Does anyone utilize grey water recycling in their garden? This is something that I have been thinking about in my winter garden dreaming Am getting a book by Art Ludwig on this topic, and was wondering if anyone could share thoughts/experience on this? I am planning on recycling the water from our washing machine.
A wonderful endevor, we use grey water and we also catch rain water for our showers and garden. here are a few tips to think about when using grey water... Soaps and detergents are biodegradable, but they can present problems when gray water is used over an extended period. The main problem with most cleaning agents is that they contain sodium salts which, if present in excessive amounts, can damage the soil structure, can create an alkaline condition, and can also damage plants. Avoid detergents that advertise "softening power," because they will have a large proportion of sodium-based compounds. The phosphates in detergents can be good for plant growth, but unfortunately, the detergents highest in phosphates usually contain the greatest amount of sodium. If you re-use washing machine water, cut down or eliminate the amount of bleach you use and do not use detergents or additives that contain boron, which is especially toxic to plants. When doing your household cleaning, use ammonia, or products that contain ammonia, instead of chlorine as the cleaning agent. As mentioned earlier, a great danger in using gray water is the build-up of sodium in the soil. You can discover if the sodium levels are high by having the pH of your soil tested. A pH of 7.5 or above indicates that your soil has become loaded with sodium. You can correct or avoid this problem by spreading gypsum (calcium sulfate) over the soil at a rate of two pounds per 100 square feet about once a month. Rainfall, or rotating gray water applications with fresh water, will help leach the soil of sodium and excess salts. Apply the wastewater over a broad area; avoid concentrating it on one particular site. When possible, rotate applications of gray water with fresh water. The fresh water will help leach out any soil contaminants that might be building up. Apply thick compost mulches to areas where you use gray water. They will speed the natural decomposition of waste residues. Use gray water on well-established plants only. Seedlings can not withstand the impurities of the waste water. Do not use gray water, which is alkaline, on acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas. Be sure to rotate your use of gray water with fresh water on fruit trees. There are a few good books on the subject and sites on the web. I got interested in using grey water back in the 70's when my washer hose ran out to the back yard...all along the end of the hose the grass was so lush and green. I ended up putting a small square foot garden under thehose...we punched holes along it so the water would go out all over the place and put black plastic over the whole thing. I do make my own soap detergent 1 Bar Fels Naptha or Kirk's castile Soap, Grated 5 Gallon Bucket 1 Cup Washing Soda 4 1/2 Gallons Hot Water Place grated soap in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat on low until dissolved. Fill bucket with hot water, and add soap. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup washing soda and mix well. As it cools it will thicken. May be used immediately. Use 1-2 cups per load. teepi
thank you, thank you and big hugs for such an awesome written post! I am definitely taking your words and wisdom to heart! I have heard of a detergent called Oasis that I have heard is actually good for plants,have you heard of this? The soap recipe looksawesome...do you think this would work with hand crafted soap? (I'm a soap crafter.) Take care~Always~Beth
