Treating water for outdoor plants, too much iron

foggymountain

Active Member
My landlord has told me that we have 400ppm iron in our water and it could kill some of my plants. Is a water softener all i need? Is there some sort of treatment to get the iron out?
 

WEEDS

Well-Known Member
Aeration: Introducing oxygen to the water source to convert soluble iron to its insoluble form.
Filtration: Media used to entrap and screen out oxidized particles of iron. Usually requires backwashing to remove accumulated iron.
Water Softener: Removal of soluble iron by ion exchange.
Manganese Greensand: An ion exchange sand material which is capable of removing iron. Adsorbs dissolved iron and requires chemical regeneration.
Catalytic Filtration "BIRM": A granular filter medium that enhances the reaction between oxygen and iron and then filters the insoluble iron.
Ozonation: A specialized form of aeration using ozone to convert soluble iron.
Ion Exchange: Substituting an acceptable ion (such as sodium) for soluble iron.
Sequestering: Adding chemical agents to water to keep metals like iron in solution to prevent characteristic red stains.
Chlorination: Chemical oxidizer used to convert soluble iron to an insoluble, filterable form.
 

foggymountain

Active Member
Damn good answers. I have a water softner already, but i would like to have the best and most eco-friendly organic solution to my problem. Is there one that you would prefer over others? The one thing is we don't have a settling tank which i think is needed to do some of these treatments. It might be a future investment if need be.
 

WEEDS

Well-Known Member
Damn good answers. I have a water softner already, but i would like to have the best and most eco-friendly organic solution to my problem. Is there one that you would prefer over others? The one thing is we don't have a settling tank which i think is needed to do some of these treatments. It might be a future investment if need be.
I think the easiest option would be to buy filtered water from a store. Unless you are growing lots of plants this is the best way.
 

foggymountain

Active Member
Well i plan on growing a good portion of my food as well as some giant pumpkins and herbs.

Would the green sand work to amend my soil? Do you know how much i need per cubic foot of dirt? My dirt is quite red so i imagine it is probably where the iron in my well water is coming from.

I think the easiest option would be to buy filtered water from a store. Unless you are growing lots of plants this is the best way.
 
Top