“My city is starting to impose water restrictions and I’m planning to use more of the rain water in my water barrels, but the plants just don’t seem as happy or healthy with it as they do with the water from my tap. Is there anything I can add or do to make it better?” – Bill, Seattle

Hey Bill,

It is happening in my hometown too, water conservation programs that is; which is a little scary considering we have more fresh water in North America then anywhere else in the world.

Believe it or not, I am not a fan of water barrels. Don’t get me wrong, I want everyone to conserve water but rain barrels from a functional perspective don’t really work! You can’t use them to water the lawn and who really wants to lug water all over the yard watering each plant one-at-a-time. You also pointed out that the plants don’t do that well when watered exclusively from a rain barrel. This is because rain is full of oxygen, but when it sits for a period of time in a barrel, like a carbonated beverage, it goes ‘flat’. We’ve always believed that plants get oxygen through the leaves, but they need the oxygen through the roots!

Sadly, there are no additives for your rain barrel water to make it more appetizing for your garden, but there is another option. Use the rain barrel water, but also conserve tap water using the Pure Rain™ system. The technology in the watering chamber actually uses 30 percent less water then your ordinary watering system. It does this by increasing the amount of oxygen in each water droplet by 30 percent. Its like taking a cup of water, removing 30 percent of the fluid and filling it back up with nano-bubbles which are microscopic air bubbles that your plants use in photosynthesis. A 30 percent reduction in water usage is a huge number considering how much water we actually use in our backyards!

— Carson

“I want to grow my own vegetables but am concerned about fertilizers and pesticides being ingested by my family. Is there a healthier way?” – Marjorie, Niagara Falls

Marjorie, you’ve hit on a very sensitive topic. With more research being done every day on the effects of how we grow our fruit and vegetables, the lists of toxins just seems to get longer and longer. There are several vegetables that are some of the worst for absorbing these chemicals that we can grow ourselves. Celery, spinach, tomatoes and potatoes are on this list.

The key however to growing your own organic veggies is to make sure that they are as healthy as possible. Healthy plants not only produce more, they also are able to fight of infestations and bounce back from insect damage.

Vegetables have a few basic needs; 8 hours of direct sun everyday, a nutrient rich soil which you can provide using compost or manure, and lots of clean water. When given these 3 things, your vegetable patch will fill your table all summer long.

Now I’m going to let you in on a little secret that I use on my garden! When I first found out about Pure Rain™, I was a little skeptical about the claims of increased growth using tap water…but it works! The key is that all plants need oxygen at the ROOT level. We talk about compacted soil and the damage it causes to trees and shrubs but did you know it hurts your veggies too? Because Pure Rain™ is able to deliver oxygen directly to the roots of your plants in the same way rain does, your plants react unlike anything I ever seen before! They grow bigger and healthier then any fertilizer I’ve used and there are no risks of any chemicals making it to your table! From one backyard farmer to another…give it a try. You’ll be amazed at the results!

— Carson

“I’ve been having my grass turn brown every summer and I water it 3-4 times a week. What am I doing wrong?” – Jim, Minneapolis

Jim, I’ve got some bad news for you and your lawn. First, have you checked for grubs? One way to tell if you have grubs is by the shape of the yellow damage in the grass. If you have round circles, you’ve got grubs and I’d suggest removing the grass and the soil underneath and start over.

If not grubs, then odds are you have a lawn that is full of Kentucky Blue grass. Now before you ask why this could possible be a bad thing, Kentucky Blue grass has this amazing ability to go dormant in the hot summer months. When it goes dormant, it turns yellow! This is a natural occurrence and not something you can fix with more water. Instead, try top dressing the patchy areas with a combination of a fescue grass seed and top soil. Make sure you mix the seed well in the soil before you put in on top of the lawn as it’s the seed to soil contact which will make it grow.

Before you go, let’s talk about a bigger issue that you probably didn’t even realized you have. When watering your lawn, never water more then once a week. When you water 3-4 times a week, you’re actually hurting the roots! One deep watering is the best way to grow healthy roots because the roots will grow deep versus the shallow roots which are caused by more frequent watering. Consider trying the Pure Rain™ sprinkler system. Not only do you use less water, you provide more oxygen to your plants. It’s almost like being in charge of the weather! Your lawn loves a rainfall, and Pure Rain™ gives you all the benefits of rain from your garden hose! What could be better? That said…you will have to cut your grass more often, but I promise that it will be green!

— Carson

“Some of my favorite plants have had really bad insect damage of the leaves. Is there anything I can do to help that plant now that the bugs are gone?” – Maxine, Annapolis

Dear Maxine,

I feel for your pain. I had the same thing happen to one of my favorite flowering Highbush Cranberries. Unfortunately, the damage is done…literally!

When an insect chews through a leaf, the plant is unable to fill in the hole. The damage is something you’re going to have to live with until next season.

Instead, let’s talk about creating healthy plants that can resist insect damage in the first place! Insects are nature’s way of getting rid of unhealthy and diseased plants. It’s a myth that bugs, like humans prefer the lush, tasty looking leaves of the plants. The truth is, bugs target the weak. Healthy plants have a natural defense system not unlike our own immune system for repelling sickness and disease.

I’ve been using a new type of watering system to help my plants stay off of the bug buffet list. Pure Rain™ is a revolutionary system that increases the amount of oxygen that your plants absorb through their root systems. We know that plants use this oxygen in the process of creating energy and that the more energy they are able to produce, the healthier and stronger they are. Pure Rain™ increases the oxygen levels in your tap water by up to 30%. This is a fantastic way to help your perennials, trees and shrubs grow bigger and better without the use of chemicals or fertilizers

— Carson