Many people around the country have to deal with hard water. If you are already using a water softening system, you know softened water has a somewhat salty taste. It is because water softeners use salt pellets to remove the hardness minerals in your water. Now that spring is about to take over, watering your lawn and garden becomes a priority. But is it safe to water your turf and growing vegetation with soft water? Our experts in landscaping in Montclair VA have some answers for you!
Is Softened Water Bad for Your Landscape?
Yes. Softened water, rich in salt, is detrimental to your lawn and landscape for the following reasons:
- It leads to plant dehydration. Our landscape contractor in Montclair VA recommends you avoid softened water for lawn irrigation because it tricks the grasses and plants into “thinking” they had more water than they had in reality.
- The salt in the water you use for irrigation gradually accumulates in the soil, stunting the growth of new plants.
- When salt accumulates in the soil in large quantities, it also disrupts the water balance of the plants and prevents new vegetation from absorbing water properly.
- Salt that accumulates in the soil disrupts the micro-ecosystem thriving on your property – it can interfere with plants and insects’ life cycles.
- Using softened water for irrigation may interfere with the lawn treatments, your landscaping company in Montclair VA is implementing year-round on your property. Our landscaping experts recommend soil testing each year to understand the chemical composition of your land, the weaknesses, the strengths, and the needs it has for amendments.
- Lastly, watering your garden with softened water is detrimental to the environment on a broader scale.
Can You Avoid Using Softened Water for Irrigation?
Yes. Our landscape experts in Montclair VA have a few recommendations for you to eliminate the dangers of soft water irrigation:
- Install a spigot to get garden water directly from the main water line outside the house, before the water reaches the softening system inside the home;
- See if you have a bypass valve working together with your watering system. You can use it whenever you water the landscape and get regular water that does not get the ion exchange treatment.
Discuss such matters with your local landscaping company in Montclair, VA, about the landscape irrigation alternatives, systems, and methods you can enjoy without endangering the environment or their properties.
