Overheard a guy at the feed store say rainwater is better than city water for gardens, now I'm second-guessing my whole setup

He was talking to the clerk about how his tomatoes went crazy last summer after he switched to only rain barrels. I've been hauling city water out to my garden for 2 years now and honestly my yields are okay but nothing special. Makes me wonder if all the chlorine and fluoride is messing stuff up. I've got two 55 gallon barrels I never hooked up. Anyone actually test their rain vs tap water side by side?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark_cooper6h ago

That bit about "tomatoes going crazy" really got me thinking too. I've always just used tap water without questioning it, but now you make a solid point about the chlorine and fluoride possibly hurting the soil life. Have you ever thought about just trying one of those barrels on a small patch first to see if you notice a difference?

uma_nguyen242h ago

@mark_cooper that "tomatoes going crazy" line really stuck with me too. Honestly I've been noticing a pattern the last few years where people who use tap water end up with decent but boring gardens and the ones who collect rain always brag about bigger yields. It's like city water is making our plants just okay instead of actually thriving. I'd grab a cheap test kit from the hardware store and check the chlorine level in yours vs whats in your barrels, then try that small patch test with one barrel like you said.