Hello Jessica,

Thanks for your question.

Are you talking about watering indoor plants? Watering outdoor gardens with bottled water does not seem feasible.

“Hard” water refers to the amount of dissolved mineral content in the water. The mineral content is generally magnesium and calcium. The concentration of iron in the water is separate from “hard” water concerns. Have you confirmed the mineral content and iron content in your water?

There is very little discussion of mineral water and the effect on garden plants. There are articles addressing well water with high iron concentration, but most of those issues are clogging of drip irrigation systems: Other than that, the iron content in well water can cause color changes of plant leaves and can stain (rust) items in the overspray path. Here is an article that addresses iron content in well water. https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs516/

The mineral and iron content in your well water reacts with your soil as a gardening system. My suggestion would be to have a test performed on your well water and have a soil test performed. With the results of the two tests we would be much better equipped to make an assessment of watering a garden with your well water.

MSU soil test information can be found at: https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/

Michigan well water testing information can be found at https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/drinking-water-and-environmental-health/water-well-construction/private-well-testing

Also, we can try to find out who taught the Gardening Workshop you referenced to see what their suggestion was. Can you share where and when the Gardening Workshop was? If you can answer back with that information, we will try to find the instructor.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for the information and the suggestions. I appreciate the time taken to reply to my some-what confusing inquiry.
The Gardening Workshop was recently in Scottville, MI; hosted by FIVECAP on May 23

Hello Jessica,

Please follow up with Fivecap. If someone there can name an MSU person involved in the Gardening Workshop, please let us know, and we can try to get that person’s input.  Otherwise, Fivecap should have access to the work#hop materials.