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Garden watering

JillbarryJillbarry Posts: 2
in Plants
Can I use washing up water/bath water to water my garden plants, and if so will the soap in tHe water harm my plants or change the soil in any way? What about using the water for big garden pot plants too??
Ive recently had a water meter fitted and although I also have a rainwater butt I'd quite like to recycle a lot of my waste water if I can.

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,313
    Most certainly you can.
    If you've just washed-up something really greasy with lots of washing up liquid, then probably best not to but generally it'll do more good than harm.
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 11,440
    The RHS have advice here which may help. I have used washing up water on plants in the ground when we have had hot weather and they have survived  :)
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/gardening-in-a-changing-world/water-use-in-gardens/using-grey-water
  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,314
    I used any spare water in 1976, the hosepipe was disconnected from the outside tap (ban in force) and spent the summer pushed through the bathroom window. Siphoning was interesting and there were times I wish I'd had my Dad's stirrup pump but only the carrots really suffered - they fell through a big crack in the ground.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,669
    You can use washing up or bath water but here's something that I have noticed, collected rainwater doesn't smell, until you get to the bottom of the barrel that is, collected washing up or bath water (grey water) smells, it's still usable though.
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