Rainwater/Plants

Five Reasons Why Plants Love Guzzling Rainwater

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth…” — John Updike

Crown-of-thorns plant. Photo by Gauri Sirur

Lately, I have been obsessed with rain — or the lack thereof.

It has been a scorcher of a summer. Temps in the upper nineties, frequently over a hundred. And hardly any rain.

It doesn’t matter how often I water my garden. Grass browns; flowers droop; leaves wilt.

Then four days ago, it rained. And I stepped out to look at my freshly-washed garden. My plants looked perkier and greener after a drink of rainwater.

Or was that wishful thinking?

Turns out I wasn’t being fanciful. Here are five reasons why plants love guzzling rainwater:

1. Purity:
   Rainwater is free (or freer) of the salts, minerals, and treatment chemicals (like chlorine and fluorine) found in groundwater, tap water, and surface water.

2. Acidity:
Tap water, groundwater, and surface water tend toward alkaline. Rainwater is closer to the acidic conditions that most plants favor.

3. Nitrate:
Nitrogen is a component of the chlorophyll molecule. Hence, plants need nitrogen to survive.