Plants: The watering mistake you might be making in the garden – ‘will cause havoc’

Gardening: How to create a watering tool for your plants

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Watering is essential for maintaining healthy plants. In the summer months, gardeners may water their plants once or even twice a day, and it is extremely important to use the right type of water when doing so. Experts at Rhino Greenhouses Direct have shared why gardeners shouldn’t be using hard or soft tap water when watering.

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The experts said: “If you’re in an area with hard water, higher levels of calcium and magnesium carbonates will have an effect on your plants.

“Minerals are of course good in the right dosage, but too much will hurt more than they help.

“Too much of these minerals will turn your soil into a high alkaline environment that some of your plants won’t enjoy.”

According to the experts, soft water also isn’t ideal for plants.

Soft water is normally treated with sodium or potassium, which makes the water saltier.

The experts explained: “It is not advisable to exclusively water your plants with soft water.

“The high salt levels will cause havoc with the plant’s own regulatory system, by fooling it into thinking it has taken up more water than it actually has.

“Worse still, if you use soft water on your beds continually, the salt will build up, making the entire area inhospitable.”

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If used intermittently, soft water and hard water won’t cause too much harm to the garden.

However, rainwater is much better for the plants.

If possible, the experts recommended using rainwater to water plants as it has a “multitude of benefits”.

This includes a natural PH, making it fresher and cleaner for plants.

Rhino Greenhouses Direct experts added: “Compared to running your taps, there is no cost to collecting rainwater (besides the cost of a decent bucket or water butt).

“It’s self-replenishing too, which means less trips back and forth from tap to veg patch.

“Besides the fact that some tap water has the ability to upset your leafy friends, human plumbing is also a massive strain on energy resources and on local ecosystems.

“Rain is the world’s natural irrigation system, let’s do our best to use what has been gifted to us.”

Using tap water can harm both indoor and outdoor plants.

Natalie Devereux, product specialist at Serenata Flowers, told Express.co.uk: “Peace lilies don’t like being overwatered, so don’t water on a schedule as it is likely they will need less in the winter than the summer when the external conditions are warmer.

“Overwatering can lead to root rot which suffocates the plant.

“Where possible, use filtered water and avoid tap water which can contain fluoride, which peace lilies are sensitive to.”

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