Should I be dechlorinating garden water?

[SaltyNuts]

I've never known this until recently, but apparently the chlorine or chloramine can be bad for your plants, or really the microganisms that help your plants. Should I dechlorinate all water before using it? If so, what is a cheap, easy way to dechlorinate? I know my water has chloramines in it, so I don't think I can just let it sit, I don't think those evaporate. Thanks.

 

[mindless1]

I've never had an issue with using straight tap water, but one thing that I have noticed is the issue that it is slightly basic pH, which reduces mineral availability compared to slightly acidic rain water. So, I collect runoff from my roof to offset the tap water. Before I started doing that, I'd notice that every time I had a good rain, the plants would shoot up an extra 2" the next day, despite being watered enough all along.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I heard you can just let it sit and the chlorine will evaporate out. Otherwise one of those under sink filter systems or even a Britta could work.

Rain or lake water might work well too.

 

[SaltyNuts]

I've never had an issue with using straight tap water, but one thing that I have noticed is the issue that it is slightly basic pH, which reduces mineral availability compared to slightly acidic rain water. So, I collect runoff from my roof to offset the tap water. Before I started doing that, I'd notice that every time I had a good rain, the plants would shoot up an extra 2" the next day, despite being watered enough all along.

That is very interesting mindless one. I'm going to start trying to catch a bunch of rainwater to use. How do you collect big quantities of it? Thanks!

 

[SaltyNuts]

I heard you can just let it sit and the chlorine will evaporate out. Otherwise one of those under sink filter systems or even a Britta could work.

Rain or lake water might work well too.

I think the chlorine will indeed evaporate out Red Squirrel, faster if the water is moving. But my water has CHLORAMINE, which I believe will not evaporate out. Still, I'm going to set up a trash can, get an aquarium hang on back pumping in there, add tap water, and see if the chlorine/chloramine levels will ever drop to zero without more (I have strips that are supposed to measure both). Thanks!

 

[mindless1]

As stated I did not find that tap water alone was a problem, just that they grow even faster/larger with some rain water due to the lower pH. Some areas get enough, regular rainfall that it won't make enough difference to bother catching it to add a bit more unless you have a water shortage.

You can get pH test strips, check your water, add a little acid like vinegar/peat moss/etc to lower pH to help break down soil minerals, OR you can just fertilize with the salt form of those minerals. For example I often add eggshells to soil, but if the soil pH wasn't slightly acidic (or pH not reduced by rain, or pH raised by tapwater, etc) so the eggshells weren't breaking down fast enough, then i'd use calcium chloride instead.

I catch the rain off my roof by putting the downspout into a barrel, with a lid that has a cutout for the downspout to fit tight, to keep mosquitoes from finding it.

 

[SaltyNuts]

Thanks mindless1! Yea, I got ya on the water, I just figure it will be good to give good, old fashioned rainwater to them a bit more often than tap water. Doubt it will really make a difference, but can't hurt.