Rainwater Versus Tap: Which Is Best For Indoor Plants?

Many plants thrive indoors, but every plant can benefit from nature’s elements. Whether it is nutrient-rich soil or plenty of sunlight, indoor plants require outdoor ingredients even when they are inside. But what about when you water your indoor plants? Many plant owners use tap water to water plants inside the home. While tap water is not likely to kill your plants, you might wonder which is better for your plants: Tap water or rainwater.

Rainwater is almost always better than tap when it comes to watering indoor plants. Rainwater has an ideal pH for plants, and it is often high in nutrients like nitrogen, which plants need. Tap water contains certain chemical additives that are not good for plants. Ideally, you should let your plants get rained on in order for the leaves to get clean so the plant can function properly.

Watering indoor plants is crucial to their survival. Each type of plant needs a different amount of water, and some plants even need a very specific watering routine. But it is not only the amount of water you should be concerned about. You also need to think about the quality and type of water you use to water your plants. Keep reading to learn whether rainwater or tap water is better for your indoor plants, and why.

If you’ve ever walked down the water aisle of a store, you know there are seemingly endless types of bottled water out there. From distilled to tap, and rainwater to spring water, there are all sorts to choose from. But when it comes to “free” water, which is the type pretty much everyone uses for plants, there is really only tap water and rainwater.

While many people use tap water, rainwater is almost always better than what comes out of your kitchen tap when it comes to watering indoor plants. Tap water might be very convenient, but the benefits of rainwater significantly outweigh those of tap.

There are, however, a few instances when rainwater is not ideal. For one, if you live in an area known for pollution and “acid” rain, then it is usually better to have tap water, as it will be less harmful. Also, if you live in a very dry climate, then rainwater might be sporadic and very difficult to collect. This means tap water is the more convenient and reliable method.

One fascinating aspect of rainwater is that while it does not contain the harmful chemicals tap water has, it does have some nutrients. Rainwater contains nitrogen and other nutrients that act as food for plants. This is part of nature’s miracle, providing plants with what they need. Unfortunately, tap water does not contain these same nutrients.

You can always feed plants food that is rich in nitrogen, but it is nice to be able to use natural rainwater to regularly feed your indoor plants.

Some people like to collect rainwater for their plants, but it is also possible to put your plants outside during the rain to let them soak up fresh rainwater. This might require some good timing, but there are great benefits to putting your plant out in the rain.

For one, this means you don’t need to collect rainwater or even water the plant yourself. But when you allow rainwater to fall naturally on your pant, it helps you keep the plant and its leaves clean. These clean leaves allow your indoor plant to grow better.

If your home has gutters that collect lots of rain, use this to your advantage. You can use the runoff to easily collect rainwater when it rains. This method is particularly useful in areas where it rains, but not in abundance. Light rain will collect in gutters but likely won’t gather in a bucket if it is not a heavy downpour.

Just make sure when you collect rainwater in a gutter collector, the water is clean. This means you need clean gutters, and also some sort of screen and filter to help keep the dirt and debris out.

In addition to the collection of rainwater, you also need to consider transporting it from your yard into your home. You should use a container that is easy to open to be able to dunk a smaller carrying bucket into it. Or you can also use a container that is easy to tip, pour or even transport into your home. Making your rainwater easy to collect and transport will it more likely you’ll use this free resource to water your plants on a regular basis.

All indoor plants need water at some point. Some like to get a thorough soaking and others prefer a rare and gentle misting. But when you water your indoor plants, you should not only think about the frequency in which you water, but also the type of water you use. Tap water might be the more convenient and obvious type of water to use for your indoor plants, but believe it or not, rainwater is almost always better.

Rainwater does not have the chemicals and additives found in tap water, but it does often contain useful nutrients like nitrogen. Rainwater is also free and has an ideal pH level in most cases. If you place your plants outside when it rains, they will also get the benefit of having the leaves cleaned by this nourishing water.