The Best Water Options for Your House Plants

Just like human bodies, plants of all types react differently to various types of water. In fact, what works for one type of plant, may not necessarily work well for another. This is highly dependent upon where the plant originates from, the environment it has grown accustomed to, and more. When a plant has been given something it doesn’t prefer, it also provides a few physical queues to let you in on it’s sufferings. With these details in mind, let’s jump right into the water options available for your beloved house plants.

Natural water sources can be vital to the overall success of growing plants indoors, depending upon several other factors. It may be confusing to determine what constitutes a “natural source” when it comes to water, so we narrowed it down for you. If you have the ability to harvest water from a natural source, ensure you aren’t trespassing or breaking in local laws before doing so.

Because rainwater is not processed like tap water, it lacks the treatment chemicals, minerals, and salts often utilized to make tap water safe. In turn, this provides plants with pure hydration, often unmatched by other sources. Furthermore, the macro-nutrients found in rainwater are quite beneficial to house plants, much like it benefits the trees, grass, and other outdoor plants, and wildlife. If you live in an area that receives quite a bit of rain, it is easy to begin catching and harvesting rainwater for your own purposes. Simply begin by purchasing a barrel specifically design for capturing rainwater, or check out many of the DIY designs online.

Please Note: Some local ordinances ban the capture and use of rainwater. Please check with the laws in your area before collecting rain fall.

If you had no other options, melted snow could serve as a watering resource. The problem, however, lies with the contaminants often found within surface water and groundwater. Why doesn’t it affect outdoor plants in the same way, you might wonder? Well, in a plant bed, groundwater has the ability to spread out thereby lessening the impact chemicals have on said plants. Potted plants, by comparison, are confined to smaller containers, which completely neglects the groundwater’s ability to disperse as a result.

If you are into reusing items as often as you can, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn of the ways you can use wastewater. In fact, wastewater comes in many forms we may otherwise overlook, and each one provides a great source of water for house plants.

If you are a fish hobbyist, you understand the necessity for regular water changes. By doing so, you rid your aquatic environment if dangerous bacteria and elements that may otherwise harm your fish. Nitrogen may help plants grow, as well as trace nutrients, but fish may die with high levels. Did you know that the elements found within used fish tank water are often utilized in commercial fertilizers? This means you will not only be hydrating your plants, but providing the essential nutrients necessary to grow, and thrive.

A Reverse Osmosis system is a great way to provide your family with filtered water. As a result, RO systems typically produce a specific amount of wastewater during normal operation. Because it lacks minerals and impurities, it may or may not benefit specific types of house plants. This is where it is extremely important to know the needs of your plants before you begin watering or utilizing products. One positive aspect to utilizing RO water is the ability to control pH levels. This will benefit plants, aquariums, gardens, flowers, people, and more.

There’s nothing easier than running your tap to fill pitchers, watering cans, and plant containers. For certain types of plants, such as those within the Marantaceae family, it’s very beneficial to run water over the soil to the point that it drains from the other side. A sink is helpful in this situation, because the water can drain directly, without extra work. As such, here are our favorite in-house methods for watering your house plants.

Depending on your place of residence, you may utilize local municipal water, well water, or enjoy a built-in mode of filtration. Regardless, there are details you need to know before using it on your plants. Through a simple test kit, you can determine the elements currently present in any type of water, from tap, to well, filtered, and even rain water. If you’re utilizing tap water from your local treatment plant, you can contact them directly for an annual report. Because chlorine is one of the main modes of sanitizing tap water, you may damage your house plants. While allowing the water to sit out for up to 72 hours may enable chemicals to gas off, it is not a complete solution. This further highlights the importance of testing tap water before using.

Delicate plants often require softer water sources, whereas others are well equipped to utilize hard water. Once you understand your plant’s needs, you can better match it up with any given water source. Filtered water can be beneficial in areas where the tap is treated with heavy chemicals, which impart damage to house plants. Typically, a residential water filtration system does not have the means to remove essential minerals, salts, etc. It’s primary focus remains steadfast on the removal of dangerous microbes, chemicals, and more. If you are a plant enthusiast, and not a serious hobbyist, filtered tap water can serve as a great solution to watering your plants.

Through the process of condensation and evaporation, distillation efficiently removes chemicals and minerals from tap water. This form of water purification boils away water, capturing the vapors. When there is a concern over toxicity build-up, distilled water works well for water plants. This form of water is free of impurities, which is most beneficial to plants with a small amount of soil. Unfortunately, distilled water contains no nutrients whatsoever. As a result of using distilled water, however, you may notice these plants don’t grow as quickly compared to those enjoying rain water, or bottled spring.