Question
Hi-I just purchased some Sarracenia rhizomes and got them set out.(gotta admit I'm already obsessed} They are unidentified species, so I need to get everything just right. I'm trying to figure out if my tap water would be okay to use. I called the water plant to try and find out the ppm of dissolved solids in the water but they couldn't tell me. What I did find out was the water has an NTU of .02. And a hardness of 5. After some research, I found out that it is not possible to convert NSU to PPM. Can you help me figure this out? Also, I have a bunch of styrofoam containers, and since they are such good insulation, I was thinking of lining them with plastic and putting my pots in them. I imagine that they would help keep the roots cooler in the summer. What are your thoughts on this?I am located in South West Oregon if that helps. Thanks very much!

Answer
Hello Maire

First, welcome to your new addiction :-)

From my opinion, even with a low ppm water, you should use a crystal clear water, like distilled or rain water. Minerals will stick on the roots and your lil guys will stuggle out after some times.

For your roots, sarracenias can handle hot temperatures, even at roots level. Its not like heliamphoras or cephalotus. But your styro boxes can help if the sun strike directly on the pots.
Its a good idea :-)

Hope this help!