Succulents are one of the loved plants across the globe, they have very little needs while growing and do not need much care. These plants are considered one of the low maintenance plants and they do great with less water. But when we say this, we often don’t bother about which water is best suited for them.
I did some research about it and consulted a few gardeners and got to know the negative impact of tap water and found a few alternatives to it. Before that let’s quickly get to know: Is tap water safe for succulents?
Tap water has added chemicals such as chlorine, fluorine, and many other components that usually accumulate in the soil and harm the plant in the long run. It also has lots of minerals in it which are of no use to the succulents. Therefore, tap water is not safe for succulents.
Most people use tap water to water the succulents without really knowing its ill effects on the plant in the long run. When I was new to this, I used to water my succulents with tap water. But after a few months, my plant’s health started to deteriorate, and I was unaware that the reason for this is tap water.
Effects of Using Tap Water On Succulents
Tap water is mostly treated with lots of chemicals and minerals to make the water safe for drinking. But these minerals mean nothing when it comes to watering succulents. These chemicals accumulate in the soil and start to show their ill effect on the plant.
This is why most of the time, even after watering them appropriately and taking care of the succulents, they still grow unhealthy or distorted. Usually, tap water is an issue when you plant succulents in a pot. Here are a few effects of using tap water.
1. Soil color changes
If you are watering the succulents with tap water for a longer period of time, then you can notice the change in the color of the soil. Soil usually turns pale or whitish in color. This happens due to the harmful chemicals that sit in the soil and further contaminates it. To avoid this you must frequently change the potting soil and also look for any root rot.
2. Root burning
When these harmful chemicals accumulate in the soil, they cause root burn and that usually reduces the rate of nutrient absorption of the succulent. Roots are the heart of any plant, if they are not in a good space, that creates a lot of problems in the functionality of the succulents.
3. Change in the leaf color
When the succulents are watered with tap water for a long time, their leaves start to change color. This happens due to root burn when the roots are unable to absorb the essential nutrients, it cannot provide them to the whole plant. Then the plant usually lacks nutrition and leaves change their color.
4. Spots on the succulents
Another effect of tap water is that the succulents get white spots on the leaves and the stems. Also, plants may start to appear a bit pale, this is due to the harmful chemicals and minerals of the tap water. White spots or pale appearance of the plant can be also due to sunburns or root rot, look for the recent change in their surroundings to know the problem.
What should you do if you were using tap water until now?
Just like me if you were also unaware of the fact that tap water damages the succulents in the long run, then do not worry. There are a few ways to know the damage caused by the tap water and catch the early signs, to help them grow healthy and beautiful.
- Firstly, inspect the whole plant and look for any spots or patches on the stems and leaves. Then look for the color of the plant, check whether it has a pale or white appearance. This will tell you the health of the succulents. If you do not see any of these signs then your plant is in good condition.
- Secondly, inspect the soil and see if the color of the soil is pale or white. If the soil has changed its color then consider repotting your plant in new soil. You should change the potting soil once a year at least to avoid any kind of root rot or damage.
Can you remove the chemicals from tap water?
Yes, you can remove the added chemicals from the tap water, and you can use that water to water your beloved succulents. Here are a few ways for removing it.
By keeping the water uncovered
Collect the tap water in a container or in a big jar. Then keep the water uncovered for a day or so, which will evaporate all the chlorine from the water.
By keeping the water uncovered will also settle all the rest of contaminants at the bottom of the container, then you can leave a few milliliters of water from the bottom, and the rest you can use to water your plants.
By using Purifiers
The other way is to use Charcoal filtres or RO purifiers. These filters are usually used to make the water suitable for drinking by killing all the pathogens, viruses, and contaminants from the water.
You can use tap water and then purify it with the help of these filters to water succulents, but this process can be costly for many people.
What type of water you should use for succulents?
Now that you know that tap water is not safe for succulents. There are a few alternatives or we can say the type of water you must use to grow succulents healthy and beautiful.
1. Rain Water
Natural rainwater is the perfect water for your plants. Succulents tend to grow healthy and beautiful in rainwater as it contains everything that they need. Rainwater is slightly acidic in nature which suits them perfectly and this water makes the soil acidic.
Rainwater also helps to flush away all the chemicals and toxins from the soil and as well as from the plant. But the problem with rainwater is that it is totally seasonal and you have to collect the water and store it so that it can last throughout the year.
Therefore, if you cannot use rainwater then the next option might be helpful for you.
2. Distilled Water
Distilled water can be a great option as it does not contain any kind of minerals. This water is totally free of any chemicals contaminants, and salts. The specialty of this water is that they do not have any beneficial or harmful minerals and contaminants.
It is totally neutral and can be used to water the succulents. Distilled water will just satisfy the water requirement of the plant it won’t do any good or bad to plants. You can use this alternative if you cannot get rainwater.
3. Purified water
Using purified water for succulents is one of the best options you can use. Purified water will have essential minerals in the water and can also be slightly acidic in nature (just by changing the pH setting of the purifier).
You can use any of the two filters RO purifier or Charcoal filter for this, most of us have any one of these filters at home. This option will also save you from the efforts of storing the rainwater and will also filter all the contaminants from the water.
I use RO (reverse osmosis) filters as they provide me the option of changing the pH level of the water. Therefore, you must use purified water for your succulents to grow them healthy in long run.
Do plants grow better with tap water or distilled water?
As compared to tap water succulents grow much better and healthy when you use distilled water. As distilled water does not have any kind of chemical contaminants and is free of minerals. On the other hand tap water has chlorine and other added chemicals to make water safe for drinking and for day-to-day use.
Tap water is not a perfect option for succulents, this water has harmful effects on the plant in long run. You must use the type of water that is free of harmful chemicals and my recommendation is to use purified water for the plants. This water enhances healthy growth and does not have any harmful effects in long run.
I hope you found this article helpful. Do share this information with others.