I have heard from nurserymen to add some vinegar to the water, if you can water by hand. It does make a difference. Very little per gal. I don't have a ph meter, it should be below PH 7 or use tomato food, Norma

Water by hand gently with a sprinkler can, and a fine head for the purpose. Or a hand spray.
Hard water add 1 tsp. of vinegar per gal. of water. I'm not sure of the exact amt. just don't over do it. You want to get it below PH 7 try for 6.5 Norma

The purported benefits of rain water are thought to be a result of the acidity. There are some species that prefer alkaline soils but all plants prefer a slightly acidic water.

I have been growing and sowing for a long time and I have never noticed any problems using tap water, but this varies by locale.

Recently I have been adding about 1 tbs vinegar per gallon of water for those plants that I do not expose to rains, such as some dwarf cactus varieties. I have definitely noticed better growth since trying the vinegar, so perhaps there is something to it although it is controversial.

In terms of how to deliver the water to prevent knocking over seedlings, the safest way is to submerge the pots in water to moisten the substrate. I have also used large syringes which let out a very gentle stream.

X

Wow,
I'm surprised to read vinegar. Straight i've heard it to be a weed killer...

I can give it a try.

I've heard boiled water is to avoid damping off. Has anyone heard that?

Right now my small stuff is in the house and a spray bottle that can be adjusted to mist is the easiest way to water. The seedlings I have up are doing pretty good and have grown a little.

Acetic acid kills both weeds and other things, but at higher concentrations. Here, when it is mixed with alkaline tap water, the acid is converted to the salt (acetate), which is less harmful, and the resulting solution is very dilute too.

I looked up some water data for Tucson. The chemistry seems to vary with time and exact location, but yes, 1 tablespoon of 5% vinegar to 1 gallon should be approximately right.

I have not heard of any reduction of damping off when boiling tap water, that is done to expel chlorine and to precipitate some of the lime present in very hard water.

For rain water, especially when collected from a roof, boiling must have some effect on the fungi and bacteria that the water has collected along the way. I always boil rain water before using it, and I rarely use it for seedlings.

Our water is nuts here! Everything gets a calcium build up bad!

I have a filter on the water line to the fridge, otherwise the ice cubes have funny white stuff floating in it.

This is very interesting info about the vinegar. Thank you!

Now 5%, is that just comon household white distilled?
I went to look at the bottle, only to find I don't have any! LOL!!! guess I need to add it to the shopping list. lol.

Why don't you use rain water on seedlings?

So is buying distilled water a waste?

I had read to use it on common house plants like the spider plant because water has so many chemicals and junk like floride that is bad for the plants.

Me and my dad both had a horrible garden this year, and we feel it may have had alot to do with lack of rain! Our poor plants were choking on city water.

We had a horrible dry summer.. down several inches on rainfall.

My own vinegar bottles actually said 6%.

I don't like to use rain water on small seedlings because boiling doesn't kill all spores. I'm just careful, maybe too much.

Distilled water sounds expensive. I have an almost unlimited supply of purified water, which I use for seedlings, so I have never needed to worry about that. (I have an almost unlimited supply of rain water too ... 14 sun hours in November) Maybe you can acidify your tap water and then dilute it with some distilled water to reduce the salt content? Depends on how many seedlings you have.

The fluoride levels in tap water are too low to be harmful to plants. Not much anthropogenic chemicals either, and they are more of concern to us and animals than to our houseplants. No need to buy pure water for that reason, but salt buildup is of course greatly reduced compared to using your tap water. It is also reduced by acidifying the water.

Salt build up is what me and dad think killed our summer garden. No rain to rinse it.

I do have the filter to the water source on the fridge, maybe I should start using water from there to do my seedlings.

I would have to let it sit for awhile and warm though . lol..

I will get vinegar this weekend too.

Thanks for your help with this!

I dont have a lot now.. but have 4 hybrid aloe seed pods forming and my son has some on one of his plants. So will have alot soon.

JoJo

What kind of filter is it? For water softening?
I have never heard of a fridge with a water source. What is it used for? Only ice cubes?

I'm not sure what all the filter removes. Its underneath the kitchen sink. I know its not a softener! It only filters the water to the fridge, not whole house like a softener would.

Every 6 months we change a filter in it.

Our fridge has automatic ice maker, and drinking water in the door... just hold glass under and push a button. Cold water in a glass.

a couple of comments:

If salt build up is an issue (whether induced by hard water or by fertilizer), the best way to treat it is by watering thoroughly each and every time, enough where excess water clearly drains out and the pots must NOT be sitting in saucers that are collecting water. Thorough and regular leaching will eliminate a toxic salt build up. Acidic water helps too, but still it is not as effective as leaching. A well aerated substrate is very important to be able to leach properly.

The nice thing about many succulents is that they are quite tolerant of chemicals in tap water, so it should be very safe to use. Venus' fly traps and african violets can be finicky, but succulents are pretty tough.

x

Leaching works only for easily dissolved solids. Lime precipitates easily, but dissolves slowly unless an acidic solution is used. That is one reason why tap water often is acidified, the lime is converted to the acetate, which readily dissolves.