Water Quality for Roses

by Clarence
(Deep River, ON)

I water roses (as well as the lawn) with chlorinated water. I have recently started using compost tea, following your on-line instructions. They call for de-chlorinated water so that the desired life-forms are not killed. Why isn't chlorinated water bad stuff for general watering in saucer-shaped soil structures around each rose?

Doug says who says it isn't? Given the choice of applying chlorine to the soil or not applying - I'd be using the non-chlorinated water. The reality though is that most folks use city water right from the tap and don't think about the effect on the soil microorganisms. So yes, you're doing some damage to the soil surface areas with this tap-water *but* the chlorine does gas-off and disappear fairly quickly so you're not totally wrecking your soil life with tap water.