Just realized I was ruining my own hydrangeas with bad water

I used to just grab whatever hose was closest and spray down my hydrangeas every morning without thinking about it. Then a customer brought back a wilted bouquet last June and said their hydrangeas always drooped after two days. I felt bad for them until I tested my own tap water here in Portland and found out it was super hard and alkaline. Switched to rainwater I collect in barrels and now my hydrangea batches hold up for 5 days easy. Even started adding a splash of lemon juice to the water for that extra acidity boost when I don't have rain stored up. Has anyone else noticed their flowers lasting longer after ditching tap water?

3 comments

3 Comments

keith16423d ago

Wow, I never thought about the water that way, but I switched to rain barrels after my tomatoes got all spotty.

the_hayden23d ago

Ngl, rain barrels saved my garden too. I was using hose water for months and my zucchini leaves kept getting these weird yellow patches. Switched to collected rainwater and the difference was night and day. Now my cucumbers are actually crisp and the peppers are way less bitter. It's crazy how much the tap water chemicals mess with soil microbes without you even realizing it.

angelamurphy23d ago

Same here. I switched to rain barrels for my hydrangeas and the difference was wild, now my blooms last way longer than they ever did with hose water.