Soft Water For Plants - Is It Harmful?

Some locations have hard water, which contains a high amount of minerals (calcium and magnesium mainly).  

This high amount of minerals causes a lot of troubles to household equipment.

So, softening water is common in these places.  

Although softened water tastes nicer and is easier to manage, what about your garden plants? 

Is it okay to use Soft water for plants?
It is not suggested to water plants with soft water as it contains sodium in it, which fools plants into lowering their water intake and ultimately it dies of thirst.  

Let’s dive deep into the whole process and find out whether to water plants with soft water or not and how to deal with it.  

What is Softened Water? 

​Hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium in it which gradually starts to clog the plumbing system and make water using equipment inefficient. 

When this hard water is treated with sodium (water softener salt) these sodium ions replace the calcium and magnesium from water and what is left is softened water. 

Can I water my plants with Soft Water? 

Watering your garden with softened water is almost never a smart idea. This is because softened water often has a large level of sodium, which comes from salt. 

The majority of plants can't handle a lot of salt. 

Softened water contains salt, which interferes with plant water balance and can damage plants by tricking them into thinking they have taken up more water than they have.  

The plants in your garden will eventually die of thirst if you use softened water. 

The salt in softened water not only harms the plants you water with it, but it also builds up in your soil, making it difficult for future plants to thrive. 

How to Water Plants If You Have Water Softener Installed? 

If you have a water softener in your home, there are a few things you can do to prevent it from harming your plants:

• Install a bypass valve on the outside of your house to remove water from the line before it is treated by the softener.
  
  
• Collect rainwater in a rain barrel and use it to water your indoor and outdoor plants.
  
  
• Indoor plants should be watered with RO water if installed.
  
  
• Use phosphorus salt instead of sodium salt. As phosphorus is a nutrient required by plants. 

 
How to Treat Soil Water by Softened Water? 

If you have been watering your plants with soft water, over a period of time what happens is that salt starts to build up in the system. 

That is why you will see signs of underwatering in your plants. 

How do you deal with this salt buildup in the soil? 
To treat it you will have to water the soil frequently with either RO water or rainwater to leach down the excess salt from the system. 

The salt in the system will either wash down or go deep down the soil to have no impact.


Conclusion: 

I hope this easy to follow guide on watering your plants with soft water has helped you clear your doubts and given a clear picture of how to deal with it. 

Although it is not advised to water your plants with softened water, you can mix it with rainwater to decrease the amount of dissolved salt and reduce its impact. 

Do let us know in the comment section if you have any doubts.