Thank you aegis.

Aegis--- If using distilled water, will fertilizer added provide enough nutrients? I use dynagro and wick water.

I don't think that fertilizer will make up for the deficiencies of distilled water.

I usually find jugs of Spring water, ... or jugged drinking water, ... right next to jugs of Distilled water at the grocery ... at comparable cost.

I just use tap. I fill my bottles, let them sit for 1-2 days, and then start using it. They've seemed greener and happier since I've done the "let-sit" method, but my care in general has also majorly improved, so who knows. What I can tell you is that chlorine kills off both bad and beneficial stuff in the soil--so letting it sit is a good idea either way.

Every source of municipal water is different. Some still use chlorine - and keeping the jug open for 24 hours makes is dissipate. Some use Chloramine - and you need to use the aquarium supply chemicals to neutralize it. Some water is from artesian wells - and too heavy on minerals - the measurement is dissolved solids - if you have it uaround 150ppm - it is great, if it is significantly more - your plants won't grow. But they need these minerals - calcium and magnesium - so if you use distilled or rainwater - they will lack them. Usually municipal water is a bit on alkaline side pH 8-8.5. They add "buffer" minerals to keep it this way - to protect water pipes from corrosion. It is not bad. But if it is pH is 9.5 - happens too - depending on a water source - it is not good for humans as well. Filter it even for your own drinking and cooking.

If you have a good size collection - you need to look into a water report from your water district. They usually send you one in a mail at least once a year. May be it is just right and you do not need to worry. Usually - if your plants are doing good with tap water you were using all this time - you are fine. You have problems - look into it.

If the collection is small - you can use Spring water - you need it or not... it is in most of the cases better than what runs out of the tap.

;-))

Thanks everyone. I have really hard water & have a water softener so tap really isn't an option. I've been using jugged spring water & the plants have been doing fine. I'm moving at the end of the month & will have to check out the water sources there.