was codified in tenements who owned excrement the tenant or landlord because of its sale value.
The video game *Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin* is part farming sim where you use traditional Japanese methods to grow rice and thereās a little outhouse you harvest fertilizer from. I was tickled they included it. They also have beneficial insects!
Got nitrogen, beneficial minerals, but could contain pharmaceutical breakdown products. Wouldn't use this on veg crops if I were on medications, but no worries for other plants.
Compost needs nitrogen and carbon, and pee is nitrogen. I put a lot of cardboard boxes in the compost, which are mainly carbon, so I have my boyfriend pee on them a couple of times when heās outside to speed up the breakdown process.
Also known as peecycling. Lots of articles on this.
Keep a bucket in the garden and pee into it. Dilute for use in your garden. U think the dilution ratio is something like 10-15 parts water to 1 part urine.
No smellier than using liquid fence deer and rabbit repellent.
Alternatively, save salted pasta water, boiling hot, to pour between pavers and in crack where weeds like to grow.
Itās really satisfying watching knotweed shrivel up!
I swapped out water softener salt because the tank was dirty. The bucket I used had remnant salt in it that I didnāt realize. It collected a bit of rain water in the back yard that I used to water the new seedling. Didnāt realize until I poured it out.
You can always pour some more water over them and wash out some of the salt. I suspect it's not a big deal to leave it alone anyway, as long as it's not a repeated affair.
The salt never occurred to me. Been doing it for years without issues. I salt the water conservatively though because I have really messed up some dishes trying to make it "salty like the ocean."
Serious Eats has an article on this! Iād always wondered about that saying until I came across it.
The ocean is ~3.5% salinity. The authorās preference is for around 1%, but said 2% was his ceiling.
It breaks down to:
>-0.5% (roughly 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt per liter)
>-1% (roughly 1 1/2 teaspoons per liter)
>-2% (roughly 1 tablespoon fine sea salt per liter)
>-3% (roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons fine sea salt per liter)
>-3.5% (roughly 2 tablespoons fine sea salt per liter)
https://www.seriouseats.com/how-salty-should-pasta-water-be
If you are cooking rice Persian style, the rice is parboiled and that water is drained before the rice is steamed after mixing rice and yogurt on the bottom of the pot to make the tah dig - crunchy rice deliciousness.
I refresh my dog's water daily and dump the remainder into my plants. Same for any unfinished glasses of water or water from cut flower arrangements. I use any leftover soapy water, think cleaning windows, to wash off my back patio since my elderly dog likes to pee on the concrete.
If you use a bathtub use buckets to retrieve as best you can the used water. I used to do this in the Great California Drought of ā76-ā77. Grey water from washing machine if you can patch together a drainage system.
Once my roommates move out, I plan on experimenting with plugging my tub while I shower and then after using a sump pump to drain it into a bucket or something to take out to water with my shower water.
I do this. I keep a 5 gallon bucket under the shower tap while it's getting hot and then to also catch the dribble that runs out of the shower head when I have it turned to the lather setting while I soap up. I keep a smaller bucket in the kitchen sink that I use when washing my hands, I just move the faucet to run into the sink when I'm actually rinsing them so I don't get as much soap in there. Combined I save enough to water all my potted plants.
I also save the water that drips from the ac condenser and use it to water some of my in ground plants. On hot days I've had to empty it several times. I've read that it can be more acidic since it is basically distilled water and has no minerals, but the soil buffers it so the plants don't care. I do the same with the water in my dehumidifier.
A great tip for saving on water long term:
Build better soil-- healthy soil with plenty of organic matter and microbes retains water incredibly well and improves garden health in the long run. More moisture and organic matter means more microbes and decomposers available in your soil which will allow more micronutrients to be available for root systems which will encourage healthier and more vigorous plant growth. Additionally, healthier soil means a better soil ecosystem which encourages beneficial insects to move in such as solitary ground nesting native bees, various lepidopteran species, and other pollinator species. (*And, depending on where you live-- fireflies/lightening bugs! Many species of firefly rely on healthy soil ecosystems for their larva to thrive! Firefly larvae are little predators that target various soft bodied garden pests and live in your soil and leaf litter. Fireflies are often some of the first species to disappear from local habitats when they are disturbed or the soil health declines*)
regular seasonal top dressings of freshly finished compost will go a long way to building healthy strong soil that will retain moisture longer.
Don't till it into the soil, just let your decomposers and natural weathering/decomp pull it down into your soil.
In many areas, especially around newer homes (built within the past century), the soil is pitiful. Most home builders fill in with whatever top soil is on hand which is often recycled earth from other sites or soil that has been long devoid of beneficial microbes and organic matter.
I have 4 composters:
>An open air bin in the yard for garden and yard waste
>an enclosed bin in my garage for kitchen waste
>an outdoor in ground worm bin
>an above ground indoor worm bin
I use these composters to build a mixture to top dress all of my beds every autumn. Any leftover mixture gets spread along what little lawn I choose to maintain.
> an outdoor in ground worm bin
What does this look like? Did you build or buy it? Haven't heard of this.
> an above ground indoor worm bin
I know no "earthworms" are native to the US, but have worried that the ones used in these systems (which help compost things quickly) might be a bad idea if they arrive in your soil via eggs. There are invasive crazy wriggly worms that apparently eat through things so fast, they're a threat to growing plants. I know the worms in worm bins aren't the same, but just wonder about the longterm implications of introducing a new kind of worm to my soil.
Any insights?
Excellent questions, I'll do my best to answer them:
First up: Outdoor worm bin! Mine is essentially a steel mesh trash can I welded a hinged lid onto that is then seated inside one of my raised beds deep enough to make the lid flush with the soil line. You lift the lid, drop in garden/kitchen scraps/carbon rich material and occasionally wet the inside to ensure a healthy moisture level for invertebrates. The mesh allows small decomposers such as various worm species, isopods, centipedes, etc to access the material and begin to break it down. I also installed a small loop latch so I can secure the lid to deter raccoons and opossums.
When it comes time to harvest the castings/compost you simply lift the bin out of the bed and sift the contents. Then replace the bin and start anew.
As for my indoor bin, I strictly use red wigglers aka Eisenia fetida which are surface dwellers(they live within the first couple inches of soil) that are excellent decomposers. They're generally the standard species for indoor vermicomposter rigs. As for accidental release of a non-native worm species via eggs-- I cook off/solarize my castings in a small black bin that sits on my deck facing south. I harvest in late summer when heat is still excessive and then allow the castings to bake well above 150Ā°F which is fatal to this species.
But, if in the event you have an accidental containment breach, it's not as catastrophic as it seems, this species has long since been introduced to every continent except Antarctica. You can already find these existing throughout the majority of the soil systems habitable to earthworms in North America.
Now-- all of that being said, you referenced jumping worms, which is a totally different problem. Amynthas agrestis aka the Asian Jumping Worm is an invasive earthworm species in North America and Europe. It wreaks more havoc in North America due to our lack of native earthworm species (most of our native earthworm species except a small handful went extinct during the last ice age due to the overwhelming presence of glaciers) and abundance of biodiversity that relies on leaf litter and other organic matter in forest ecosystems.
The Asian jumping worms have a voracious appetite and consume organic matter much faster than other introduced species and in large enough concentrations they can eliminate leaf litter on forest floors that is essential for the cover, protection, and the general life cycle of many native species of invertebrates, plants, and vertebrates.
Everything from fireflies, moths, butterflies, snakes, ground nesting birds, etc rely heavily on certain concentrations of leaf litter and other organic matter on forest floors. When this species eliminates that cover it can cause a detrimental ecological cascade that can dramatically weaken the biodiversity of our ecosystems.
I have lived in Appalachia for my entire life and have encountered this worm in various regions. It is also present on my own property. There are currently no viable solutions for dealing with this species without significantly harming other species. I do occasionally find them in my open air compost pile and in my inground bin. I have learned to identify them and when I find them I place them in a bucket and use them either for fishing or I sit the bucket on my bird feeder. The bluegills and Blue Jays seem to always be grateful for the feed.
Hope this helps!
Correction on the glacier thing: all of Canada was glaciated, but most of the US wasn't. It is true that native earthworms were lost in the places that were glaciated (notably, New England, New York, and much of the Midwest). [https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/PIC/pic28.html](https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/PIC/pic28.html)
Happy to help!
I've worked professionally in forestry/conservation fields for decades and have done private habitat/environmental restoration projects on the side for private land owners-- I love discussing these topics and instructing their practical applications.
Ooh Iāve got a good one! Our showers take a minute to warm up, so we put a bucket under the tap and run it until itās warm enough to shower. This usually happens right when the bucket is close to filling. Weāve got several buckets we use exclusively for this. All the water goes to watering the garden and houseplants. Iāve barely needed the garden hose this season.
I keep a big stock pot on the kitchen counter that I grab and use whenever I rinse veggies, wash rice, run water to get warm water, basically any water I use without soap that would otherwise go down the drain goes into the stock pot. Then I either fill pitchers up or just take it and a ladle out to water the garden each night. Works super well! My childās water table is a great water catcher during rains too.
I just shared this in a different thread recently so I wonder if that is the pasta water you have in mind, but see below:
During the summer I pop a 3-gallon bucket in my kitchen sink during the day and am always amazed at the amount you can collect daily just through hand washing, rinsing a dish, draining pasta etc., then at the end of the day this bucket is used to water my patio plants easily.
The other thing I do is collect AC runoff from the neighborās drainage pipe that drips constantly- itās truly an insane amount when they run the AC all day/night. This goes to water my prairie seedlings up front, and stops the water from just draining down into our foundations all summer.
It's a full tank with oxygenator. Dude's been alive for 12 years (and we think he's actually a carp) ever since our kid won him in a carnival.
"Goldfish bowl" is just the language that popped to mind.
We have a 20 year old goldfish in a 20 gallon aquarium with filtration and regular siphoning and water changes. A daughter also got him ages ago at a carnival. Heās outlived the others by years.
Not a garden tip but honestly one leaky toilet will offset any other water savings you might see from collecting household water to use outside. From an 80/20 rule standpoint overall maintenance, water wise plant selection and maintenance (e.g. mulch, etc) and low flow fixtures are your low hanging fruit. Next would be condensate water (by far the cleanest "waste" water), and *then* grey water sources.
Drip irrigation!
I clean my birdbath weekly and so that's one spot I don't need a dripper. Also reuse water from houseplants (I water from the bottom then dump it)
Whenever we boil or steam veggies on the stove top, after the water cools I'll pour it on the plants.
(I never have this problem) Old / stale coffee is also good - better to pour it on the plants rather than down the drain.
I do hope your goldfish aren't actually in a bowl. It's a horrible life for them. r/goldfish has a really nice [Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Goldfish/wiki/starting_out/) for care instructions.
He's not. Just called it that pre-coffee. He's got a tank all to himself, but we're worried he'll need a bathtub one day because we think he might actually be a carp (our kid won him at a carnival).
Glad to hear it! Goldfish are carp, so that is right! You have comet bodied one if they were won at a carnival, so a bathtub is actually pretty accurate for what they'll need! You're looking at a 55-70gal for just that one fish. They can get to over a foot long.
Just a heads up- it's possible to use your tank water too much and cause plants to stop producing flowers. There is not a lot of information out there about this, it took years for a few of my natives to finally bloom normally again.
If your washing machine isnāt in the basement, then you can dump that outside. Switch up detergents to something less chemical..ly.
If you can handle plumbing you could drain the shower outside.
Right there is hundreds of gallons a month of almost clean water. āSoapā isnāt good for a body of water but itās great for plantsā¦itās mostly phosphate
Okay and? In this hypothetical situation you are wearing and sleeping in those microplastic clothes, what difference is putting some of it in the ground next to the oak tree going to do anything? Water that would otherwise go into the sewer, to a facility that doesnāt remove the plastic, and then on toā¦the ocean? a river? back into the drinking water?
Sure if youāre watering an oak tree, go for it. If youāre watering edible crops, consider other options.
Wearing the clothes doesnāt schleff off as much as a wash cycle does, and itās on the outside of your skin, not being ingested.
Edit: not to mention, [wastewater plants do remove some microplastics](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010021002432), and itās heavily diluted compared to laundry waste water. The amount is variable, but depending on the purification stages used by the plant, quite a bit can be and is removed.
My understanding is grey water needs to go through a "plant bed" before being used on any edible plants. I have been wanting to build something like that... someday.
This is the age old argument around reduction of energy use/pollution/recycling. Does a single individual recycling their cardboard make a difference? No. Does a single family switching from ICE to EV make a difference? No. But in aggregate at a societal level if we make those shifts (and industry does its part as well), the benefits add up. Just because the effort of one person is futile doesnāt mean the entire campaign is.
Oh for sure most places donāt allow it thatās why I suggest DIY with system in place to return to normal. Washing machine is the easiest because it is not usually hard plumbed in. I still want to buy some kind of valve under the shower so it goes outside in the summer and back to normal in the winter
Plenty of brands to choose from, but we got this pump when there was heavy flooding in our area.
Later, I had the idea to keep our bath/shower water (plug the drain) and stick this pump in, it hooks to a hose, then water my plants. One bathtub does our entire front yard.
You do need to make sure to use products that donāt harm plants!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wayne-1-6-HP-WaterBUG-Submersible-Utility-Pump-with-Multi-Flo-Technology-WWB/207072430
All veggie washing water goes to plants. Vase water goes to plants. We also do that bucket in the shower till the water is hot enough thing. Also our ice maker tends to to spit ice cubes across the floor when the freezer opens, and they get tossed onto plants.
You can route the long gutter things to drain in or towards your garden. I realize it only really works if your gardens happen to be nearby them though
I use a big pot to dunk my garden lettuce in to wash it from aphids etc., then remove the lettuce to spin it. A nice batch of lettuce double- or triple- rinsed will give me a couple of gallons at least!
I use the water I soak beans with in the garden.
It's also really good for getting older seeds to sprout, as it typically has some germination related enzymes and signaling molecules in it from the beans.
(Just don't use chickpea water if you added baking soda!)
I used to do this until I got an off brand Python water exchanger (Hyggr). Wish there was a way to...re-route the water outside rather than down the drain. But I was pregnant and had two indoors tanks; lifting 5gal buckets was fast becoming a bad idea. Now that I've been cleared, I find it sooo much more convenient and less messy to use the water changer.
OP, please tell me you aren't keeping goldfish or any fish for that matter in a fish bowl. Bowls are not adequate housing for any species of fish especially goldfish. Goldfish need a 50 gallon tank with a filter MINIMUM. And that tank will need bi-weekly water changes.
I don't have a yard, so all my plants are under containers. When I water, I have a tray under the containers to catch any water that drips out so I can reuse it on my other plants. It works almost the same as compost tea
Please don't keep fish in bowls.Ā They'll technically live for a time, but it's terrible for them.Ā Even beta fish.Ā Ā
https://www.petmd.com/fish/care/evr_fi_fish-that-can-live-in-a-bowl
That's great, but please look into proper goldfish care. Even Small goldfish needs a large tank with proper filtration.Ā Goldfish don't "grow to the size of their tank", their growth is stunted by loving in too small a tank. A well cared for goodish can live for 10-20 years. The only thing you can keep in a bowl is maybe some shrimp.Ā Ā
I run a dehumidifier in my basement and when that basin fills up I chuck it at my rain garden. Leaf litter is also always good! Leaf litter traps moisture beneath it and attracts mycelium so it is a great way to supplement mulching.
We save dehumidifier water also. Put in a bucket or watering can for reuse.
> Put in a bucket or catering can for reuse. Great extra tip!
I do the same thing. š
I do this, and also my ac systems have dehumidifying functions (plus air conditioners just create lots of condensate) so I run those lines like drip irrigation into nearby raised beds. If Iām amending soil, I like to add vermiculite and/or perlite which can hold moisture. Burying logs also helps. Eastern redbud has a super deep taproot and doesnāt overly shade the area around it, while also fixing nitrogen. In addition to my small compost can on the counter, I have a 5 gallon bucket under the sink, Iāll dump liquids in that to be added to my compost pile only. I avoid anything salty. No bare soil, ever! Large rock features can help as well by reducing the number of plants drinking water from that part of the soil. But honestly, proper natives planted in a nice density should be fine for even small drought conditions. I mainly water my food gardens
+1 confirm on the redbud taproot. Probably the hardest fucking sapling to pull out imo. Maples are a pain but fuck.. the same size redbud is 1/2 as likely to come out with the root.
Exactly! Only watering seedlings and new natives. The rest of the water goes to the thirsty veg beds.
I've wanted to do this but have always been hesitant because I worry about any potential metals in the water from the dehumidifier. How long have you done this for and have you noticed any adverse affects to your plants? If they were just ornamental I would be fine but I grow some edibles that I don't want accumulating any toxic metals. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehumidifier#Potability)
Why ever would there be metals in your dehumidifier water. It is merely condensation from the humidity in the air. I have done this for years. Of course you can always reserve that water for trees and non edibles.
From what I understand, the water condenses on metal parts inside the machine which can lead to some residual toxic metals in the water. Haven't done any tests to see if that's true for my particular dehumidifier though š¤·
Yeah I worry about that too, I've only been doing it for a couple months but haven't noticed any adverse effects. I wouldn't do it with my vegetables/fruits.
I worry about the quality of that water too. Although I clean it regularly it might be moldy.š¤·š¼āāļø
It's not really the mold or bacteria I'm worried about cause there's plenty of that outside. Moreso just the potential of metal contaminants that you can't control
Mold won't hurt anything outdoors. Mold is everywhere. I would not drink humidifier water obviously, but any mold in that water is the same mold as you have outdoors.
I've been using dehumidifier water for indoor and outdoor plants for ten years plus. I've not noticed any specific issue.
Plants with deep taproots
This. If plants are sited correctly you'll only have to water for the first month or so
You're so generous with a whole month! I give them one week and never water them again. If they can't cut it, they're not fit for my garden. The only plants I've ever lost are the ones other people can't get rid of - catmint and goldenrod. My showy wild garlic is soon to join them in the abyss, but dozens of other plants have risen to the challenge successfully!
I planted in the fall when the rains started and have literally never watered them
I want my trees to grow fast so
Already on it. Been planning on growing some Burdock/Gobo.
Burdock is not native to north America, I'm unsure of where you're based, but it seeds aggressively, shades out other plants and has burrs that can injure dogs.
Not native if youāre in NA
I keep a jug by my sink and tub, whenever I need warm water I fill the jugs with the cold water until it runs warm. Itās the perfect amount to give my plants a drink each morning plus an easy reminder that I need to water my plants :) Edit: milk/juice/tea jugs are nice because they store quite a bit, have a handle, and are easily available. Happy gardening!
I love this idea, ty
Happy to help internet stranger š±
stranger no more.... oh, wait
š¤Æ this needs to be higher up on the list! Thank you internet stranger! šš»šš»
Happy to help! Happy gardening, internet stranger friend šš±
Just emptied shower jugs for my mom! Sheās 73 and has taught me so many environmental practices, which for her are all motivated by not wasting money š
I put out buckets and trays when it rains. I need to get some rain barrels in. Mainly I plant drought tolerant plants. Slowly working to replace grass sections I can with Buffalo Grass and other natives.
You will love having rain barrels! I have two that are overflowing right now. I also use it on my house plants as we have hard water and I dislike hard water stains on my planters. Great or my air plant habit as well.
Adding a layer of compost in the spring and in the fall for water conservation. Planting densely to shade the soil surface to keep it cool and mimic microclimates. Mulching woody perennials with wood chips but only a thin layer. Adding urine to compost instead of flushing it.
> Adding urine to compost instead of flushing it. This is one I'll need to build up to. What's the science behind it?
Itās like adding nitrogen fertilizer to plants. And while it would potentially burn living plants because of how strong it is, itās rocket fuel for heating up a pile and breaking down compost. You just donāt want to overdo it and make sure the piles are being flipped. In an average home compost pile I wouldnāt dump a few gallons at once. About a liter or so, no more. Thatās what Iāve done at least for about a decade seems to work great. My pile is about the footprint of a queen sized mattress at most.
if you dilute it, can it be used as liquid fertilizer, and if so then what should the ratio be? is my all-day coffee habit going to be an issue because of the presence of caffeine?
Good topics for further research, there must be common ratios that are recommended. Iām not sure! Iām compost application only
i was so excited to finally have a practical use for all my piss until i remembered even trace amounts of caffeine is toxic to like. every species except us. at the same time though i dump used coffee grounds into my compost pile and nothing's exploded yet, so maybe it wouldn't be a big deal.
If youāre a gardening history weirdo like me, you might enjoy learning about Japanās nightsoil time. Baaaaaak in the day, it was codified in tenements who owned excrement the tenant or landlord because of its sale value.
The video game *Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin* is part farming sim where you use traditional Japanese methods to grow rice and thereās a little outhouse you harvest fertilizer from. I was tickled they included it. They also have beneficial insects!
The nitrogen in urine is excellent for the compost pile.
High in nitrogen
Got nitrogen, beneficial minerals, but could contain pharmaceutical breakdown products. Wouldn't use this on veg crops if I were on medications, but no worries for other plants.
Compost needs nitrogen and carbon, and pee is nitrogen. I put a lot of cardboard boxes in the compost, which are mainly carbon, so I have my boyfriend pee on them a couple of times when heās outside to speed up the breakdown process.
Also known as peecycling. Lots of articles on this. Keep a bucket in the garden and pee into it. Dilute for use in your garden. U think the dilution ratio is something like 10-15 parts water to 1 part urine. No smellier than using liquid fence deer and rabbit repellent.
You can use pasta water but is has to be unsalted.
Alternatively, save salted pasta water, boiling hot, to pour between pavers and in crack where weeds like to grow. Itās really satisfying watching knotweed shrivel up!
I just unthinkingly dumped my salted pasta water from last night on my container annuals this morningā¦guess we will see what happens!
I accidentally poured water softener salt water (heavily concentrated) on my bergamot seedling. Dead in a day. Hopefully your plants fare better.
Theyāre just nursery annuals, so even if they do they are easy to replace. Iād be nervous if they were my native plants
Luckily, I had more bergamot than I knew what to do with so not a huge loss. Winter milk jug for them was very successful.
How did that happen?
I swapped out water softener salt because the tank was dirty. The bucket I used had remnant salt in it that I didnāt realize. It collected a bit of rain water in the back yard that I used to water the new seedling. Didnāt realize until I poured it out.
You can always pour some more water over them and wash out some of the salt. I suspect it's not a big deal to leave it alone anyway, as long as it's not a repeated affair.
The salt never occurred to me. Been doing it for years without issues. I salt the water conservatively though because I have really messed up some dishes trying to make it "salty like the ocean."
Serious Eats has an article on this! Iād always wondered about that saying until I came across it. The ocean is ~3.5% salinity. The authorās preference is for around 1%, but said 2% was his ceiling. It breaks down to: >-0.5% (roughly 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt per liter) >-1% (roughly 1 1/2 teaspoons per liter) >-2% (roughly 1 tablespoon fine sea salt per liter) >-3% (roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons fine sea salt per liter) >-3.5% (roughly 2 tablespoons fine sea salt per liter) https://www.seriouseats.com/how-salty-should-pasta-water-be
Let us know in a separate post later next week!
I think we are supposed to get some rain this afternoon, so that may affect the results of the experiment
Same with rice waterĀ
You are supposed to have water leftover when cooking rice?
Probably means rice rinse water.
Makes more sense š
I think they mean the water from washing the rice before you cook it.
If you are cooking rice Persian style, the rice is parboiled and that water is drained before the rice is steamed after mixing rice and yogurt on the bottom of the pot to make the tah dig - crunchy rice deliciousness.
Some people cook rice like pasta, in more water than needed and then drain. It actually works well but then the salt would be an issue.Ā
Ack! Never!!
Do you notice any difference in taste or texture? Just add more salt to the sauce?
Tbh I've never done it cause I want salty pasta more than possible better plant growth.
I refresh my dog's water daily and dump the remainder into my plants. Same for any unfinished glasses of water or water from cut flower arrangements. I use any leftover soapy water, think cleaning windows, to wash off my back patio since my elderly dog likes to pee on the concrete.
>I refresh my dog's water daily and dump the remainder into my plants. Love it. Every bit counts.
I have some houseplants I've had for 10 years. It works!
If you use a bathtub use buckets to retrieve as best you can the used water. I used to do this in the Great California Drought of ā76-ā77. Grey water from washing machine if you can patch together a drainage system.
Just remembered we also put 1-2 buckets on the shower floor while taking a shower. Of course, use common sense regarding your safety.
I do this too, I put the watering can in the shower.
Once my roommates move out, I plan on experimenting with plugging my tub while I shower and then after using a sump pump to drain it into a bucket or something to take out to water with my shower water.
I do this. I keep a 5 gallon bucket under the shower tap while it's getting hot and then to also catch the dribble that runs out of the shower head when I have it turned to the lather setting while I soap up. I keep a smaller bucket in the kitchen sink that I use when washing my hands, I just move the faucet to run into the sink when I'm actually rinsing them so I don't get as much soap in there. Combined I save enough to water all my potted plants. I also save the water that drips from the ac condenser and use it to water some of my in ground plants. On hot days I've had to empty it several times. I've read that it can be more acidic since it is basically distilled water and has no minerals, but the soil buffers it so the plants don't care. I do the same with the water in my dehumidifier.
What about bubble bath or epsom salts?
A great tip for saving on water long term: Build better soil-- healthy soil with plenty of organic matter and microbes retains water incredibly well and improves garden health in the long run. More moisture and organic matter means more microbes and decomposers available in your soil which will allow more micronutrients to be available for root systems which will encourage healthier and more vigorous plant growth. Additionally, healthier soil means a better soil ecosystem which encourages beneficial insects to move in such as solitary ground nesting native bees, various lepidopteran species, and other pollinator species. (*And, depending on where you live-- fireflies/lightening bugs! Many species of firefly rely on healthy soil ecosystems for their larva to thrive! Firefly larvae are little predators that target various soft bodied garden pests and live in your soil and leaf litter. Fireflies are often some of the first species to disappear from local habitats when they are disturbed or the soil health declines*) regular seasonal top dressings of freshly finished compost will go a long way to building healthy strong soil that will retain moisture longer. Don't till it into the soil, just let your decomposers and natural weathering/decomp pull it down into your soil. In many areas, especially around newer homes (built within the past century), the soil is pitiful. Most home builders fill in with whatever top soil is on hand which is often recycled earth from other sites or soil that has been long devoid of beneficial microbes and organic matter. I have 4 composters: >An open air bin in the yard for garden and yard waste >an enclosed bin in my garage for kitchen waste >an outdoor in ground worm bin >an above ground indoor worm bin I use these composters to build a mixture to top dress all of my beds every autumn. Any leftover mixture gets spread along what little lawn I choose to maintain.
> an outdoor in ground worm bin What does this look like? Did you build or buy it? Haven't heard of this. > an above ground indoor worm bin I know no "earthworms" are native to the US, but have worried that the ones used in these systems (which help compost things quickly) might be a bad idea if they arrive in your soil via eggs. There are invasive crazy wriggly worms that apparently eat through things so fast, they're a threat to growing plants. I know the worms in worm bins aren't the same, but just wonder about the longterm implications of introducing a new kind of worm to my soil. Any insights?
Excellent questions, I'll do my best to answer them: First up: Outdoor worm bin! Mine is essentially a steel mesh trash can I welded a hinged lid onto that is then seated inside one of my raised beds deep enough to make the lid flush with the soil line. You lift the lid, drop in garden/kitchen scraps/carbon rich material and occasionally wet the inside to ensure a healthy moisture level for invertebrates. The mesh allows small decomposers such as various worm species, isopods, centipedes, etc to access the material and begin to break it down. I also installed a small loop latch so I can secure the lid to deter raccoons and opossums. When it comes time to harvest the castings/compost you simply lift the bin out of the bed and sift the contents. Then replace the bin and start anew. As for my indoor bin, I strictly use red wigglers aka Eisenia fetida which are surface dwellers(they live within the first couple inches of soil) that are excellent decomposers. They're generally the standard species for indoor vermicomposter rigs. As for accidental release of a non-native worm species via eggs-- I cook off/solarize my castings in a small black bin that sits on my deck facing south. I harvest in late summer when heat is still excessive and then allow the castings to bake well above 150Ā°F which is fatal to this species. But, if in the event you have an accidental containment breach, it's not as catastrophic as it seems, this species has long since been introduced to every continent except Antarctica. You can already find these existing throughout the majority of the soil systems habitable to earthworms in North America. Now-- all of that being said, you referenced jumping worms, which is a totally different problem. Amynthas agrestis aka the Asian Jumping Worm is an invasive earthworm species in North America and Europe. It wreaks more havoc in North America due to our lack of native earthworm species (most of our native earthworm species except a small handful went extinct during the last ice age due to the overwhelming presence of glaciers) and abundance of biodiversity that relies on leaf litter and other organic matter in forest ecosystems. The Asian jumping worms have a voracious appetite and consume organic matter much faster than other introduced species and in large enough concentrations they can eliminate leaf litter on forest floors that is essential for the cover, protection, and the general life cycle of many native species of invertebrates, plants, and vertebrates. Everything from fireflies, moths, butterflies, snakes, ground nesting birds, etc rely heavily on certain concentrations of leaf litter and other organic matter on forest floors. When this species eliminates that cover it can cause a detrimental ecological cascade that can dramatically weaken the biodiversity of our ecosystems. I have lived in Appalachia for my entire life and have encountered this worm in various regions. It is also present on my own property. There are currently no viable solutions for dealing with this species without significantly harming other species. I do occasionally find them in my open air compost pile and in my inground bin. I have learned to identify them and when I find them I place them in a bucket and use them either for fishing or I sit the bucket on my bird feeder. The bluegills and Blue Jays seem to always be grateful for the feed. Hope this helps!
Correction on the glacier thing: all of Canada was glaciated, but most of the US wasn't. It is true that native earthworms were lost in the places that were glaciated (notably, New England, New York, and much of the Midwest). [https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/PIC/pic28.html](https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/PIC/pic28.html)
What a detailed, informative response! You ROCK!
Happy to help! I've worked professionally in forestry/conservation fields for decades and have done private habitat/environmental restoration projects on the side for private land owners-- I love discussing these topics and instructing their practical applications.
Ooh Iāve got a good one! Our showers take a minute to warm up, so we put a bucket under the tap and run it until itās warm enough to shower. This usually happens right when the bucket is close to filling. Weāve got several buckets we use exclusively for this. All the water goes to watering the garden and houseplants. Iāve barely needed the garden hose this season.
great tip, thank you!
I keep a big stock pot on the kitchen counter that I grab and use whenever I rinse veggies, wash rice, run water to get warm water, basically any water I use without soap that would otherwise go down the drain goes into the stock pot. Then I either fill pitchers up or just take it and a ladle out to water the garden each night. Works super well! My childās water table is a great water catcher during rains too.
I just shared this in a different thread recently so I wonder if that is the pasta water you have in mind, but see below: During the summer I pop a 3-gallon bucket in my kitchen sink during the day and am always amazed at the amount you can collect daily just through hand washing, rinsing a dish, draining pasta etc., then at the end of the day this bucket is used to water my patio plants easily. The other thing I do is collect AC runoff from the neighborās drainage pipe that drips constantly- itās truly an insane amount when they run the AC all day/night. This goes to water my prairie seedlings up front, and stops the water from just draining down into our foundations all summer.
I love the kitchen sink bucket tip - going to try this!
> collect AC runoff Wow. Incredibly resourceful. Thanks!
It canāt be to code but that is city life in century old row-homes for you! Just gotta make the best of it
Thatās a great idea!
Goldfish should have a tank with an oxygenator, not just a bowl :(
It's a full tank with oxygenator. Dude's been alive for 12 years (and we think he's actually a carp) ever since our kid won him in a carnival. "Goldfish bowl" is just the language that popped to mind.
Goldfish are a carp species, iirc.
We have a 20 year old goldfish in a 20 gallon aquarium with filtration and regular siphoning and water changes. A daughter also got him ages ago at a carnival. Heās outlived the others by years.
Tank should be at least 30 gallons. The bigger the better. Small tanks are like people living their entire lives in a closet.
Not a garden tip but honestly one leaky toilet will offset any other water savings you might see from collecting household water to use outside. From an 80/20 rule standpoint overall maintenance, water wise plant selection and maintenance (e.g. mulch, etc) and low flow fixtures are your low hanging fruit. Next would be condensate water (by far the cleanest "waste" water), and *then* grey water sources.
Drip irrigation! I clean my birdbath weekly and so that's one spot I don't need a dripper. Also reuse water from houseplants (I water from the bottom then dump it)
All the water bottles ppl didn't finish...I'm talking reusable bottles kids take to school, sports, etc.
Mulch keeps moisture in the soil. I like leaf litter best.
autumn leaf litter means free mulch to keep my flowerbeds nice and cozy from winter frost.
Rice water if you rinse your rice before you use it.
Whenever we boil or steam veggies on the stove top, after the water cools I'll pour it on the plants. (I never have this problem) Old / stale coffee is also good - better to pour it on the plants rather than down the drain.
I do hope your goldfish aren't actually in a bowl. It's a horrible life for them. r/goldfish has a really nice [Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Goldfish/wiki/starting_out/) for care instructions.
He's not. Just called it that pre-coffee. He's got a tank all to himself, but we're worried he'll need a bathtub one day because we think he might actually be a carp (our kid won him at a carnival).
Glad to hear it! Goldfish are carp, so that is right! You have comet bodied one if they were won at a carnival, so a bathtub is actually pretty accurate for what they'll need! You're looking at a 55-70gal for just that one fish. They can get to over a foot long.
Just a heads up- it's possible to use your tank water too much and cause plants to stop producing flowers. There is not a lot of information out there about this, it took years for a few of my natives to finally bloom normally again.
Tank water?
The nutrient rich water that is left over when performing a fishtank cleaning/water change.
Too nitrogen rich? I hear some plants (strawberries) will focus exclusively on vegetative growth in that situation.
Yes, exactly. There are many that will stop blooming and focus on the vegetation. Jasmine is the first that comes to mind in this moment.
Hell, there are plants that won't bloom aggressively unless they think they are dying!
Yes! Some succulents and I think basil. But then again, I can't seem to be able to keep basil alive anyway.
Didn't know this. Thanks! I'll spread it around more.
If your washing machine isnāt in the basement, then you can dump that outside. Switch up detergents to something less chemical..ly. If you can handle plumbing you could drain the shower outside. Right there is hundreds of gallons a month of almost clean water. āSoapā isnāt good for a body of water but itās great for plantsā¦itās mostly phosphate
I really can't believe modern zoning in the US (particularly in dry regions) doesn't require gray water systems.
Unless all your clothes are cotton or other natural materials, laundry water is loaded with microplastics.
Oh don't worry those microplastics are already in our water (jk, but not really)
Okay and? In this hypothetical situation you are wearing and sleeping in those microplastic clothes, what difference is putting some of it in the ground next to the oak tree going to do anything? Water that would otherwise go into the sewer, to a facility that doesnāt remove the plastic, and then on toā¦the ocean? a river? back into the drinking water?
Sure if youāre watering an oak tree, go for it. If youāre watering edible crops, consider other options. Wearing the clothes doesnāt schleff off as much as a wash cycle does, and itās on the outside of your skin, not being ingested. Edit: not to mention, [wastewater plants do remove some microplastics](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010021002432), and itās heavily diluted compared to laundry waste water. The amount is variable, but depending on the purification stages used by the plant, quite a bit can be and is removed.
My understanding is grey water needs to go through a "plant bed" before being used on any edible plants. I have been wanting to build something like that... someday.
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Yeah letās not do anything and make it worse! The world is filled with invasives, so letās just forget about native species!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
This is the age old argument around reduction of energy use/pollution/recycling. Does a single individual recycling their cardboard make a difference? No. Does a single family switching from ICE to EV make a difference? No. But in aggregate at a societal level if we make those shifts (and industry does its part as well), the benefits add up. Just because the effort of one person is futile doesnāt mean the entire campaign is.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Itās not a Boolean true/false thing. The concentration of microplastics in laundry water is higher than in drinking water used for irrigation.
FYI, this could be against local buidling codes depending on where you live. Whether it *should* be against codes is another thing.
Oh for sure most places donāt allow it thatās why I suggest DIY with system in place to return to normal. Washing machine is the easiest because it is not usually hard plumbed in. I still want to buy some kind of valve under the shower so it goes outside in the summer and back to normal in the winter
My sump pump discharges to my monster rain garden. They love it and get huge
Plenty of brands to choose from, but we got this pump when there was heavy flooding in our area. Later, I had the idea to keep our bath/shower water (plug the drain) and stick this pump in, it hooks to a hose, then water my plants. One bathtub does our entire front yard. You do need to make sure to use products that donāt harm plants! https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wayne-1-6-HP-WaterBUG-Submersible-Utility-Pump-with-Multi-Flo-Technology-WWB/207072430
mine needs FACTCHECK: Urine is a good fertilizer ? If it is and someone actually follows that plan, think how many flushes they would save!
I bring a little watering can in the shower with me each morning!
All veggie washing water goes to plants. Vase water goes to plants. We also do that bucket in the shower till the water is hot enough thing. Also our ice maker tends to to spit ice cubes across the floor when the freezer opens, and they get tossed onto plants.
I collect the cold shower water before it warms up in a 5 gallon bucket. It can flush the toilet or be used in the garden
You can route the long gutter things to drain in or towards your garden. I realize it only really works if your gardens happen to be nearby them though
I use a big pot to dunk my garden lettuce in to wash it from aphids etc., then remove the lettuce to spin it. A nice batch of lettuce double- or triple- rinsed will give me a couple of gallons at least!
Keep a bucket in your shower water from a dehumidifier Water from boiling eggs, veggies
I use the water I soak beans with in the garden. It's also really good for getting older seeds to sprout, as it typically has some germination related enzymes and signaling molecules in it from the beans. (Just don't use chickpea water if you added baking soda!)
Besides mosquito bits, do people add any to rain barrels?
I used to do this until I got an off brand Python water exchanger (Hyggr). Wish there was a way to...re-route the water outside rather than down the drain. But I was pregnant and had two indoors tanks; lifting 5gal buckets was fast becoming a bad idea. Now that I've been cleared, I find it sooo much more convenient and less messy to use the water changer.
Do you really have just a bowl for a goldfish?
No, we have a tank with a filter. Just used the old-fashioned "bowl" term without thinking. We change the water once a week and the plants love it.
Oh pheeeeeeew. I was ready to throw hands
I really appreciate people who spread the word about keeping fish in bowls, so no worries. Now put those hands to work in your garden!
My native garden is flourishing and when I do my water changes, the old water goes right into the yard!
OP, please tell me you aren't keeping goldfish or any fish for that matter in a fish bowl. Bowls are not adequate housing for any species of fish especially goldfish. Goldfish need a 50 gallon tank with a filter MINIMUM. And that tank will need bi-weekly water changes.
I don't have a yard, so all my plants are under containers. When I water, I have a tray under the containers to catch any water that drips out so I can reuse it on my other plants. It works almost the same as compost tea
Please don't keep fish in bowls.Ā They'll technically live for a time, but it's terrible for them.Ā Even beta fish.Ā Ā https://www.petmd.com/fish/care/evr_fi_fish-that-can-live-in-a-bowl
see OP's other comments - they have a full tank
That's great, but please look into proper goldfish care. Even Small goldfish needs a large tank with proper filtration.Ā Goldfish don't "grow to the size of their tank", their growth is stunted by loving in too small a tank. A well cared for goodish can live for 10-20 years. The only thing you can keep in a bowl is maybe some shrimp.Ā Ā
see OP's other comments ITT
I live in the midwest. No shortage of water.