rainwater

 And I'm always puzzled by the reaction
>>of plants to real rain vs. the same amount of city water from
>>sprinklers.
>>There's no question that rain water makes everything look and act better
>>-- any ideas from experts out there about this?  Obviously, all water is
>>not created equal!
>>
>>Anne - Chicago
>>
>I've been told the reason rain is superior to hosewater is that it pulls
>nitrogen out of the air as it falls. Is that true? Margaret L

The nitrogen in our atmosphere is in the elemental form and by itself, very
non-reactive.  Many plants develop nitrogen-fixing bacteria that have the
special ability to turn nitrogen from the atmosphere into a useable form.

With regard to rainwater, I always was told that during electrical storms,
the lightning causes nitrogen to be converted into some water-soluble form
that is then dissolved by the rain.  Of course, there could be other
factors here, such as the clorination of the hosewater, if you are served
by a municipal source.

Don Martinson
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
l*@execpc.com


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