My tap water here in the MD/DC area has additives. I think it probably has chlorine among other "cleaners" that are added to the public supply. Does anyone here water with such tap watered filtered through, say, a Brita system? I have been watering my Lemon tree with bottled water, which doesn't contain anything like the tap water does, but that can get expensive. Is it safe to water with water that you would run through a Brita filter? Or should I stick to the bottled?
Viggo - I don't think your citrus is going to suffer from drinking tap water. All my citrus get municipally-treated tap water and have as long as I've had them - I drink it too. I don't believe in wasting environmental resources drinking bottled water. I've had lots of fruit from my trees and I'm doing okay as well so I would say go ahead and take it from the tap. Just don't water until the soil is dry. Diane
I'll give the tap water through the Brita filter a try then. I think it should probably be okay. I don't drink the bottled water, myself, I keep it on store in the event of an emergency. I'll get another case to replace the bottles I used on the plant and switch over the Brita water for it. I can keep the bottled water for emergencies again then. The straight tap water is pretty offensive in this area for some reason- it has a strong chlorine taste. It's somewhere between pool water taste and normal tap taste. I can't take more than a spoon or so of the stuff, so I think I'll run the filter.
if you let the water sit in a container overnight, the chlorine will disapate, so no need to buy bottled water (it's usually just regular tap water anyway - unless it specifies it from a spring). if you're that concerned about other additives, then the brita (or the like) should take care of them. that can get expensive, tho, too.
The element chlorine is an essential plant nutrient, and certainly will not hurt your citrus tree. Chlorine was established as an essential plant nutrient in 1954. Most all soils typically maintain appreciable levels of chlorine in the soil solution as chloride (Cl-).This anionic form is readily taken up by plants. Chlorine deficiency is extremely rare, given the ubiquitous presence of CL- in fertilizers, irrigation water, rainfall, and atmospheric fallout from industrial emission. The beneficial effects of Cl- fertilization on plant growth are not fully understood, but improved plant-water relationships and inhibition of diseases are two important factors. Further because chloride is effective in increasing and reducing the osmotic pressure, it plays a major role in plant and cellular water status. In addition chlorine moves as a counter ion with potassium to regulate turgor pressure in the leaf guard cells controlling aperture leaf movements. Chlorine also plays a key role as a driving factor in the expansion and extension of cell volume during cell growth. So, on the contrary it would not be wise to totally eliminate this element from you general management program. I could go on with AT LEAST ten more benefits for this element. As with every element commonly used in fertilizer management the over supply of any element is not beneficial to the tree. However, generally the amount supplied by municipal water supplies will be very safe and certainly beneficial to your tree. - Millet
Millet- that's actually quite interesting- my parents had long told me chlorine was bad for plants (maybe they meant too much). In any event I'll ease up on the filtering and mix in some regular tap when I water.
