When caring for houseplants or cultivating an outdoor garden providing proper water is essential. Not all water sources are created equal however. The type of water used to irrigate plants can significantly impact their health, vigor and growth.
As a plant parent, it’s important to understand how water quality affects your green friends With this knowledge, you can determine the best water for your plants’ needs and support their success
How Water Influences Plant Growth
Water is a critical component for plants. It:
- Enables nutrient uptake from the soil
- Allows photosynthesis to occur
- Keeps cells turgid and rigid
- Transports sugars and minerals within the plant
- Cools plants on hot days via transpiration
Without adequate water, plants become stressed. Leaves may wilt or turn yellow and growth slows dramatically. In severe cases, lack of water can be fatal.
But it’s not just the quantity of water that matters. The type and quality of irrigation water also plays a key role in plant health.
Hardness, pH, dissolved solids and contaminants in the water can all impact how well plants can absorb and utilize it.
Hard Water vs Soft Water for Plants
The two main classifications of residential water are hard and soft.
Hard Water
- Contains high levels of calcium and magnesium minerals
- Leaves mineral residue on surfaces
- Can have pH of 7.5-8.5
Hard water is generally ideal for irrigating plants. The calcium and magnesium provide beneficial micronutrients.
The moderately high pH also suits most plants. Avoid using hard water on acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries, however.
Soft Water
- Minerals removed and replaced with sodium
- Feels slippery and lathers soap easily
- Low in essential minerals
- Has pH of 6.5-8
While preferred for household use, softened water can be detrimental for plants. The sodium content makes it more difficult for roots to absorb water and nutrients. Salt buildup can damage soil structure over time as well.
Best Sources of Water for Plant Health
If your existing tap or well water doesn’t seem optimal, consider these excellent irrigation sources:
Rainwater
Natural rainwater is one of the best choices for watering plants. Rain is distilled naturally by the evaporation-condensation cycle and contains no chlorine, salts or chemicals.
Rainwater has a balanced pH and provides beneficial oxygen and trace minerals. Collecting rain in barrels or cisterns for garden use is eco-friendly and sustainable.
Melted Snow
Freshly melted snow also serves as a pure, soft water source ideal for plants. It’s water in its simplest hydrogen-oxygen form.
Let collected snow melt completely before use and avoid yellowed snow contaminated with pollutants.
Distilled Water
Water that is distilled by evaporation and condensation is one of the purest forms of water. Most contaminants and minerals are removed through the distillation process.
Distilled water works well for irrigating most household plants. It has a near-neutral pH and won’t build up salts in soil.
Dechlorinated Tap Water
While tap water contains traces of chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals, these can be neutralized.
Simply letting tap water sit out uncovered for 24-48 hours allows the chlorine to dissipate. You can also use activated carbon or reverse osmosis filters to remove additives.
Dechlorinated tap water provides an accessible option for most urban gardeners. Monitor plants for signs of salt accumulation over time.
Spring Water
Natural spring water comes to the surface from underground aquifers. Spring water contains a blend of minerals that plants appreciate.
The pH of spring water can vary based on the geology. But in general, spring water offers a balanced “sweet spot” for irrigating many plants.
Choosing the Best Water for Your Plants’ Needs
Consider these tips when selecting an irrigation water source:
- Know your existing tap water quality – contact the local water company for a report
- Collect rainwater whenever possible – it’s naturally ideal for plants
- If using tap water, let it sit out to dissipate chlorine before use
- Watch for signs of salt stress like browning leaves or slower growth
- Consider getting a reverse osmosis or carbon filtration system for tap water
- Use distilled water for finicky plants that demand high purity
Pay attention to how your plants respond after watering. Leaf yellowing, wilting or poor growth can indicate your water source needs improvement.
Providing your plants with the purest, high-quality water will reward you with a vibrant, thriving indoor jungle or bountiful backyard paradise.
How to improve the quality of tap water for plants
For at least one day, the tap water that will be used for irrigation needs to settle. This is the first rule that every plant lover should know. It is necessary so that all the chlorine evaporates from it. After that, the water becomes much more suitable for your plants.
Chlorine can also be removed by boiling. To quickly remove chlorine, add 0. 5 teaspoons of baking soda per liter of water to the water. Boil the solution and let it cool. Immediately after that, your plants can be watered.
Melted water is devoid of excess salts, but its preparation will take some time. Pour the water into a container and put it in the freezer. Watch when some of the water freezes, and some will still be in a liquid state. The unfrozen water should be drained off – it will contain the greatest amount of dissolved salts. Allow the frozen water to thaw and warm up to room temperature before watering.
Using spring- or rainwater is the best option to care for your green friends. Distilled water is also a great choice, but not all the species would like it though. There are, however, many ways to make tap water better for your plants if you still want to use it.
Pay attention to the species
Other plants require hard water with a high lime content. A striking representative of this group of plants is oleander. Nevertheless, most indoor plants are acidophiles. They don’t like water that is too hard, which means it has a lot of lime in it. When you water them with tap water for a long time, their leaves turn yellow, chlorosis happens, and a white bloom shows up on the soil’s surface.
So what is the best water to care for your indoor plants?
Springwater is the best option for most plants. It’s clean and doesn’t have any of the chemicals that are in tap water. It also has more minerals than tap water. However, springwater might be challenging to get, so that it might be substituted with rainwater.
Rainwater is also much purer than tap water. One bad thing is that you’ll have to wait for the rainwater to warm up if it’s not already room temperature. But if you live in a city, using rainwater is problematic. It may contain elements that green friends will not like at all. Thus, rainwater should not be collected immediately but a few minutes after the start of rain.
Distilled water is a type of purified water achieved by boiling water away and then condensing the vapor. Distilled water is completely devoid of all micronutrients, which in small amounts are vital to plants. On the other hand, this type of water is a clean source for irrigation that can help keep plants from becoming toxic.
Distilled water is also a suitable choice for most plants. It is the best option after spring and rainwater. Still, you should pay attention to the type of plant you have. Some, like carnivorous plants, need to be watered with distilled water, but others might not be able to handle it because it doesn’t have any minerals in it.
Also, tap water contains several harmful chemicals, including lead, chlorine, and pathogens. They are detrimental to your houseplants and might cause problems. However, there are some methods of reducing the harm of tap water and making it purer.
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FAQ
Do plants grow better with distilled water or tap water?
Which type of water is most useful for the plant?
Is bottled water or tap water better for plants?
Which type of water is best for plants?
Plants grown in distilled water were shorter and had fewer leaves. Plants grown in rainwater were intermediate in height and leaf size. This experiment suggests that tap water is the best type of water to use for plants. Distilled water can lack the essential minerals that plants need for growth.
What are the best practices for watering plants?
Actually, some best practices for watering plants will save your plants and conserve water, too. Water for too long, and you create an open invitation for fungus. Water too little, and roots become shallow. Water in the evening, and insects come out to feast. Water from too high, and half the moisture is lost to evaporation.
Which type of water should I use for my garden?
For both indoor plants and outdoor gardens, hard water is the best choice. Hard water is preferred over soft water due to the negative effects of soft water on plants. Therefore, it is not recommended to use soft water for watering.
Is rainwater good for plants?
Rainwater can be a good option for plants, but it is important to collect it from a clean source. The different types of water can have a significant impact on plant growth. Tap water can contain chlorine and other chemicals that can be harmful to plants. Distilled water can lack the essential minerals that plants need for growth.
What kind of water do you use to plant seeds?
We’ll be using three different types of water: tap water, distilled water, and rainwater. We’ll plant seeds in each type of water and see how they grow over time. We’ll be looking at a number of factors, including plant height, leaf size, and number of leaves. We’ll also be measuring the amount of water each plant takes up.
Can I use tap water to water my plants?
It is natural for new plant caretakers to use tap water directly from the hose pipe to water their plants. Most plants can handle tap water, but some plants are more sensitive to the chemicals in it than others.