Looking for a better solution than tap water

Discussion in 'Container Gardening' started by MrHappyDays, Dec 29, 2025 at 11:09 AM.

  1. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2005
    Messages:
    56,824
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Mid Kent
    Ratings:
    +111,434
    Not a concern for me either, I never drink water in its raw state.:biggrin:
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
    • john558

      john558 Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Feb 14, 2015
      Messages:
      2,807
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired
      Location:
      Ramsgate, Kent
      Ratings:
      +10,261
      Does it only come in a can:whistle:
       
      • Funny Funny x 1
      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

        Joined:
        Jan 9, 2005
        Messages:
        56,824
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired
        Location:
        Mid Kent
        Ratings:
        +111,434
        No bottle.:biggrin:
        Those cans are dodgy.:biggrin:
         
        • Funny Funny x 2
        • Plantminded

          Plantminded Total Gardener

          Joined:
          Mar 13, 2024
          Messages:
          2,638
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          Retired
          Location:
          Wirral
          Ratings:
          +8,926

          Some sort of distillation involved then? :biggrin:
           
          • Funny Funny x 2
          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

            Joined:
            Jan 9, 2005
            Messages:
            56,824
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired
            Location:
            Mid Kent
            Ratings:
            +111,434
            No, mostly just fermentation. :biggrin:

            Not keen on the taste from cans.
             
            • Funny Funny x 2
            • Agree Agree x 1
              Last edited: Dec 30, 2025 at 6:57 AM
            • Esoxlucius

              Esoxlucius Gardener

              Joined:
              Oct 21, 2022
              Messages:
              308
              Gender:
              Male
              Location:
              Lancs, UK.
              Ratings:
              +333
              Rainwater is tops when it comes to watering plants but I don't collect rainwater at all. No need.

              I have a huge fish tank in my house and my weekly water changes give me more water than my plants would ever need.

              Aquarium water quite possibly is even better than rainwater because it has a % of nitrate in there. If it wasn't for my fish tank I would almost certainly have a water butt in the back garden.
               
              • Agree Agree x 1
              • Selleri

                Selleri Koala

                Joined:
                Mar 1, 2009
                Messages:
                3,132
                Location:
                North Tyneside
                Ratings:
                +10,194
                If plants are doing well with tap water I wouldn't go into extra effort. In the end, our tap water is good enough to drink, and most plants are not that fussy. (There are some special exceptions of course).

                Chloring is highly volatile so filling the watering can in the evening and watering in the morning should get rid of it.

                If the tap water is exceptionally hard, or the plants are not doing well but recover when watered with rain water, some experimentation is probably called for.

                Buying water in containers, or filtering mechanisms/ solutions is also not the most environmentally sound option if it's not stricktly necessary.

                (OK, I also happen to be a lazy person... :biggrin: )
                 
                • Like Like x 4
                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                  Joined:
                  Jan 9, 2005
                  Messages:
                  56,824
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Retired
                  Location:
                  Mid Kent
                  Ratings:
                  +111,434
                  I sometimes water my plants with nettle tea, admittedly not house plants.
                  Now if a plant can survive a flourish on something that stinks like that, containing god knows what, I think they can probably put up with a bit of tap water.:biggrin:
                   
                  • Like Like x 2
                  • Adam I

                    Adam I Super Gardener

                    Joined:
                    Nov 22, 2023
                    Messages:
                    633
                    Gender:
                    Male
                    Occupation:
                    Hijinks
                    Location:
                    Hampshire
                    Ratings:
                    +978
                    i never had an issue with houseplants and we have extremely hard water. but it killed my carnivorous plant instantly

                    chloroamines are bad news and shouldnt be used imo. check your area
                     
                    • Like Like x 1
                    Gardeners Corner is dependent on Donation to keep running, if you enjoy using Gardeners Corner, please consider donating to help us with our operating costs.
                    Loading...

                    Share This Page

                    1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                      By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                      Dismiss Notice