Results for "plant-growing"

Between the humidity and recent rain, my concrete pool deck started showing these nasty green algae stains last week and now I'm wondering if pool chlorine can clean them off. My concrete pool deck is absolutely filthy with algae stains and dirt buildup, and nothing seems to work. I've scrubbed until my arms hurt and tried different cleaners, but these green stains just won't budge.

I have tons of pool chlorine sitting around and I'm wondering if I can use that to blast these concrete stains away? I don't want to damage the surface or create some kind of chemical disaster, but I'm running out of options. If chlorine works, what's the right way to dilute it? And honestly, are there better alternatives that might actually get this mess clean without all the guesswork?…more

Last fall when I drained my pool for winter, I couldn't shake the feeling that thousands of gallons going down the drain could've watered my entire garden instead. We grow tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs that my kids love to help harvest and eat.

I know pool water has chlorine and other chemicals, but I'm not sure what levels are safe for plants or if there's a way to make it garden-safe. Are there specific chemical levels I should test for before using it? I want to make sure we're not contaminating the soil or creating any health risks for my family when we eat the vegetables.…more

Our pool guy insists we need expensive soil amendments for our alkaline garden, but why can't we just use the pH down from our pool supplies? They're looking pretty sad and I know lowering the pH would help. Got me thinking - could I just use some of this pool chemical to fix my soil instead of buying garden stuff? I mean, it's designed to lower pH, right?

Before I potentially kill my tomatoes, figured I should ask if anyone's tried this. Is pool pH down safe for plants or am I about to create a gardening disaster?…more

Last week I bought my first pool and I'm completely lost trying to figure out if these weird water chemistry readings mean I need phosphate remover. The pool store mentioned something about phosphate removers, but I'm not sure when I actually need to use them. I've been keeping my chlorine levels where they should be, but I'm still dealing with some algae issues that won't seem to go away.

How do I know if phosphates are the problem? Is there a specific level I should be watching for, and what kind of test should I use to check? I want to make sure I'm not just throwing chemicals at the problem without understanding what's really going on.…more