Occasionally using soft water on your plants is okay as long as the same plants also receive plenty of rainwater. It’s not recommended to use a lot of soft water on the plants. Let’s take a detailed look at soft water and how it ultimately impacts plant growth.
What Is Soft Water?
It’s important to first distinguish the differences between soft water and softened water. Natural soft water, deionized or reverse osmosis water, calls for minerals, the universal solvent. Meanwhile, soft water, where ion exchange will replace hardness minerals ions with ions that are more soluble, is not aggressively corrosive.
All homeowners and landscapers must also understand soft water is not the same thing as pure water. The total dissolved solids (TDS) of zero water is almost equivalent to the unsoftened original supply.
Why Is Soft Water Bad For Your Plants?
As long as your plants receive plenty of rainwater, some occasional soft water usage will not hurt. However, excessive use of soft water is not recommended. Most water softeners feature sodium chloride, which can produce a gradual buildup of sodium in garden soil.
Soft water has the unfortunate potential to cause plant growth issues. Try using hard water or reverse osmosis when watering your plants.
Growing Plants With Reverse Osmosis Water
Using a reverse osmosis filter can greatly reduce the overall contaminants. This filter is popular among gardeners with a lot of plant diversity. The biggest benefit here is the production of both clean and consistent water. This means you will be able to control the amount of fertilizer and nutrients you apply.
Gardeners with iron problems, chlorine, or bacteria often benefit from using reverse osmosis water. In addition, the pH of this water can be altered quite easily. Plants with specific acid or alkaline needs can flourish from the versatility of this water.
Conclusion
Some application of soft water is okay for plants, but this will not provide any benefits to your gardens. Soft water should only be used occasionally on plants that also receive a plethora of rainwater. Otherwise, the use of soft water is not recommended.
Reverse osmosis is widely considered the best water for serious gardeners and landscapers. This allows for precise control of the flow of nutrients to your plants.
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