Hard or Soft:
KNOW YOUR GARDEN
WATER
o you know what type of water is
flowing through your house and
D
hose spigot? If you don’t, it’s easy to
figure out. Next time you take a shower,
pay attention to how your skin feels
afterwards. Do you feel slippery, or do
you feel squeaky? If you feel slippery,
then you have soft water. If you feel
squeaky, then you have hard water. Does
hard or soft water make a difference to
your garden plants? As part of a plant’s
holy trinity – water, sun, soil – you
need to know what kind of water you
are using. If you have been having a
tough time getting anything to grow
in your garden and have checked your
soil and sun, then the problem could be
your water. But what is the difference
between hard water and soft water?
HARD WATER
No, hard water doesn’t mean it’s mixed
with alcohol. Hard water is comprised
of dissolved minerals – the majority of
which are calcium (Ca), magnesium
(Mg), and lime. Unless you have a water
softening system, hard water (to varying
degrees of hardness) is the standard
type that flows through public and
private systems. Once again, there is an
easy way to tell if you have hard water.
If, over time, white/pink scum builds up
on your household fixtures (sinks, bath-
tubs, toilets, etc.), then you have hard
water. Those buildups are caused by the
minerals slowly collecting. However,
that does not mean hard water is bad
for you or your garden.
Soft water is treated, or softened, with sodium which
removes the minerals. That’s why your skin feels slip-
pery after showering with soft water and why glassware
looks cleaner after washing with it. The minerals that
build up on your skin have been removed, so there’s
nothing to wipe off. To remove the minerals, water is
treated with sodium in a system usually set up some-
where within your residence. Soft water systems are
often installed in areas where there is a high amount
of minerals in the water that may affect the plumbing,
or simply because some people prefer the taste and
feel of soft water over hard water. It may not leave
buildup or residue on your fixtures and skin, but that
does not mean soft water is good for your garden.
PROS AND CONS
FOR GARDENING
The simple answer: Treated soft water
has little to offer your garden except
plant-killing sodium. Although only
trace amounts of sodium are present
in soft water, it can build up over
time in the soil. After enough
builds up, the sodium causes
your plants to die of thirst. If
you are worried this is the
case now, you should leach
your soil. This is done by
watering thoroughly and
frequently, which basically
washes away the sodium
buildup. However, you’ll
also be washing away some
nutrients and minerals
that are vital to your
garden’s nourishment.
garden except plant-killing sodium.”
Maximum Yield
Not all water is the same and what
type of water — whether hard or
soft — is flowing through the pipes in
your house might be impacting how
well or poorly your garden is doing.
SOFT WATER
“
Treated soft water has little to offer your
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by Bryan Traficante & Wiley Geren