Can plants be irrigated with tap water?

 learn, even if we have been taking care of plants for a few years. And things get complicated when we don’t know what kind of water they need to grow, especially when we have acid-loving plants (such as Japanese maples or hydrangeas).

Therefore, this time I am going to tell you if you can irrigate with tap water .

blechnum discolor

The best water for all your plants, regardless of its type, is rainwater . It is the most natural and nutritious, with which they have been fed since their existence on Earth. Whenever possible, it is highly recommended to collect the water to be able to use it, especially in the dry season, which is when it is most needed.

However… what happens when there is no rain? It’s time to water with tap water, but not all of it will be the most suitable for your plants. In fact, it will depend on the pH it has and the pH that your flowers tolerate. Or, not to complicate things too much, depending on the pH of the substrate, it can be irrigated with tap water without problems, or some treatment will have to be done.

leaf drop

Knowing this, for native plants we can use the one from the tap without problems, but for those that need special treatment -such as those mentioned above- it is convenient to add a few drops of lemon or vinegar to acidify it, or let it rest overnight so that heavy materials stay in the lower part of the container. Carnivorous plants are the most demanding as they will only accept rainwater, distilled or osmosis.

For your plants to grow healthy, it is preferable that the water is not kept puddled

 for a long time, unless it is a carnivorous or aquatic plant. In these cases we can put a plate under it and fill it every time we see it dry.

Can plants be irrigated with tap water?

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