Plants need two simple things to survive, water and light. Of course, the quality of water can affect the health of your plant. The best type of water for your garden is one that is free of any impurities such as artificial chemicals and harsh minerals. Filling your watering can with simply tap water will not have positive effects on your plants, such as wilting and little growth. Instead, there are plentiful of benefits of using filtered water for gardening. Attaching a garden hose filter is a setup that can improve the quality of your water, ensuring the best health for your plants.
Dangers of Gardening with Unfiltered Water
Using unfiltered water in your garden carries significant risk. This not only impacts the long term viability of your garden, but those who consume the produce. Here are a few of the dangers:
Chemicals in the Water
When starting a garden, it is very convenient to use tap water as it is available from your home and is relatively cheap. The temperature can be adjusted for the plants, and for a short term, it provides the necessary nutrients for plants. However, tap water is full of artificial chemicals and minerals that can be quite harmful to your plants.
Chlorine is often used to kill microorganisms in water. that are harmful to people, but not necessarily for plants. Chlorine negatively effects the health of your plants. In one study, the Environmental Working Group found that more than 50 percent of the pollutants found in water go unregulated. For example, trihalomethanes were found in every tap water source they sampled, a class of volatile organic compounds. It is correlated with the use of chloride in the water. If you re growing a vegetable garden, this can have adverse effects o your health in the long term.
Hard Water
Hard water, containing a large amount of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, is common in many areas. Plants do not need the extra minerals from water as this will cause a buildup, causing them to not be able to use the nutrients they actually need. Plants only need a little bit of the minerals found in water to survive.
Build Up of Salt
Some gardens are watered with soft water if it receives a large amount of rainwater. Watering with soft water is not recommended as it is treated with sodium chloride, a salt. The salts will cause a build up in the plant cells as equilibrium is changed. This will eventually lead to the plants in your garden to have growth problems.
