is creek water safe for cannabis?
I would think that would be the best water to use due to the microbiological life incorporated into the water already. Your just going to want to make sure its the proper PH range before using. Im no professional so by all means wait for a 2nd opinion but thats just my 2 cents
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Fairly safe for adult plants, but not for clones or seeds. There are some pathogenic bacteria and fungus in water, that doesn’t end well for clones or seeds.
For starting out, fresh clean water you can drink is the only thing I can recommend.
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Welcome to the community ,
Couldn’t hurt to know the ph & ppm of the source.
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I use the creek water that cuts thru my lot. Do you know where it flows from? Like does it cut thru the county dump, cattle hold yard, or hug the freeway or train tracks?
Mine grows lots of aquatic plants. And lots of macrofauna. If it’s harboring bugs (think fish food, copepods, fly larvae, etc) then you know it is not contaminated. The microfauna is more sensitive to contaminates then the fish. If the shallows have plants and water bugs you can see in it you will be just fine. Just make sure to check the PH like @BigCat420 all ready mentioned.
It’s also loaded with Indigenous Micro Organisms (IMO) like fungus, bacteria, and protozoa. Just like our microbe boosters but + Protozoa. They wash from the soils to the streams. Also, any fish waste or decomposing vegetation in the water is going to converted to plant ready form by the aquatic microbes also in the water. It’s a winning combo.
I use mine as a flood table. Think poor man’s hydro. I just made a shallow levelish side flow spot 3-5” deep depending on the flows. I used some pea gravel. Anyway, when a plant gets dry I just drop it in the creek to bottom wick until it’s damp on the surface. Usually 30min or so. Definitely not a winter activity, but you get the idea. Or until the plants get too big to move easy has happened too. But honestly these days I aim for smaller plants and more variety plant counts.
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Great information! There is a healthy creek behind us. Next outdoor grow I will cart up a few gallons up for watering.
Thanks. My creek runs down a mountain in Virginia. This is my first time growing a hybrid strain (Do Si Dos) and I’m taking every precaution.
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wish I had that water source! Tap water here but a decent PH/TDS 
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If I am not mistaken God didnt create bottled water or drinking water to water them. I am pretty sure rain and streams did it. Will be fine if not polluted with manmade pollutants.
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I grew up drinking water from an open spring. always figured if the fish and frogs are healthy it must be clean. wish i knew of a good spring nearby. id water me and my plants with it. i could see the ph possible being an issue as some have said.
i can say id be leary of a creek unless Iwas very close to the source
The hills around these parts used to be loaded with guerrilla grows, big ones! All fed by creeks. In fairness, we are quite off the beaten path around these hills. Nevertheless, the cops managed to find loads of weed to keep them high.
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This is my water all from a local spring. I try to not use at the very start just in case but once they have a set of leaves or so on them it’s all I use and have had no issues.
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When you say adult plants do you mean plants a couple of months old? I’m growing my plants on a mountain top and the only water source (apart from well water) is a stream near my property. I had planned to use bottled water for the seedlings. When is a good time to make the transition to creek water? Should I boil it before use?
I would use Creek water on a plant that has its first adult leaves.
Growing outdoors after they’re started you’ll do fine.
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I use the creek/lake behind the house all the time for my outdoor plants. It’s not the dirtiest but far from the cleanest and the plants seem to love it… the indoor plants get ro water
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Do you have to ph your spring water?