Spring is in the air and it’s calling all wannabe green thumbs to turn their yards (or homes) into botanical escapes.
But when rain water isn’t the main source of nourishment for your plants, what kind of water should you be using to help your green beauties grow healthy and strong?
Keep reading below to learn about the types of water that can impact your plants.
What is softened water?
Softened water is water that has been treated, normally with sodium or potassium, to help remove minerals from hard water.
Is softened water safe for plants?
While softened water can do wonders in a home for everyday use, it’s not a great option for watering plants. Softened water typically has a high amount of sodium, which most plants don’t tolerate.
Imagine being super thirsty but ocean water is your only source. You know drinking the ocean water will never truly quench your thirst and just make you more thirsty. No, softened water is not salt water, but the traces of sodium can make a big impact on your plants (both indoor and outdoor).
Sodium in softened water makes plants think they have more water than they’ve actually been given, causing them to die of thirst. The sodium in the water can also build up in your soil, making it harder for future plants to grow in that same soil.
What about hard water?
Hard water contains a lot of sodium chloride and bicarbonates, leaving behind a layer of salt and calcium carbonate in the soil which can prevent water from properly soaking in and making watering more difficult.
Are there alternatives?
Rainwater is truly the best water for your plants, and it is considered “naturally soft water”. But when that isn’t an option, here’s a few other ways you can safely water your plants (indoor and outdoor):
1) Use reverse osmosis tap water. Reverse osmosis water is a great source of fresh water for consumption by both humans and plants. Once you already have an RO unit installed, the cost per gallon can be just pennies, so it’s also an affordable and safe way to water your plants.
2) Use potassium chloride (a natural plant nutrient) instead of regular sodium chloride (aka salt) pellets in your water softener tank.
3) Have your plumber install a separate water line tap outside so you can use that untreated water to keep your plants hydrated, as long as your city’s water quality isn’t toxic or contaminated. Tap water is the most common source of water for plants, but because it depends on the quality of that water based on the city you reside, you’ll need to make sure to monitor and test it regularly.
Contact Basin Water Solutions
When it comes to reverse osmosis, water softeners, filters, and ways to improve the quality of your water sources in West Texas, Central Texas and North Texas, contact Basin Water Solutions today. We have over 40 years of industry experience when it comes to water filtration systems and helped many residents in our local communities vastly improve the taste and quality of their water.
Basin Water Solutions specializes in the water improvement needs of both residential and commercial properties and can assist you in finding the best water solution based on your specific needs. Whether your goal is to have contaminant-free water drinking water for your home or business, they will provide you with options that best suit your requirements, expectations, and budget.