smelly water

We have lots of water butts which are greatly needed as quite a few of our crops are in pots but the water sometimes gets smelly (due to lack of motion I presume) I read somewhere that there was something you could add to butts to keep them fresh (leave it!) but can't find it now and wondered would it still be ok to use on veggies etc. Does anyone know of/use anything please? Or should I just ignore said whiff?
Reaards Sheelagh

 

Hubby is at this moment installing a couple of 500ltr butts, and I find your question interesting. I too would like to know more! We have two more butts full to the brim after two nights' rain ... can't believe how much rainfall can be gained in such a short time!

 

I have heard of people putting a goldfish or two in their butts- I haven't-I use it long before it smells.

 

Try baby sterilising tablets in there. You dont have to wash the bottles after cleaning with them so i guess it should be ok for plants. Its a very weak bleach solution i think so should help keep away the smell. A hession bag of horse manure kept in the water tub is good for the plants but smells too.

 

There is a product called Rainfresh Plus, which is designed to keep your butts fresh and fragrant - it also is supposed to be organic. Cannot claim to have used it, however, so no first hand recommendation.

 

Goldfish might not be a a bad idea.

My other half keeps/breads fish and we have a cellar full of tanks. I often use the waste water (when he does a weekly water change) for the plants as its full of all the amonia/nitrate waste that fish create. Its supposed to do wonders for plants ...... I have certainly never killed any plants using that water

Thankfully we are not on a meter. I think, off the top of my head, we have 14 tanks in the cellar. Plus we have one huge display one in the lounge and two turtles tanks also. We would be bankrupt if we had a meter !!

We hose the water straight out of the tanks, straight into the flower beds though and its certainly never done any harm and it is a lot of water a week !

 

A small aquarium airpump and an airstone would stop it going anaerobic which is the cause of the smell :wink: