Is tap water ok for my seeds and plants?
You are here: Home » Grow FAQ » Fertilizing & feeding » -- Watering » Is tap water ok for my seeds and plants?
Tap water in most areas is highly chlorinated, this does not appear to harm Cannabis; and countless fine crops are raised with water straight from the tap. Chlorine is introduced to water as the gas Cl(subscript)2 which formulates slightly acidic water, the chlorine could possibly influence the plants indirectly, by killing some beneficial microorganisms in the soil; however, neither effect is expected to be serious. Organochlorine takes longer than chlorine to dissipate, so the best procedure is allowing the water to stand in an open container for three days at room temperature.
If the water has dissolved CO2 in it (like some bottled water labeled as pure), the pH will rise as that comes out. Letting it sit out is used to evaporate the chlorine, which is fine if thats what your district uses. Some areas have switched to chloramine, which is chlorine and ammonia. This will not evaporate and you need a reverse-osmosis filter (or a distiller) to remove chloramine.
To determine which is in your water, have a sample tested or call your utility company. Even with chlorine or chloramine, your plants may grow fine from the tap, but if you wouldn't drink it, why should your plants?
- Home
- Grow FAQ
- Grow FAQ - Basic
- Organics
- Electrical & safety
- Getting started
- Lighting
- Fertilizing & feeding
- What are Macro-/Micro-Nutrients, and what is each responsible for?
- The never ending abuse of Phosphorous to enhance flowering
- How do I mix up my nutrient solution?
- How can I properly maintain my hydroponic nutrient solution?
- What do the three numbers on the fertilizer label stand for?
- How do I apply hydrogen peroxide?
- Will my nitrogen source affect the PH?
- What is the difference between synthetic and organic fertilizers?
- Foliar feeding
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Sick Plant Symptoms
- Nutrient formulations
- Nutrient Product Comparisons
- pH / EC / TDS / PPM
- -- Watering
- Is it safe to use pet-shop preperations, that are sold to remove chlorine from my tap water?
- Can I use water from the dehumidifier?
- How much water do I give my clones & seedlings when in rockwool?
- What is the "lift the pot" method?
- Why is my reverse-osmosis water not pH neutral?
- How can I tell whether my drooping plant is overwatered or underwatered?
- About wet/dry cycles
- What is the best type of water to start with?
- Is tap water ok for my seeds and plants?
- How do I determine my watering schedule for container plants?
- Why do my plants droop after flushing or heavy watering?
- How do I water my hard to reach plants?
- Soil & soilless
- Hydroponics
- Transplanting
- Plant trouble
- Seeds, germination & seedlings
- Vegetative growth
- Sexing
- Cloning
- Blooming & ripening
- Harvesting & curing
- Outdoor growing
- Odor control
- Grow FAQ - Advanced
- Breeding
- Hashish and oil
- Growroom efficiency
- Nutrient formulations
- Pests & disease control
- Growth regulators & hormones
- Propagation techniques
- Hydroponic system construction
- Utility, conversion charts, formulas etc.
- Marijuana photography
- Medical usage
- Marijuana Seeds