Rain or tap-which is best?

[David]

I belive that rain is much better than tap water for plant growth and health.

The evidence is clear on even the lawn where a sprinkler will keep it alive but when it rains it suddenly bursts into life.

My question is why?

Thanks

David

[Allan]

Tap water is safer on seedlings as it is free of bacteria etc. but rain water has more dissolved air in it plus small quantity of dissolved nutrients and it is at ambient temperature. I think in your case it is more to do with the quantity and the overall, gentler delivery rather than these other factors. You might find it interesting to put collecting vessels on your lawn and measure the amount your sprinkler actually puts on, compared with the sort of figure a decent bit of rain amounts to.
Allan

[richard p]

its one of those questions which we will dissagree on. there are some on here who always use tap water cos they have a handy tap and stored rainwater is full of bacteria and bugs. others allways use rainwater on their seedlings cos the water butt is handy and/or tap water is laced with chlorine (basically househould bleach) .

[Allan]

One factor has been proved elsewhere, tap water is better after it has been stored for a while, got air into it and vented the minute amount of chlorine. So when there isn't enough rain I fill up the water butts from the tap, otherwise new seedlings always get fresh tap water.
Allan

[richard p]

has anyone come accross the theories of viktor schauberger? as i remember it he had some theories about the life force or subtle energies in water, basically the water was better if enriched by swirling about in sunlight and deadened by being constrainedd to straight flow in dark pipes.

[Belinda]

The only time I've come across him is with regard to gardening tools made from copper.

http://www.implementations.co.uk/main_p ... erger.html

[sandersj89]

Hmmmm, how about the temperature of the water. My stuff from the tap is cool, brodering on cold where as stuff from the butts is positively warm. Rain, while not at ground air temp, is probably warmer than tap.

Just another factor to consider.

Jerry

[ken]

Horses for courses, I think. I use rainwater from the water butt when watering our few rhododendrons, because the tap water is more alkaline. On the other hand, the observation on this forum that it is probably unwise to use stored rainwater on salads struck a chord.

[oldherbaceous]

And did you know when theres lightning about, rain water has more nitrogen in it.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

[Allan]

Yes, if you mean nitrates or nitrites. The air itself is 4/5 nitrogen, it's the electricity that turns it into oxides which the plants can absorb. The other primary source of fixed nitrogen is microbes round the roots of legumes.
Man can do the same job with electricity. Now you tell me which is or is not Organic, neither contains carbon.

[oldherbaceous]

Allan thats exactly what i mean.
Don't know about the organic bit though, i'll have to leave that to someone in the know.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

[Johnboy]

Hi David,
I use tap water here but I do not have any Chlorine added to my water. I am fed from the Aquifer from the Elan Valley to Birmingham and all we have is and Ultra Violet Filter only.
I would always use tap water on seedlings because of the impurities in Rain Water which mature plants can deal with but seedlings can not more often than not.
Chlorine in the quantity involved has no effect on you so why should it effect your plants. To not use tap water for your plants and drink and bathe in it seems somewhat foolhardy. This was thought up by another purist and it really doesn't make sense.
I think that is you water your lawn after dark and give the water time to do it's job but I feel that you are probably watering in sunshine when the Lawn is hot and most of the water is not soaking in it is evaporating.
You never see Golf Greens or Bowling Greens, both which are generally watered at night, suffering in a drought.