Question Bubbles in pot saucers?

This is a bit of a weird question - ive got bubbles appearing in the saucers/containers under my pots. The water has only been stagnant less than 12 hours as I always empty it (and recycle it through). Its a hard question to google so thought I'd ask here - the closest question/answer I found was talking about bubbles in pond water which said it was likely too much organic material in the water - which could potentially be an issue for fish - but is that a bad thing or a good thing for plants?

It would make sense to me that it could high organic material in the water as I've just switched the bucket I pour my bathtub water into from one that had compost/BSFL material in it. Is it likely microbes that are causing the bubbles?

So Mataeka, the water you are using to water your plants is recycled bath or shower water?
Is it freshly used each evening or left to stand for a day or so?

If it is freshly used each day/evening I would think it is simply soap residue in the water reacting with extra organisms living within the potting mix.

However, if it is 'blooming', (that is, frothing up), then I would think the water is not suitable to be left to stand for a day or 2. It should be used fresh so that it doesn't begin to go 'off' with these hotter days.

Bath & kitchen water goes off fairly quickly. If stored in a lidded bucket, it makes enough gas to blow the lid off within 24-48hrs.

We used to use our washing machine water to water fruit trees. We were told that that was fine if you used to straight away, no storage. but is you stored it for even a day you could run into trouble with bacteria building up. Is that what is happening? Can you use it is some way that there is no storage?

ClissAT said:

So Mataeka, the water you are using to water your plants is recycled bath or shower water?
Is it freshly used each evening or left to stand for a day or so?

If it is freshly used each day/evening I would think it is simply soap residue in the water reacting with extra organisms living within the potting mix.

However, if it is 'blooming', (that is, frothing up), then I would think the water is not suitable to be left to stand for a day or 2. It should be used fresh so that it doesn't begin to go 'off' with these hotter days.

Bath & kitchen water goes off fairly quickly. If stored in a lidded bucket, it makes enough gas to blow the lid off within 24-48hrs.

Click to expand...

Bath/shower water - I shower, after I've knocked the main dirt off I collect the water and my son baths in it - We don't use soap so not soap reside - although on the odd occasion my son does add his own 'flavour' to the water

Usually collected at night for the next mornings use so used within 12 hours. It's just stored in an open 20L bucket. I would say it's more likely as you said - the microbes from the soil reacting.

What's the general effects of 'Off" water on plants? I mean from a bacteria/microbe rich soil is a good thing generally speaking so is it more the risk of not knowing what the specific bacteria would be?

I dont think it should hurt the plants unless they were standing in the water for too long... ie wet feet but that's about it.

How are your plants looking?

I just wanted to show how much gas builds up from recycled water.

This photo below is the flat pipe I now run from my verandah to my new food forest garden so I don't have to cart the water down there each day. I can just pour it down the pipe which is attached to the verandah rail.

It runs down the pipe & most runs out the other end straight away. However there is always a bit left in the pipe due to undulations in the ground over which the flat pipe runs.

Those small amounts of waste water create a heap of gas.

You can see in the photos that the pipe is all puffed up for many metres.

The plants were doing great - tomatoes so they were lapping the water up but it seems they've finally realised its winter and most have carcked it - not before an awesome bounty of tomatoes has been provided first though. Newly planted plants are doing great

That's crazy how much gas it creates!