Why bother? Why not just use tapwater?
One of the issues many people often find, at least when it comes to watering certain native plants or seedlings, is that their plants do not like tap water. The things we allow in our tap water, as well as the things we need to do to it to make it safe for us to drink, those are not necessarily great for our flora and fauna. This is why we need to use water conditioners to treat tap water when adding them to a fish tank.
Plants are not fish, but some plants are adapted to growing in very specific conditions, and the water we have access to isn’t necessarily the best thing to use. Plants that grow in bogs are adapted to water that has no salt whatsoever. Even using tap water can kill them. You might think that you could collect water from a local natural source, but even that poses a problem. Salt is a pollutant – one that is not easy to remove from waterways.
Kits are provided in partnership with the Izaak Walton League of America to monitor the salt pollution in our waterways. This is an easy way to help out the community. Salt Watch is not limited to the Wissahickon.
Acid-loving plants do not love alkaline water.
Isn’t it ironic that the tap water in the eastern half of the US is quite rich in minerals, what people often refer to as hard water (alkaline). Meanwhile, our soil tends to be acidic. The plants that evolved to grow in our native soil do well in acidic conditions, and not quite so well in alkaline ones. If you grow plants in pots, it’s very easy to throw off the balance.
This can pose a bit of a problem when it comes to watering seedlings with tap water. To us, this would be sort of like finding ourselves stranded in the middle of the ocean – plenty of water all around, none of it potable. Many growers have killed plants that need very acidic soil by watering them from the tap.
The solution is to use rain water.
Our winters tend to be quite rainy (or snowy further north), so if you plan ahead, you can avoid ever needing to water your seedlings with tap water. A lucky few may even have water harvesting systems (like rain-barrels or even better, massive water collection cisterns) that they can use for this purpose. I do not have either of those things, so instead I collect water in as many containers as I can find. When it’s raining heavily, I time my watering to empty containers so I can fill them with fresh rainwater.
When collecting snow, avoid collecting from hardscaped surfaces to reduce chances of contamination. Instead, opt to shake snow off your shrubs into a bucket, or collecting snow far from roads or walkways. How many parents and educators are now rethinking the rainbow salt experiment?
What sorts of containers?
The jug in the featured image has been one of the most useful & versatile tools in my garden that isn’t specifically sold for gardening. I get no personal benefit or gain from recommending this product. I’ve tested a number of different types of containers to collect and store water, and this has by far been my favorite. The smaller cap can be used to slowly drip water newly planted shrubs and trees. Do this by just slightly unscrewing the larger cap and setting it on its side at the base of the plant. The vacuum keeps it from dumping out all at once.
The second type I’ve used are plastic flat-pack jugs that easily stand up when filled, but you can fit several in a back pack. I’ve had those for a number of years, back when we were experimenting with pond jars for homeschool and needed to collect pond water. These days, they serve as my back-up containers if we have a really good rain event.
That’s heavy! How do I pour it out?
They are absolutely heavy, and I am definitely feeling it after lugging them back indoors and down the basement steps for my seedlings. If these are too heavy for you to carry, you can opt for a more permanent location. If you are growing plants in your basement, leave them there, and use smaller containers to transport water (you just need more trips). Outdoors, try keeping them on a cart. These carts (this one is fitted with flat-free tires) are fairly common at garden centers. Since one cart fits six of these jugs perfectly, this garden-cart-turned-water-cart can transport 30 gallons of water at a time. If, like me, you have one spigot to supply water for a large property (in my case 1.5 acres) and no easy way to move that using vehicles, this is a workable solution.
To get the water out of the jugs and to your plants, you can find battery operated hoses with a filter end that would fit inside the larger capped opening of the jug. The pump is in the handle. They cost between $25-$30, so it’s not a massive investment. Just move the hose from one jug to the next. Not including the cost of the cart (not sure what it was, mine was a gift), you can put together a portable watering system for under $100.
Right Plant for the Right Place.
We all find ourselves in situations where we need to occasionally water plants. All plants should be watered-in immediately after planting to help the soil settle around the roots and make good contact. Water new plantings until established, especially through periods of drought. Potted plants need regular watering.
That being said, ideally it’s still best to learn how to assess your site and which plants would do best growing there. Avoid siting plants in a way that would require a lot of hands-on care once established. They should be able to get through whatever nature throws at them, including an occasional drought. When sited and planted correctly, with the aid of organic and living mulches, water loss can be kept to a minimum.
Very helpful information! Gave me a lot to consider for my potted garden. We have two 100 gl blue barrels and multiple 5 gallon pails that we reuse frequently….They saved my plants during our extended summer heat and the drought last Fall (November 2024, here in MontCo, PA.). Thank you for all your hard work!