WillC said:Hard water has excess mineral salts that tend to build up over time and damage plant roots. So it is best to use filtered, distilled or rainwater.
WillC said:Hamwild - Yes, flushing the soil with clear (mineral-free) water will wash out the excess mineral salts.
purpleinopp said:I used tap water for decades, then started catching rain water. HUGE difference! Not all tap water is the same but my plants look soooo much more happy with the rain water. If I had not seen the difference, I would have never known how much more happy my plants could be, how much better they could look. I do use some tap water over winter out of convenience, but still try to collect some rain for Dracaenas & Bromeliads with cups during that time, & for any others for which the difference seems to be the most dramatic.
The condensate from a dehumidifier or drips from an A/C would also be water to which nothing is added (aside from maybe some dust.)
purpleinopp said:Not silly at all. I catch the rain in buckets & then store any excess in laundry soap & milk jugs with the lids on, and to make sure the buckets get emptied within 5 days so I don't start a mosquito farm. It does not change in any way, that I can see or smell, except when it all froze this past winter. If there are a lot of leaves, it can start to look like tea but I don't store that water, just use it somewhere right away :+)