Can I reuse run off water from over watering my plants?

I just re-potted my plants into larger pots and gave the soil a good watering promote root growth in the new soil. As expected there was quite a bit of run off water, which I assume is all the delicious nutrients from my new soil. My question is can I save that water and reuse it next time I water or will keeping it for a day or two give bacteria a chance to take over?

This is probably a really simple question, but I'm curious to see if anyone else has experience with reusing runoff water.

it'll turn.......toss it

I wouldn't.

Unless you do the proper steps of sterilizing it back to being purified water... but that's more work then is really needed

Not worth it. Wouldn't you rather mix a new concoction and be sure your babies get fresh?

That's like drinking someones piss, but if that's what you like?

Well... the piss analogy was a little weird, but I get the point. Basically it's not worth the risk of what might happen to the plants if they get sick from it. Thanks guys.

The poll's choices are at odds with the title.
The title asks possibility; the poll addresses advisability. Different. cn

I sometimes just run it through again right away.

I did that once with a urinalysis. I used apple juice, of course. The nurse fainted. cn

cannabineer said:

I did that once with a urinalysis. I used apple juice, of course. The nurse fainted. cn

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Did you get a 'pass' for your creativity or a 'fail' for the knot on her head?

Why would one want to waste time collecting runoff in soil ? Seems like more work than necessary and a bit foolish in my opinion , next time dont over water and youll not have to ask this one .......

imchucky666 said:

Did you get a 'pass' for your creativity or a 'fail' for the knot on her head?

Click to expand...

I discovered something that day ... no piss; no pass. I was passing pissed. cn

very bad idea, excess salt drain with that water. So, you really want to put it back ??
Even fertilizing schedule is not enough for this. You need to have an amazing understanding
and communicate directly with your babies to see if salt builds up or over fertilization occurs.
then, you are free to go

Here to revive a ancient post again,

So I'm not going to advise here because every situation is different.

My runoff ppm is between 200-600.
That's about my feed. "Excess salts" are literally ions (and some) from either microbial excrement or what you just put in minus what bonded to the soil.

I've been running a 1 plant perpetual so collecting runoff is an everytime thing for me.
Check the ppm and ph.

The bad: excess in whatever wasn't used.
The good: battling nutrient companies BS.

PERSONALLY:
Instead of "Fresh" water in between feedings I collect runoff, dilute and ph it and use that. I PERSONALLY haven't had issues but I don't subscribe to large ppm feedings. I like to "spoon feed"

So, it can work but be wary if you aren't using a decently ratio and quality (Water soluble nutrients) fertilizer you may end up with excess of a certain nutrient. Which in high enough concentrations can cause a lock out.

EDIT: high volumes of phosphorus and calcium can create calcium phosphate, 95% water insoluble and useless to plants.
I'm sure you have heard to put water first then nutrients and to stir nutrients with each addition, and you may have wondered why some nutes have a part A and B blah blah blah. This is why, and it's why more and more fertilizer companies are using what's call "chelates" (Key-latest) because the chelators hold ion bonds together strong enough that they don't "fall apart" but loosely enough to be available to the plant. (Very laymans terms but accurate)


Will update after work.
Ps: I found this post looking for others using similar techniques.

EDIT:
But to summarize and continue with the negative possibilities;
1) nutrient lockout by inadvertent molecular fusion and diffusion

2) anything that is bad in your soil (Anerobic bacteria for example)
Is continuously introduced.
(Remedied by aeration of the stored runoff solution)

3) incalculable ratios only hypothesized by the nutrients that bond to soil (IE phosphorus) being left behind and all water soluble nutrients (usually nitrogen) that are leached when you get runoff.

Pros?
Yeah, it doesn't sound too good so far but if you think about it, the nutrients the plant did not absorb aren't down the drain.
The way I see it is, if you have 5 gallons of 600+ppm runoff and you throw it away

[unless you decide to feed your outdoor garden like I did until they looked the happiest and went to feeding my cannabis with it]

That is an entire feed just wasted. In my eyes yourmixed up a homebrew of available nutrients, most have already been digested by microbes into an even more available form, and decided it wasn't the right mix and tossed it.

Does outdoor in-ground plants even get runoff?
Right...

Go ahead taste it... Now think again if you want to throw that salt water on your garden.

ANC said:

Go ahead taste it... Now think again if you want to throw that salt water on your garden.

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If there is NaCi in your water, there is major grower error.

Here is a plant that I've been doing this to, it does not appear dead to me.

"Salt water" is what you fed it in the first place. What magic do you think happens with runoff, more importantly, what is in your soil in the first place that isn't already available to the plant?...

Magic death juice?

ANC said:

Go ahead taste it... Now think again if you want to throw that salt water on your garden.

Click to expand...

Why are you tasting your water...
Cannabis has numerous health benefits you may very well be negating when ingesting chemicals clearly unadvised by the CDC...

EDIT: This plant hasn't been fed with nutrients yet, only it's own runoff and fresh water in between. The runoff IS my feed..

PS. I'm not advising anyone to do this, I grow a very particular way. (Spoon Feeding)
PPS: What do you think happens in flood and drain tables?

I apologize if I have come off crass, but untill you or I recieve water quality results from a lab or my plant suddenly dies I will very much "throw that salt water in my garden"

The goal in my venture on this forum is dispel myths and use information already available to the public to create hypothesis and further prove or disprove myself.
I may very well start a thread instead of jacking this one to hopefully change some very wasteful ways of growers.

Also, do note that I understand that in a larger grow, without premeditated actions in the grow layout for this exact method, labor vs savings, I agree the labor required outweighs the savings.

ONE MORE THING!

Did you know as home gardeners most of us are at fault for improper disposal?
Google up "Fertilizer disposal"
You'll find that it can be illegal for companies to improperly dispose of fertilizer runoff in container plants.

It's a growing hazard. I'm a very "green person" I don't recycle but I subscribe to the idea that if everyone does their part, our world can live happier.
From lean manufacturing to proper disposal.

Did you know cover crops are used to use excess nitrogen in large scale agriculture?

My cover crop for cannabis, is cannabis!

Get some other house plants or start a small vegetable garden to use your run off with.