Maximum Yield USA February 2019 | Page 49

If you leach your soil, make sure you replace the mineral/nutrient content afterwards with an additive or fertilizer. Hard water provides your garden with useful mineral content and doesn’t have the excess sodium of treated soft water. Calcium and Magnesium are vital to a plant’s growth but can be harmful in large doses. Too much can cause chlorosis – a yellowing of the leaves which is a symptom of sickness. To prevent sickness like chlorosis, use a raised garden bed that provides better drainage. Excess minerals will leach from the soil naturally, be rebalanced with the minerals in your hard water, and your garden will be much happier. Hard water provides your “ garden with useful mineral content and doesn’t have the excess sodium of treated soft water.” WHICH SHOULD I USE FOR MY GARDEN? This is a trick question because the best option for your garden isn’t hard water or soft water, but rain water. Rain water, while technically soft water, lacks the sodium of treated water and won’t lead to that excess mineral build-up hard water can bring. Rain water is friendly to plants and, conveniently, can be collected in rain barrels for use in your garden. If you don’t want to collect and use rain water, the next best option for your garden is hard water. Maximum Yield 49