Alkaline Soil and City Water
At a gardening seminar recently, the presenter indicated that if we use city water for our plants then we should use Miracid once a month on them. Your thoughts?
Most urban water is treated and usually has a neutral pH. Those drawn from groundwater in an area with limestone bedrock tend to be more alkaline (higher pH). In those areas the soil also tends to have a high pH. The easiest and most eco-friendly solution is to grow plants that tolerate the existing pH rather than fighting nature and trying to change alkaline soil to acidic. I have not observed any more pH related problems with outdoor gardens irrigated with city water. The best thing you can do is let your plants and soil test results be your guides. If the plants are chlorotic (yellow leaves with green veins) or show other signs of alkaline soil induced nutrient deficiencies have your soil tested. The soil test will tell you what if any fertilizer you need to add. Houseplants like gardenias that require or prefer acid soil will benefit from use of acidifying houseplant fertilizers.
