forgive me for keep going on about this but I just want to be sure and I understand properly...

So I can boil tap water and that would leave the calcium in the kettle around the heating element hence it turns white over time? This would then give me pure water?

And I could use this when its cooled?

Or useing your previous suggestion of a cup in a cup with water in the inner cup and the evaporated water is then used...

Would this be correct?

Many Thanks

James

yup; either way would significantly improve your water situation. I would use in preferred order:

rain / boiled / evaporated

Mainly because evaporation just takes a lot of time to get a small amount of water. It is however cleaner.

Brilliant I now have a few ways of getting my water

Thank you for your help and patience

James

I was wondering if you boiled the water in a kettle if that would reduce the calcium carbonate because calcium scale can be found in kettles which means some of the calcium must remain in the kettle.

That is correct, MWid.

Jelle...how do they keep the water stored in cities' watertowers and all the water lines feeding the homes free from harmful bacteria build-up in the Netherlands if they don't chlorinate it? :blink:

Hm.. To start off with.. We do not have water towers in the netherlands, but pressured lined. Oxygen is used as sterilizer for the water, for those lines that are not filtered through osmoses.

Excellent Post

I am moving to the straight up country - hard water all round.
Was thinking about this, suppose I will boil it and put it in a milk container.

guys let as always remember that every aplication alway depends on the situation...so it depends on your location, water source location, climate, type of soil and type of plant.
Calciumcarbonate is essential to make the soil ph ballance. Hp is the acidity of soil. Plant need the right ph to able to grow.
Ok location if your location is near or in the city, the ph in rain is higher. Type of soil, calciumcarbonate is essential for the ballance of the ph of the soil so if the type of soil has higher ph calciumcarbonate is essential. The amount of calcium carbonate in top water depents on were it came from. Plant type, most tropical plant can able to survive even with higher calcium carbonate like my ficus...it is planted on a limestone rock wich is a calciumcarbonate. What you need to be aware in the top water is the chlorine...goodluck!

We have a place here on the border between pennsylvania and ny where there is a small pump in the ground and people go there to get spring water, they just drive up with empty containers and get the water that comes out of the ground. You wouldn't know it was there, though, unless, well you knew. I know because my mom told me. I'm wondering how many places there are like that that are hidden where people can get water? Anyway, I use tap water for my trees, when they aren't getting rained on. I live out in the country, though, in a pretty water logged area. And I'm lazy. I do know that when we put the bowl of water on the fireplace for humidity it leaves a lot of white crusty material. I'm assuming that's calcium, so I have learned from this thread that that might be bad (or good) for my trees. I will look into this further! Thanks everyone for the info.

Very interesting topic, I water all my pots with tap water and find I get calcium build up on my pots especially the terracotta ones. Although I dont think it has really affected any of my trees yet.
Also its to my understanding that different fertilisers will also cause build ups of certain salts too.