by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
The summer of 2010 was a very dry one here in the South-East of the United Kingdom with nigh on no rain to speak of for about two months.
This gave me a great opportunity to observe the impact on watering versus rain (rainwater) on plants and it is rather amazing.
When using tap water, aside from the fact that the chlorine can cause the leaves to burn when the sun gets to work, it is a case of, so it would appear, one just about can keep the plants alive.
Vegetables and also flowers do not do much in the way of growth or production of produce or flowers. It is a case, virtually, of the plants thanking you for keeping it alive, but that is about it.
As soon as some rain, often not even all that much, hit the plants and the surrounding soil the suddenly take off as to growth and also producing of fruit or flowers.
While I am neither a soil scientist nor one for rainwater it would appear to me that there is more to rain than it just being water, per se.
It would appear – though I could be wrong – that the water picks up nutrients on the way down from the clouds to the Earth and also, may, become ionized with a variety of particles.
Thus, as soon as the plants take up that water – which is probably nutrient rich – they thrive while they barely survive when watered from the water mains.
I am no scientist, but this is how it looks to me as a gardener who still has to improve of his green thumbs.
© 2010
