I am conducting a experiment on cuttings.  Some I attempting to root with city and others I am using water from my well.  The chemical conglomeration in our city water probably kills humans after extensive usage!  Thus far the cuttings that I watered with well water are the only ones that have rooted.  The TDS index on our city water checks to be 115 while my well is 30.  Of the 12 cuttings in each control group the only ones that developed any mold were 4 using the city water.  All cuttings from the well water have been mold free.  All the cuttings are from the same tree and were placed in the zip-lock bags onsite immediately after they were cut from the host.  My initial thought is that some people experiencing mold may be introducing it from the water source.  I now wish I had used a third control with distilled water.  Planning to go back and do this tomorrow...

I think you are on to something. My rooting success when compared to Dan's who uses well water is far less than his using virtually the same technique.   

We will just have to wait and see.  I have added distilled water and see what the final results are.

Good luck with your experiment. Our city water is either from reservoirs that sits there evaporating for years, or 'state water' shipped in from the north. It's horrible stuff not fit for drinking - full of minerals and chlorine and who knows what else. But it's all that is available.

I collect rain water sometimes. Never thought of using that. It would be great for using in the spray bottles I use to hydrate the leaves. Too late for this year however - it all got diverted into the fish pond.  ... except for one full garbage can used to collect roof run-off that got filled the past couple days... 

Thanks for the idea. :)

Collecting rain water is what I use on my bug eating plants.  It has a TDS of 4.  Probably the 4 is from the container itself.  Half of our city is supplied by Lake Texarkana.  It is a giant mudhole and the water is horrible.  My side of the city comes from another lake that is pretty nice.  Leave it to the city they mix the water at some point.  They don't want anyone getting clean water.  I bet using rainwater for cuttings would be the best all around.  The lower you can get that TDS the less chance of mold fungi etc.  Were now getting temps into the 80's and nights are running high 60's.  Everything is out of dormancy in this location.  Now we have to put up with twisters and thunderstorms for 3 months...

Just wondering, What is TDS?

Rain water, or melted snow, seems to work fine on rooting cuttings. I have had good success rates with those.

Grant
z5b

Total dissolved solids in Drinking-water

Hi Grant:

TDS stands for Total Disolved Solids.  It is checked with a inexpensive meter.  If you raise carnivorous plants it is a must to have one of these meters.  High TDS values above about 50 ppm will kill these plants.  Anyway, that is what it stands for.  I am sorry I did not explain that in my original thread.

Collected rain (freshly OXYGENATED) water is very good for plants.
[Assuming acid-rain is a way of the past]