What type of water should I use for my plants?

wateringcare-basicswater-quality

What Type of Water Should I Use for My Plants?

Water quality matters more than many people realize. While most plants tolerate regular tap water, some are sensitive to chemicals and minerals. Here’s everything you need to know:

Tap Water (Most Common)

What It Is:

  • Water directly from your faucet
  • Treated for human consumption
  • Contains chlorine, chloramine, fluoride
  • May have dissolved minerals

Pros:

  • Convenient and free
  • Always available
  • Fine for most plants

Cons:

  • Contains chlorine and chloramine
  • Often contains fluoride
  • May have high mineral content (hard water)
  • Can cause brown leaf tips in sensitive plants
  • Chemical buildup over time

Best For:

  • Most common house plants
  • Non-sensitive varieties
  • When other options not practical

How to Improve Tap Water:

  1. Let It Sit 24-48 Hours:

    • Allows chlorine to evaporate (gas)
    • Does NOT remove chloramine or fluoride
    • Use open container
    • Brings to room temperature (bonus benefit)

  2. Boil and Cool:

    • Removes chlorine and chloramine
    • Does NOT remove fluoride
    • Time-consuming
    • Must cool completely before using

Plants Sensitive to Tap Water:

  • Dracaena (very fluoride-sensitive)
  • Spider plants
  • Prayer plants (Calathea, Maranta)
  • Ti plants
  • Cordyline

Filtered Water (Good Option)

What It Is:

  • Tap water passed through filtration system
  • Removes many contaminants
  • Various filter types available

Types of Filters:

Activated Carbon Filters:

  • Most common (Brita, PUR)
  • Removes chlorine, some chemicals
  • Improves taste and odor
  • Does NOT remove fluoride or dissolved salts

Reverse Osmosis (RO):

  • Removes nearly everything (chlorine, fluoride, minerals, salts)
  • Very pure water
  • Similar to distilled
  • More expensive system

Pros:

  • Cleaner than tap water
  • Better for sensitive plants
  • Removes chlorine and some minerals
  • RO removes fluoride

Cons:

  • Requires filter purchase and maintenance
  • Pitcher filters don’t remove fluoride
  • RO systems expensive
  • Some waste water (RO systems)

Best For:

  • Sensitive plants
  • If you have hard water
  • Good middle-ground option

Which Filter to Choose:

  • Basic carbon filter: Fine for most plants, removes chlorine
  • RO system: Best for very sensitive plants, removes everything
  • Check what specific filter removes

Distilled Water (Very Pure)

What It Is:

  • Water boiled and condensed
  • Leaves all impurities behind
  • Nearly 100% pure H2O
  • Available in gallon jugs at stores

Pros:

  • Completely pure (no chemicals, minerals, salts)
  • Excellent for sensitive plants
  • No fluoride, chlorine, or mineral buildup
  • Consistent quality

Cons:

  • Must purchase (can add up for large collections)
  • Lacks beneficial minerals
  • Heavy to transport
  • Creates plastic waste (jugs)

Best For:

  • Very sensitive plants (Dracaena, Calathea)
  • Carnivorous plants (require distilled)
  • Orchids
  • Air plants
  • When you have very hard tap water

Cost Consideration:

  • Usually $1-2 per gallon
  • For large collections, can be expensive
  • Calculate monthly cost based on your needs

Rainwater (Ideal!)

What It Is:

  • Water collected from rain
  • Naturally soft and pure
  • Free of chemicals
  • What plants evolved with

Pros:

  • Best option for plants
  • Free and natural
  • No chemicals (chlorine, fluoride)
  • Slightly acidic (most plants prefer)
  • No dissolved salts or minerals
  • Sustainable

Cons:

  • Requires collection system
  • Depends on climate/rainfall
  • Storage needed
  • Can harbor mosquito larvae if not covered
  • May not be practical for everyone

How to Collect:

  • Rain barrels attached to downspouts
  • Containers placed outdoors during rain
  • Must be covered to prevent mosquitoes
  • Filter debris before using

Best For:

  • All plants love rainwater!
  • Great for large collections
  • If you have reliable rainfall
  • Eco-conscious gardeners

Safety Note:

  • Don’t collect from roofs with asphalt shingles (can contaminate)
  • Metal or tile roofs better
  • First rain after dry period may contain debris—let clear first

Bottled Spring Water

What It Is:

  • Natural spring water sold in bottles
  • Contains some minerals
  • Usually not treated with chemicals

Pros:

  • No chlorine or fluoride
  • Contains some natural minerals
  • Convenient

Cons:

  • Expensive for regular plant watering
  • Creates plastic waste
  • Not practical for large collections
  • Quality varies by brand

Best For:

  • Occasional use
  • Very small collections
  • Sensitive plants when other options unavailable

Well Water

What It Is:

  • Groundwater from private well
  • Untreated by municipality
  • Mineral content varies greatly

Pros:

  • No chlorine or fluoride (usually)
  • Free if you have well
  • Natural source

Cons:

  • May have high mineral content (very hard)
  • Can have high iron (causes staining)
  • May have high sulfur (smell)
  • Salt content if water softener used
  • Quality varies greatly by location

Considerations:

  • Test well water to know what you’re dealing with
  • Hard well water can cause mineral buildup
  • If using water softener, don’t use softened water (too much sodium)
  • May need to filter or use alternative

Best For:

  • If your well water tests low in minerals
  • Better if not using water softener

Water Softener Water (Avoid!)

What It Is:

  • Tap water treated with water softener
  • Replaces calcium/magnesium with sodium
  • Makes water “soft”

Why to Avoid:

  • High in sodium (salt)
  • Toxic to plants over time
  • Causes salt buildup in soil
  • Damages plant tissue

If You Have Water Softener:

  • Use outdoor spigot (usually bypasses softener)
  • Collect water before softener
  • Use alternative water source (filtered, distilled, rain)
  • Never use softened water for plants

Choosing the Best Water for Your Plants

Use Tap Water If:

  • You have most common plants (pothos, philodendron, snake plant)
  • Your tap water is reasonable quality
  • You let it sit 24 hours first
  • You’re not seeing brown leaf tips or other issues

Use Filtered Water If:

  • You have some sensitive plants
  • Your tap water is heavily treated
  • You’re seeing brown tips despite good care
  • You want better quality without buying distilled

Use Distilled Water If:

  • You have very sensitive plants (Dracaena, Calathea, prayer plants)
  • Your tap water is very hard or heavily treated
  • You’re seeing persistent brown tips from tap water
  • You have carnivorous plants or orchids

Use Rainwater If:

  • You can collect it reliably
  • You have large collection (economical)
  • You want the best for your plants
  • You prefer eco-friendly option

Water Temperature

Room Temperature Best:

  • Avoid cold water (shocks roots)
  • Avoid hot water (damages roots)
  • Let water sit to reach room temperature
  • Especially important for tropical plants

Why Temperature Matters:

  • Cold water can slow growth
  • Shocks sensitive roots
  • Can cause leaf drop in some plants
  • Room temp water absorbs better

Signs Your Water Quality Is an Issue

Brown Leaf Tips:

  • Especially on Dracaena, spider plants
  • Despite good humidity
  • Likely fluoride in tap water

White Crust on Soil or Pot:

  • Mineral buildup from hard water
  • Salt accumulation
  • Time to flush soil or switch water

Slow Growth:

  • May be chlorine/chloramine damage
  • Try letting water sit or switching source

Yellowing Leaves:

  • Can be pH issues from water
  • Check other factors first

Water Quality Quick Fixes

If Using Tap Water:

  1. Fill watering can and let sit 24-48 hours
  2. Use room temperature water
  3. Flush soil every 2-3 months to remove buildup
  4. Watch sensitive plants for brown tips

If Seeing Problems:

  1. Switch to filtered or distilled water for sensitive plants
  2. Keep using tap for tolerant plants
  3. Monitor for improvement
  4. Flush soil to remove existing buildup

If Minerals Building Up:

  1. Flush pots monthly (water through several times)
  2. Switch to distilled or rainwater
  3. Repot if buildup severe
  4. Remove white crust from soil surface

Budget-Friendly Approach

For Most Plants:

  • Tap water (let sit 24 hours)
  • Free and works fine
  • Monitor for issues

For Sensitive Plants:

  • Small bottle of distilled ($1-2)
  • Use only for sensitive varieties
  • Tap water for others
  • Economical compromise

For Large Collections:

  • Collect rainwater when possible (free)
  • Use tap water as backup
  • Filter pitcher for sensitive plants
  • Mix of methods

Practical Solution:

  • Tap water for hardy plants (pothos, snake plant, ZZ plant)
  • Filtered or distilled for sensitive plants (Dracaena, Calathea)
  • Rainwater when available for all plants
  • Most economical and effective

Bottom Line

Best Water for Most Plants:

  • Rainwater (if available—free and perfect)
  • Filtered (good middle ground)
  • Tap water left sitting 24 hours (acceptable for most)

For Sensitive Plants:

  • Distilled or RO filtered
  • Removes fluoride and minerals
  • Worth the expense for finicky plants

Never Use:

  • Softened water (high sodium)
  • Very cold or hot water
  • Water from water softener

Quick Recommendations:

  • Budget option: Tap water (sit 24 hours) for most; distilled for sensitive plants
  • Best option: Rainwater collection
  • Convenient option: Filtered water for all plants
  • Sensitive plants: Always use distilled, RO, or rain

For most house plant owners, letting tap water sit for 24 hours works fine for the majority of plants, with distilled water reserved for sensitive varieties. If you see persistent brown tips or mineral buildup, it’s time to upgrade your water quality!