Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: satrah on 11/12/2011 07:33:42

Title: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: satrah on 11/12/2011 07:33:42
Do plants such as tomato's and other veg's plants grow better with bottled water compaired with normal tap water?
Title: Re: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: CliffordK on 11/12/2011 09:08:52
I haven't done the experiment.

I'm doubting there would be much of a difference.  In the USA, most tap water is "clean", although small amounts of bacteria likely wouldn't have a negative effect.

Bottled water is often sold as "mineral water" but likely of no higher mineral content than ordinary tap water.  And, in general the plants do need some minerals.

Municipal water may be treated with chlorine, or fluoride.  Rural well water would not have it.  I'm seeing a few notes that indicate that chlorinated water may have a minor negative impact on plant growth, even in the concentrations found in drinking water.  Perhaps due to killing beneficial microbes.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_6610758_effect-chlorinated-water-plants_.html

However, I don't know if these conclusions are made from a blinded scientific study, or more because of a "gut feeling".
Title: Re: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: Bored chemist on 11/12/2011 09:58:29
Depending on where you live well water might have a lot more fluoride in than the tap water.
Title: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: Geezer on 11/12/2011 21:05:51
You might be better to convert the water into superheated steam and pump it into the soil to kill viruses - particularly if you are growing tomatoes.
Title: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: SeanB on 12/12/2011 19:51:52
Consider that most bottled water is just tap water, albeit filtered, sterilised and then bottled. Same water, just more expensive.
Title: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: CliffordK on 12/12/2011 22:43:23
In one of the local public markets, I saw someone that selling "Compost Tea".

I thought it was to drink, but apparently it was to water plants with.  And, was a mix of various plant extracts, bacteria, etc, that were supposed to be good for plants. 

Anyway, excessive filtering, or even distilling of water is not likely a benefit to plants.
Chlorine as an additive, however, is potentially harmful to plants.  However, concentrations of chlorine in tap water should be low enough that it shouldn't be an issue (in theory).
Title: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: Nizzle on 13/12/2011 09:07:27
I think "the best water" would relate to the soil in which the tomatoes are planted.

Example: If the soil is very poor in Calcium, maybe it'd be good that there is some Calcium in the water. However, if there's already too much Calcium in the soil, Calcium free water could be better.
Title: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: Don_1 on 13/12/2011 12:52:52
Chlorides and flourides can have a detrimental effect on some plants as can high levels of calcium.

Dracena (Dragon plant) for example can be adversely affected by flourides and any ericaceous plant will be adversely affected by high levels of calcium.

I can't see that chloride levels in tap water would be high enough to affect the flora of the soil.

The brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, sprouts etc) are lime loving plants, so tap water could be beneficial to them due to the high calcium levels.

As for tomatoes, these prefer slightly acidic conditions, so tap water may not be best for them. In this case it is not so much the chloride as the ph level, which tends to be on the high side. Tomatoes prefer water at around ph6.

Some people do leave tap water to stand for 24hrs before using on pot plants, but whether a study has compared tap, boiled tap, bottled water for plant growth, yield and fruit quality I don't know. Since it would not be practical or economically viable for commercial growers to use boiled or bottled water, I rather doubt any such comparison would have been made.

The one thing all agree on, is that rain water is best.
Title: Re: Do plants grow better with bottled water or tap water?
Post by: jmoran92 on 07/10/2018 20:04:52
Our water today is greatly affected by pollution and global warming. Pollution due to an intricate ecosystem in marine and riparian species that begins in rivers, seas and oceans - putrefaction takes in our natural water and therefore affects the purity of it.