Is Plant Growth Affected by Different Types of Water?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 25, 2020

Plant growth can be affected by different types of water and the main reason for this is the level of salt in the water. Most plants thrive better when watered with water that has low levels of salt.

When a plant soaks up water that has high levels of salt in it it can look burned or yellowish. Using water with low levels of salt is the best way to promote healthy growth. The main types of water to choose from include:

Rainwater — this is the purest form of water and naturally has the least amount of salt. It is the best type of water to use on plants, but it is also one of the most difficult to access or collect.
Distilled water — this is the water that is bought in bottles from shops and is expensive. It goes through a process that removes contaminants, including salt.
Purified water — water that has gone through reverse osmosis purification has very little salt or other contaminants. Compared to the previous two methods, it is also cheap and easy to make.
Tap water — tap water does not necessarily have a high level of salt. However, the quality of tap water varies from location to location, and some tap water does have high enough levels of salt to affect the growth of plants.