Best water for plants: Filtered water, Distilled water and RO

Best water for plants: Filtered water, Distilled water and RO

When filling your watering can, you may think that water that is safe for humans is also safe to use in your garden. However, plants are more sensitive to the amount of water they absorb than mammals, so special care must be taken when watering plants. Some chemicals found in city and well water can harm your plants in the long run. In this article, you can discover which contaminants are most harmful to plants, how to remove these contaminants from water, and the best filters to treat the water you use for your plants.

You should avoid watering your plants with water that is high in chlorine, chloramines, fluoride, heavy metals or water hardening minerals. Tap water often contains all of these contaminants.

You can tell what contaminants are in your water by using a home or lab water testing kit.

Reverse osmosis systems and water distillers are the most effective water treatment options, providing consistently high-quality water to your plants. Activated carbon filters are also an acceptable option in some cases.

Regardless of which water treatment method you choose, it is advised to always supplement your plants with appropriate nutrients.

Should I use filtered water for my plants?

If your water source contains chlorine, chloramines or fluoride, you should use a filter to remove these contaminants before watering your plants. If you collect rainwater to use on your plants, you do not need to filter the water unless the rainwater is contaminated with harmful contaminants on the roof, in gutters, or in the air. Not all water filters remove contaminants that are harmful to plants, so make sure you use a proper system to prolong the life of your plants.

Is tap water harmful to plants?

To keep your plants healthy, you should not use treated city tap water on your plants without filtering the water first. Water treatment plants add chlorine and chloramines to water to kill bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other microorganisms. Fluoride is also added to prevent tooth decay. Although these chemicals are effective, they are not good for the soil. Chlorine and chloramine eliminate beneficial bacteria in the soil, damaging roots over time. Likewise, fluoride hinders growth and can cause visible damage to your plant life.

Is well water harmful to plants?

If you get your water from a well, it may contain contaminants that are harmful to your plants. If your well water contains high levels of chlorine, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, iron or salt, you must use a filter to protect your plant life. The pH of the water also needs to be considered. A pH that is too high or too low can cause plants to become discolored, brittle, and lifeless. If you are unsure about the composition of your well water, have it tested by a professional.

How do I know what’s in my water?

You can test your water at home with a home water testing kit or a lab water testing kit. Home test kits allow you to target specific contaminants with your testing, while lab tests provide a more thorough summary of your water’s composition. Well water should be professionally tested at least once per year for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, pH, and any other region-specific contaminants. If you just want to know the general composition of water treated at home in your city, a home water testing kit may suffice.

What are the symptoms of unhealthy trees?

If you use water that contains the wrong types of contaminants for your garden, your plants may develop the following symptoms:

• Stunted growth
• Yellow or wilted leaves
• Infection
• Brown color starts at the tips

If your plant exhibits any of these symptoms, consider having your water tested and installing a proper filtration system in your home.

Which water is best for plants?

The best water for plants is water that is as unpolluted as possible. This purity can be achieved by a number of water treatment systems. With a clean substrate, you can supplement clean water with the appropriate nutrients for the specific plant you are growing. Some contaminants, such as iron, can prevent roots from absorbing nutrients if the contaminant is present at high enough levels. If you add enough nutrients to your plants while also providing them with clean water, you can more accurately control the amount of nutrients the plants consume.

Best water treatment for plants

The best water filter for your plants is determined by the contaminants in your water source. For example, if your water contains chlorine, chloramines, and fluoride, you must use a filter that can reduce the levels of these contaminants. If your water contains high levels of iron, a common well water contaminant, you will want to reduce those levels before the iron reaches the soil. Reverse osmosis and distillation remove practically all impurities from water, so they are a safe choice regardless of your water source. Activated carbon filters remove many contaminants that are toxic to plants, making them a less expensive option with some drawbacks.

Reverse osmosis system

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems reduce the levels of most contaminants in water. Regardless of the input water quality, an RO system can provide safe water for plant life. Because reverse osmosis water is of very high quality, it provides consistent water allowing for precise control over the nutrients you provide to your plants. If your RO system water supply contains high levels of water hardening minerals, you will want to incorporate a water softener before your RO system. Without a water softener, these minerals can clog the pores of the reverse osmosis membrane, significantly reducing the effectiveness and performance of the system. If your water supply is not difficult, an RO system is a great standalone solution for your plants.

Note that, although RO systems reduce the majority of contaminants in water, they do not eliminate some microorganisms. If your water is pumped from a well, you will need to have some type of disinfection system to make the water safe to drink. Although these microorganisms will not harm your plants, they will affect the health of those consuming the water in your home.

Advantages of RO for gardening

• Provides a stable, high-quality water source
• Allows precise control of plant nutrition

Disadvantages of RO for gardening

• More expensive than activated carbon
• Filtration speed is slower than activated carbon

Water distiller

Water distillers deliver extremely pure water, making them a great source of water for plants regardless of water source. Because it contains so few contaminants, distilled water will not provide any nutrients to the soil. Therefore, you must ensure that you provide the soil with all the nutrients it can receive from less pure water.

Some plant enthusiasts don’t believe in using distilled water because it leaches nutrients from the soil. However, distilled water does contain trace amounts of heavy metals, unwanted chemicals, and other contaminants that can harm plants over time. If you use appropriate supplements along with distilled water, your plants will grow healthily without the side effects of residual water contamination.

Advantages of garden water distiller

• Provide the purest water possible
• Allows precise control of plant nutrition

Disadvantages of garden water distillers

• More expensive than activated carbon
• Production speed is slower than RO and activated carbon
• Energy usage during production (about 3 kWh/gallon)

Activated carbon filter

Activated carbon filters use a porous carbon medium to attract contaminants through a process called adsorption. Although they don’t remove as many contaminants as reverse osmosis or distillation, they can be a beneficial filter for your plants. Carbon filters are most commonly used to remove chlorine and chloramines added to city water. Removing these chemicals improves the taste of the water for humans but also prevents them from killing beneficial bacteria in the soil. Carbon filters rated at 1 micron or lower can also remove common well water contaminants, such as iron, lead and arsenic.

The disadvantage of activated carbon filters compared to reverse osmosis and water distillers is that the end product is inconsistent. This is not because the carbon filters themselves are inconsistent, but because some contaminant levels in the water source can fluctuate over time. For example, the water hardness level over a month may increase due to changes in water availability. If you only use activated carbon filters, your plants will suffer varying degrees of hardiness over time. If you use a reverse osmosis system or water distiller, these levels will remain constant regardless of fluctuations in the water supply.

Advantages of carbon filters for gardening

• Inexpensive
• Filtration at high flow rates

Disadvantages of carbon filters for gardening

• Not as thorough as RO or water distiller
• Results are inconsistent depending on the water source

See more: Hệ thống thẩm thấu ngược có bao nhiêu giai đoạn?

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Translator: Duong Nguyen Hoang Khang