What kind of water is better for watering an Acorus (sweet flag) bonsai?
Because it likes a moist growing environment, wild Acorus in nature mostly grows in mountain streams or by lakesides, which makes it easier to absorb water. However, an Acorus bonsai at home cannot obtain water from nature the way wild Acorus does, so it has to be watered manually. But many hobbyists are not rigorous in their choice of water, so after caring for the plant for a period of time they find various problems appearing in the plant. So, what kind of water should be used to water an Acorus bonsai?
Everyone knows there are many types of water for watering plants, such as rainwater, spring water, tap water, stream water, river water, lake water and so on, but not all water is suitable for the growth of Acorus. So what kind of water is more suitable for growing Acorus? There are mainly three criteria:
1. Soft water
Because hard water contains more salts, using it to grow Acorus over the long term is not beneficial to the plant's growth, while soft water is more suitable for Acorus growth, so it is recommended to use soft water for growing it.
2. PH value
For growing Acorus it is suitable to choose neutral or slightly acidic water, so there are certain requirements for the PH value of the water quality. Even weakly alkaline mineral water is not suitable for growing Acorus.
3. Cleanliness
Acorus is a plant that likes a clean environment, so naturally it also has especially high requirements for the water source being very clean. No matter what kind of substance pollutes the water source, it is not recommended to use it to grow Acorus, otherwise problems will arise in the growing.
Through the analysis of the above 3 criteria, clean rainwater is relatively suitable for growing Acorus, and well water is also very good, but it is hard to say in the case of lake water. Because lake water tends to be alkaline or contains some pollutants to varying degrees, so it should be used with caution or not at all.
So, can the most commonly used tap water be used to grow Acorus? Tap water is mostly neutral water, and because it contains a certain amount of carbon dioxide, it tends to be slightly acidic. It can be seen that using it to grow Acorus is also very good. However, note that because tap water is mostly disinfected, it must be left to stand for 2 days before use. In addition, overnight boiled water is also a very good choice.