Distilled, RO, bottled, rain or tap: which water should you give your plants?
If you've started buying jugs of distilled water for a calathea or an orchid, you already know tap water was hurting it. The question is whether pure water is the answer or just the expensive one.
Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee · plus sales tax where applicable
Do you need to switch from tap?
Brown tips or crisp edges on sensitive plants.
Your city fluoridates or uses chloramine, or you have a softener.
You see white mineral crust on soil or pots.
Two of three and yes:
Why people switch away from tap
Chlorine, chloramine, fluoride, sodium and old-pipe lead. Sensitive plants show it as brown tips and edges; tougher plants just grow a little worse than they could.
Distilled and RO: clean but empty
Both remove essentially everything, good and bad. Plants watered only with distilled or RO water for months miss calcium and magnesium and can show pale new growth. Growers who use them often add fertilizer minerals back — extra steps and extra cost, $15–25 a month in jugs or a $200+ RO system.
Bottled and spring water: expensive and inconsistent
Mineral content varies by brand and batch. Some spring waters are excellent; some are sodium-heavy. At $20–40 a month you're paying for the bottle.
Rainwater: great, when you have it
It's what plants evolved for — soft, mineral-light, chlorine-free. Collect from a clean surface, keep it covered, and accept that it runs out in dry months.
Filtered and remineralized from the tap
A filter removes chlorine, chloramine, fluoride and lead, then puts back the calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron plants use. From any tap, poured from a watering can, about $8 a month in filter packs. No jugs, no measuring.
Cost per month
| Source | Cost per month |
|---|---|
| Distilled jugs | $15–25 |
| Reverse osmosis | $200+ up front, then filters |
| Bottled spring | $20–40 |
| Rainwater | $0, seasonal |
| Filtered watering can | About $8 in filter packs |
Watering Can With Filter and Remineralizer for House Plants
Filters chlorine, chloramine, fluoride and lead as you pour, then adds back 20+ minerals
$69 · Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
plus sales tax where applicable
Frequently asked questions.
Better water, tonight's watering.
- $69 · Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free shipping
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Replaceable filter packs