by Jesse (Froehlich) Savou, ARCSA A.P.
Rainwater quality is better for plants than water from any other source. Learn the four reasons why!
Imagine walking through your garden after a fresh rain. Thirsty plants doused in droplets fallen from the sky, their leaves expertly channeling moisture down stalks and into the soil—right to the root zone where it is needed most.
Greens are vibrant, and so are the color-pops of flower petals. The soil is moist and alive. This is a happy garden!
While it might not come as a surprise that there's no water plants love better than rainwater, do you know the four (4) reasons why?
Read on to learn about the water quality benefits of rainwater for garden. Listen to our podcast feature expanding on this topic and more!
Four Rainwater Quality Benefits
Why is rainwater such a preferred water source? There is more than just one reason—in fact there are four!:
1. Rainwater is 100% soft water
Free of the salts, minerals, treatment chemicals, and pharmaceuticals that are found in municipal water, groundwater, and surface water, rainwater is pure hydration. Salts and chemicals build up in your soil over time and these residues are tough on plants. This effect is exaggerated in potted plants where the accumulation is more pronounced.
2. Rainwater is slightly acidic—naturally!
Green gardeners know that most organically grown plants prefer soil pH levels between 5.5 and 6.5. This is on the acidic side of the neutral pH 7, and by nature's design, it is the exact pH range for rainwater. City water, on the other hand, is treated to be alkaline to protect metal pipes from corroding, and can have a pH level upwards of 8.5. Greywater (once-used household water from a laundry machine, shower, or bathroom sink) will start with the same pH as your tap water, but can have a pH as high as 10.5 once it gets to the garden depending on the types of soaps and detergents that are in it. Irrigate with rainwater to flush out your soil and help keep your soil pH in perfect balance ongoingly!
3. Stored rainwater contains some organic matter
If collected from your rooftop, rainwater contains traces of organic material. While the water is very clean and should run clear, it has been exposed to anything on your roof. We're not talking about chunks (these get pre-filtered out on their way into properly-designed rain barrels)—we're just talking about contact exposure to leaf litter, pollen, bird droppings and the like (which perhaps not surprisingly are great for your plants). A rain barrel hosts a beneficial biology to keep the water alive—literally. It's like a light application of fertilizer every time you water!
4. Rain contains nitrates—an important macro-nutrient
Rainwater contains nitrates, the most bio-available form of nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the three key macro-nutrients that plants need to thrive, necessary for the development of lush foliage. That said, many forms of nitrogen are not actually absorbable by plants. Nitrates, which are made up of nitrogen and oxygen, are formulated by nature for maximum uptake by your plants. Plants typically absorb most of their nitrates from the soil. And where do those nitrates come from? Rain!
On a personal note, before I discovered rainwater, I doubted I would ever be able to keep a house plant alive. I had somewhat better luck outdoors in the garden, but little did I know that the potted plants were really suffering from the salt, chemical, and mineral buildup of tap water. Then I learned about watering with rainwater. Rainwater straight from my rain barrels into a watering can is what I use for my potted plants and nursery starts. A gravity fed drip line allows me to apply rainwater directly to my in-ground garden with no effort at all. And what a difference it makes. Suddenly I have a green thumb... but (shhh, don't tell.... rather, tell EVERYBODY!) : the secret is the water.
