Watching leaf tips on your favorite plants turn brown or on the brink of dying, have you considered which part went wrong? In most cases, the problematic link lies in watering plants wrongly. Among numerous considerations such as water quantity, timing, etc, the water quality weighs the most. There is a wide range of different water for plants. We will compare their advantages and drawbacks and find out the perfect gardening water.
Water for House Plants
Using bottled water is expensive for long-term use, but sometimes what you pay will not give back what you expect. Most bottled water comes with added mineral substances for the health needs of human beings. However, this can be fatal to plants. The minerals can form build-ups on the soil, hardening the soil and inhibiting plants’ growth. What’s more, some bottled water suppliers would use city water for their production, while the quality of the city water remains a big concern in plenty of areas.
It is a popular way among gardeners to use boiling water to kill unwanted plants. But for watering, we’d better cool down the boiled water before use. Due to the boiling process, all dissolved gases that are harmful to plants such as chlorine are easily removed. Also being removed includes some beneficial substances. Nevertheless, it is still usable for home use except for commercial agricultural use.
Well water is often found containing excessive amounts of calcium, magnesium, iron, lead, nitrogen, or other chemical contaminants. The deeper your well is, the more likely it is exposed to the underground limestone and thus contains a higher level of calcium. Water with highly concentrated calcium is often called “hard water”, which is extremely harmful to plants such as azaleas and blueberries. If you live near an agricultural or industrial area, fertilizers and pesticides will have larger chances to contaminate your nearby underground water. For places near dumping grounds, their underground water is often found with heavy metals. Before you decide to use well water, it is better to test the pH of water first.
The distillation process is known as the best way to filter out particles like salt and minerals while the purest water will flow into another container through evaporation. The purest form, however, doesn’t always mean the best—some minerals essential for the growth of plants are made absent too. If you are considering using distilled water, you will see your wallet being flat fast.
If you have used rainwater as a long-term source for houseplants, it is a smart choice. Rainwater is a great option you can count on. Plants are in desire of nitrogen, a must-have chemical to help them produce green photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll, which keeps them green. Lacking the element for a long time, they may turn yellow or even lose vitality. Plants mainly rely on two ways to gain the element: one is from fertiliser and the other is from rainwater, which releases compounds that can react with the bacteria and fungi in the soil to bring about nitrogen. However, rain does not fall every day, especially in inland areas.
River water is easy to gain and is a rather economical choice, but it can also get contaminated easily. It is important to investigate whether there are farms, chemical plants, or waste treatment facilities upstream. All these buildings could have their waste leaked or dumped into the river. The waste abundant in metals, chemicals, and other harmful particles can pose an unimaginable threat to us, not to mention its effect on spoiled household plants. According to a report from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, it says, “Reclaimed water, runoff water, or recycled water may require reconditioning before use for irrigation since disease organisms, soluble salts and traces of organic chemicals may be present.”
Out of purification purpose, tap water usually contains a small amount of calcium, magnesium, salts, minerals, pharmaceuticals and treatment chemicals such as chlorine and fluorine which could pose a threat to plants, especially to sensitive plants such as spiders, corn, and palms, according to Washington State University. Accumulated calcium and magnesium can build up on the soil surface, which can inhibit plants’ growth, cause leaves to wilt or even lead to dead roots. Tap water rich in nitrates because of fertilizer run-off will also contribute to excess nitrogen, creating an imbalance in nutrients. The amount of these contaminants in tap water differs in different areas because water comes from different sources, and the purification process might not be the same.
Though municipal tap water is considered filtered, filtered water by household filtration systems such as refrigerator filters, under sink water filters and faucet water filters proves cleaner and healthier. Unlike bottled water, boiled water, natural water sources such as river water and well water, filtered water is more controllable in quality depending on what filters you choose to use. An effective filter can remove chlorine, soften water, and yet retain beneficial minerals, offering the best water not only for humankind but also what most plants want.
The Best Water for Houseplants
During the comparison, we concluded that filtered water is the best choice for our houseplants in terms of its performance, convenience as well as cost; its filters only need to be replaced every six months. It is the easiest way to get healthy water for both our plants and our family.
Recommendations for Caring Your Plants
- Ensure drainage holes on pots to prevent waterlogging
- Water most plants every 2–4 days in spring and summer
- Don’t water desert cacti and succulents too much
- Water less in autumn and winter when plants are slower in growth
- Prevent overly soggy compost
- Avoid getting water on the leaves and stems of plants with soft, fuzzy foliage, or succulents and cacti.
Best Water Filter for Plants
To find reliable water filters, you can count on Clatterans, a dedicated water filter online supplier. It provides a wide variety of refrigerator replacement options for name brands like Maytag, Whirlpool, GE, Frigidaire, Amana, KitchenAid, Kenmore, Jenn-Air, or LG and other different types of water filtration systems. Whether you need indoor filtration systems or outdoor filtration solutions, Clatterans has high-quality and NSF certified products to provide.